Like campfire dessert in a bourbon: Michter’s brings back a favorite release

A decade after releasing the first-ever whiskey finished in a toasted barrel, a Kentucky distiller is still going strong.

Louisville-based Michter’s , which released its first toasted barrel bourbon in 2014, will begin shipping the 2024 edition of its limited release US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon in September.

It’s the first time Michter’s has released this bourbon since 2021.

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“Ten years ago, after a good deal of research and experimentation, we released the first toasted barrel whiskey: Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon,” said Michter’s president Joseph J. Magliocco, in a news release. “We had no idea it would be such a groundbreaking product.”

What makes this bourbon special

What is a toasted barrel?

It’s one that has been “toasted” inside but not charred, as most bourbon barrels are.

To create this bourbon, Michter’s starts with fully matured US*1 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon, and then transfers the whiskey into a second barrel made of 18-month air-dried wood, that’s been toasted, for additional aging, according to the distiller.

The result: Additional flavor notes.

“There are many different toast profiles in which the barrel is heated to create beautiful flavor notes,” said Andrea Wilson, Michter’s master of maturation. “This year’s Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon reminds me of a fall evening where we are roasting campfire treats with graham crackers, marshmallows, caramel and butterscotch.”

According to the tasting notes, the bourbon is “campfire and cinnamon, with pecan and candied fruit” on the palate and a lingering finish of baked pears, vanilla, and marshmallow.

It’s 91.4 proof, with a suggested retail price of $110.

The 10th anniversary version “furthers the legacy of Michter’s exceptional toasted whiskeys,” according to master distiller Dan McKee.

The 2024 release of Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon will be available in the US and in Michter’s export markets in limited quantities.

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