Michter's US*1 Original Sour Mash: The Category Almost Nobody Bottles Anymore

Michter's US*1 Original Sour Mash is bottled as sour mash whiskey, and that is not marketing. It is a legal category distinct from bourbon and from rye, and Michter's is one of the only distillers still putting it on a label. Bottled at 86 proof (43% ABV) by Michter's Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, distilled in small batches to the Michter's pre Revolutionary War quality standards dating back to 1753.

What sour mash actually means: a portion of previously fermented mash is carried into the new mash as a starter, the way a baker keeps a sourdough culture alive. It lowers the pH, which protects the ferment from bacteria and, more importantly, it carries continuity from one batch to the next. Nearly every Kentucky distillery uses the technique, but almost none bottle a whiskey under the name, because the category has no bourbon halo to trade on. The whiskey is then finished with Michter's signature filtration, which is where the texture comes from.

The result sits deliberately between styles. If you have been drinking bourbon and want to know what the grain and the yeast are doing underneath all that barrel char, this is the bottle that shows you.

Scores

• 93 points, Wine Enthusiast

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Potent caramel with fresh cut apple, nutmeg, vanilla and cinnamon. Sweet and inviting.
• Palate: Silky, and the texture is the headline. Butterscotch, vanilla, caramel and toffee over coffee cake, with cherry and raspberry arriving late.
• Finish: Rye spice and gentle heat, then a dryness that pulls the sweetness back rather than letting it linger.

How to Enjoy

• Neat: at 86 proof there is nothing to tame. The silkiness is what you are paying for.
• The obvious flight: pour it beside a bourbon and a rye from the same shelf. Sour mash is the missing third leg, and the comparison teaches more than any tasting note.
• Whiskey sour or Manhattan: the low proof and the soft texture make it a friendlier cocktail base than most 100 plus proof bottles.
• Gift idea: for the drinker who thinks they have had everything. Most people have never had a whiskey labeled sour mash.

Product Details

• Distillery: Michter's Distillery LLC, Louisville, Kentucky
• Heritage: Michter's pre Revolutionary War quality standards, dating to 1753
• Style: Sour Mash Whiskey, small batch. Not bourbon, not rye
• Method: Classic sour mash, previously fermented mash used as a starter, then signature filtration
• Proof: 86 proof (43% ABV)
• Bottle Size: 750mL
• Shipping weight: 5 lb

Note: Product images are for illustrative purposes only. Batch number varies bottle to bottle.

⚠️ 21+ Only

Adult signature required upon delivery. Available where permitted by law. Please drink responsibly.

Use collapsible tabs for more detailed information that will help customers make a purchasing decision.

Ex: Shipping and return policies, size guides, and other common questions.