Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery, Louisville, Kentucky the flagship everyday expression of America’s first whiskey company, distilled from a sour mash of select grains, barrel entry-proofed well below the legal maximum at approximately 103 proof to preserve grain character, aged in heat-cycled warehouses that extend bourbon expansion beyond natural seasons, and bottled at 45.7% ABV camphor and concentrated sweetness on the nose with corn, wood smoke, and rye underpinning, and a long finish of wood and sweet maple syrup.

Michter’s production philosophy centers on a single commitment: quality over volume. Barrel entry proof is kept lower than the legal maximum the distillery believes higher entry proof extracts less flavor from the grain and more from the wood, creating a whiskey that tastes of barrel rather than distillate. The heat-cycling of Michter’s aging warehouses artificially warms them in late fall, extending the period of bourbon expansion into the wood beyond what Kentucky’s natural seasonal cycle provides. Every batch is vetted by Master Distiller Dan McKee and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson before release.

The US*1 designation indicates the single barrel program that runs across all of Michter’s core expressions Bourbon, American Whiskey, Sour Mash, and Rye each produced as individual barrels rather than large blended batches, ensuring a specific character and accountability that mass production cannot match. The US*1 Bourbon is the most widely available Michter’s expression and the benchmark against which the aged releases are measured.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Complex camphor and concentrated sweetness upfront, with corn and wood smoke flavors underpinned by a hint of rye.
• Palate: Rich and full-bodied for its proof point, with the heat-cycling’s additional wood extraction evident in the caramel depth and spice character.
• Finish: Long and lingering wood notes mingling with sweet maple syrup flavors in the clean close that defines the Michter’s house character.

Specs

• Distillery: Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery, Louisville, Kentucky
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Small Batch
• ABV: 45.7% (91.4 proof)
• Size: 750ml

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Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Michter’s heat-cycling process? Michter’s artificially warms its warehouses in late fall, extending the period of bourbon expansion into the wood beyond natural seasonal temperatures. The additional extraction cycles produce the deep caramel, wood smoke, and spice character that defines the Michter’s house style.
• What does US*1 mean? US*1 is Michter’s designation for its single barrel small batch program. All core Michter’s expressions Bourbon, American Whiskey, Sour Mash, and Rye are produced under the US*1 banner, bottled from individual barrels rather than large blended batches.
• What is Michter’s heritage? Michter’s traces its lineage to a distillery founded in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania in 1753 by John Shenk recognized as America’s first whiskey distillery. The modern operation is based at Fort Nelson Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, under Master Distiller Dan McKee and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson.
• How does US*1 Bourbon compare to the 10 Year? The US*1 Bourbon is the everyday expression rich, full-bodied, and widely available. The 10 Year adds a decade of patient aging and is released only when barrels meet the quality standard. The 10 Year is meaningfully rarer and more complex; the US*1 is the accessible benchmark that demonstrates the Michter’s house character.

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