Beloved Whiskey Brand Michter’s Announces Return of Barrel Strength Rye

(Photo: Michter’s)

On Thursday, Michter’s, the popular Louisville, Kentucky distillery, announced that it is releasing its US*1 Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Rye expression for the first time since 2022.

“I am excited that our Master Distiller Dan McKee and our Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson felt that this whiskey is ready,” Michter’s President Joseph J. Magliocco said in a news release. “This rye is really special.”

Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Rye is a single-barrel release. The average proof of the barrels in the 2024 release is 110.2 proof, according to the brand.

Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Rye enters the barrel at 103 proof, much lower than the maximum allowed entry proof of 125. McKee says barreling its whiskey at a lower proof is “enormously expensive” but results in a “richer and more complex” product.

Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Kentucky Rye has a suggested retail price of $110 per 750-milliliter bottle in the U.S.

“The Barrel Strength Rye is a smooth, beautifully balanced, and bold journey of flavor through sweet, savory, and spice characters that is a delight to the senses and a joy to drink,” Wilson said.

To read Whiskey Raiders’ review of the 2022 Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Rye, click here.

In November, Drinks International declared Michter’s the world’s most admired whiskey brand — the first time that designation has gone to an American brand.

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