Michter's Early Marketing....

Exact text from the back of a Michter's "green" jug from the 1950's:

"The Story of MICHTER'S
Cradled in the Blue Mountain Valley of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country lies a unique distillery where ancient art and modern methods meet in making MICHTER'S POT-STILL SMALL TUB WHISKEY. From distant times and far places come the elements which produce this superb liquor. From the Provinces of France and the Highlands of Scotland come the traditional techniques used in making the finest Cognacs and Scotch Whiskies. From the fertile farms of America come the carefully selected Number One quality grains: from lake-studded Michigan, the hearty dry flavor of Rosen Rye; from the rolling fields of Pennsylvania, the mellowness of Lebanon County Corn; from the sun-warmed prairies of Dakota's Red River Valley, the richness of Barley Malt. Slowly and naturally dried, these special grains receive two successive distillations under rigid supervision. With painstaking care all harsh and bitter impurities and inferior liquors are removed, leaving the exclusive natural grain flavor and gentleness of spirits that distinguish a truly great whiskey. Sealed in custom-made casks, MICHTER'S ages naturally and unhurriedly in the cool quiet of old country warehouses, finally to be decanted and jugged- a rare and perfect whiskey for the most discriminating taste. The best SIX YEAR OLD whiskey we know how to make. Sole U.S. Agents: Louis Forman & Company Philadelphia, Pennsylvania"

And you thought over-wordy, over-the-top descriptions by distillers were a new thing?

Pennsylvania VS. Kentucky.

Yes, it finally happened. The modern day Michter's Distilling Company has supposedly re-created the original Michter's Sour Mash whiskey made in Schaefferstown. I know I've been critical of the company, as have many others in the whiskey world, but let's investigate before throwing stones.....

According to Straightbourbon and a few other places, this was introduced several months ago as being on the market again for the first time in 20 some years. True for the name, not for the whiskey. This is not whiskey from Michter's Distillery in Schaefferstown, PA- let's make that clear. This is sourced whiskey from Kentucky. It is true that nothing called Michter's "Sour Mash" has been on the market since the early 90's.

Let's take a look at labeling:

1. The Schaefferstown bottle:
"Michter's Pot Still Original Sour Mash Whiskey"
2. The new bottle:
"Michter's Small Batch Original Sour Mash Whiskey"

Not much difference really. Both are labeled at 86 proof, with the Schaefferstown bottle saying "Distilled and Bottled in Pennsylvania" and the new bottle being labeled as "Bottled By Michter's Whiskey Company Bardstown, Kentucky 40004." Neither label hints at age or mashbill.

So how do senior and junior stack up?

Let's examine the Schaefferstown whiskey first:

We know this is a 50% corn, 38% rye, 12% barley malt whiskey aged in new or used barrels for 6 or more years. It came from either the small barrel-a-day pot still in the still house or the column-and-doubler main equipment in the still tower. WE MUST KEEP IN MIND THAT TIME HAS MOST LIKELY ALTERED THE FLAVOR SOMEWHAT OF THIS PRODUCT. My sample was stored in a decanter, which means it was exposed to some air over the years and it may have changed the flavor profile to a degree. I've compared it to several samples i have from other decanters and chosen this sample as the best representation of what I have. Because of this, I use this sample for comparative purposes only due to the excellent integrity of the flavor.

Color- Amber honey- Like my Yuengling Lager beer, maybe a little lighter. A beautiful sight indeed.
Nose- Char, maple and rye. Complex and reminiscent of Old Forester Signature. It's like an old cabin in the woods.
 Palate- Bitter. Rye-forward and earthy. Like Sazerac and Old Grand Dad mixed together. In the background is some nice spice- probably a product of the rye and yeast. This whiskey makes no compromises and stands in well with Wild Turkey or Old Forester of yesteryear.
Finish- Not too long, but the char remains that was evident in the nose. Maple and pepper are players here. It's like downing Ridgemont Reserve and breathing out slowly. It's good!

All in all, a robust whiskey for 86 proof. Very good stuff that we'll never be able to have again. Proof Dick Stoll was THE MAN in case anyone had doubts.....

 Now the new kid on the block- will he be hangin' tough?

Color- Same as the Schaefferstown sample, maybe a hare darker. A good start....
Nose- A little more vibrant. Fruitier and more tea and herbal tones. Still has that nice rye smell....
Palate- Sweeter for sure, but not too much. More syrup and citrus, but still earthy and herbal enough. More spry and vibrant.
Finish- Light wood and light sweets and sugar. As that fades, the tea flavors come back again to close it out. Very nice.

This is a good whiskey. At almost $40, it's steep, but it's also something out of the mainstream and is a wonderful 86 proof whiskey. Not your average bourbon Or rye for sure. It does seem to have many Heaven Hill traits.....

My conclusion- A very good whiskey and one that, considering the change in location, change in process, and gap in time, lives up to its Alma Mater pretty well. This is a whiskey for the Old Grand Dad, Wild Turkey, 1792, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Eagle Rare type folks. If this bottle was $25, I'd buy it by the case. Hopefully after the newness of the product wears off, there will be a price drop.....

Feel free to email me with any further questions!

To follow the saga and so I divulge some of my sources:

Michter's Sour Mash Whiskey on Straightbourbon

Michter's review

One more step towards a complete collection.......

A few weeks ago, a Michter's collector contacted me and asked if I had any interest in his collection. He was moving, and didn't want to have to take all of his decanters with him. When he told me what he had, I had to buy some of it. I wish I could have bought the whole collection, but since I like to pay what is fair, it didn't leave me quite enough in the budget to buy the whole thing. So I bought what I needed to fill the gaps in my collection. In the photo you see everything I purchased from him-

-Michter's 1.75L glass bottle lamp
-Michter's apron
-Michter's napkins
-Michter's information books
-1.75L glass bottle
-3 empty 750ML glass bottles (One has a gold Christmas package box with it)
-750ML glass 101 bottle with Christmas box
-1 Liter glass bottle
-2 200ML glass bottles (One empty, one full)
-375ML glass bottle
-101 proof "Tall jug" decanter
-Cobalt blue Quarter Whiskey bottle

A big thank you to Tom for these great pieces!

If you would be interested in purchasing some of Tom's other pieces (He's got lots more good stuff!!), contact me privately and I will send you his email address. Tom is a great guy and wants to see his stuff go to good homes where they will be appreciated!

As a second part of this note- I am proud to announce that my Michter's collection will soon become part of a distillery's museum. I will be involved with this distillery and the creation of the museum as well. More information coming soon! Stay tuned!

A Michter's Update....

So while in the area today, a friend and I decided to stop by the Michter's site. Since the site is now owned by Lebanon Farms Disposal (See the article from the Lebanon Daily News a few posts back), I did not want to set foot on the property without permission. We drove down to the Lebanon Farms office and asked if we could walk around and take some pictures. The receptionist there was very nice and made a call to see if it was allowable. Unfortunately, with the condition of the buildings, we were not granted permission to go on the site. From the years of neglect- I think I termed it "...no regard for American history..." in my video in a previous post- the buildings are in sad, sad shape- the three warehouses at the top of the hill  and the grain drying building had even collapsed by the time LFD bought the property. The buildings that remain are pretty shaky too. It would not surprise me if the fermenting building and column building were torn down as well. Back when I still had access to the property through Dwight Hostetter, the only good buildings on the site were the original still house and Warehouse A, which Dwight had secured and re-roofed. While it is sad and upsetting for me to see the site slowly scrapped and dismantled, I've come to terms with it as of late and understand it must be done for the safety of the local area. I would love to see at least the still house saved. To me, that is the epitome of Michter's and a nice building to restore and use. As they say though- "All good things must come to an end."

And the number dwindles....

I received word this past week about the passing of a Michter's employee. Elaine Stoll called me to tell me that Tom Cuttle, 74, had been killed in a vehicle accident in Schaefferstown over the weekend. According to Dick Stoll, Tom was the Storekeeper-Gauger at Pennco/Michter's. Due to that position at the distillery, he was trained and became an agent for the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. Dick remembered Tom as being a great guy and said they both were good friends during their years together. Tom went on to open a beer distributor in Lebanon after his years at Pennco/Michter's. I never knew or met Tom, but I wish I had. I'm sure just like Dick and Elaine, he was a great man with great stories and a kind heart. The Michter's community has lost another great person.

The USC Football Decanter Arrives........

Thanks to some great people in Hot Springs, AR, I now have a USC football decanter! So without further introductions and ramblings, here is a photo of the full set of "football on a tee" decanters released by Michter's:

So what exactly is left of Michter's...........

Here's a short video shot entirely from the public road by me of the destruction that has come to Michter's.

As I mention in the video, this is just one more historic site in the Susquehanna Valley that we've now lost. This area is truly becoming the black hole of culture and history. Not only have we all but entirely erased our rich Pennsylvania Dutch heritage, now we're destroying the few remnants of the agricultural economy on which this whole area was built upon. As the influx of "outsiders" continues into this area, I have a fear that our heritage in this area will some day be completely erased. So I have at least set out to preserve one little sliver of it, and I hope that I can continue with my quest to save Eastern Pennsylvania's distilling history!