Michter's Pot Still Sour Mash Whiskey, which was the company's most popular expression before it declared bankruptcy in 1919, is made in accordance with original sour mash tradition. By using sour mash, which refers to the art of using a small amount of spent mash from an older batch of whiskey in order to catalyze fermentation in a new batch of whiskey, Pratt is able to maintain consistency with each bottling. While Magliocco readily admits that he wanted to pay tribute to the original Michter's Sour Mash, which was comprised of a mash of 50% rye, 38% corn and 12% barley, the current release isn't an attempt to reproduce it exactly. Rather, it was inspired by the older version, but with the intention of improving it. "If it was like everything else," says Magliocco, "we wouldn't have released it."
Michter's US*1 Small-Batch Original Sour Mash Whiskey has notes of dried fruits (particularly strawberries and oranges), herbal tea and a hint of roasted nuts. The finish, which lingers, is slightly bitter and has a touch of pine needles, along with notes of roasted coffee and oak.Michter's Single Barrel Rye, Small Batch Bourbon and Sour Mash Whiskey represent unique, limited edition expressions of whiskey from one of the oldest brands in the United States.