Review: Michter’s Single Barrel Straight Rye 10 Years Old 2026

Michter’s 10-year-old, single barrel rye has been a sought-after annual release for more than a decade now, and earlier this summer it returned once again. This is a particularly fun whiskey because it can sometimes deliver more classic rye character, brighter and more herbal (like in 2024 and 2025), and sometimes it skews darker, more of a bourbon drinker’s rye, as in 2023. Single barrel offerings are always going to vary slightly from barrel to barrel and year to year, even from a distillery known for its consistency like Michter’s. One thing never changes though. It’s always an easy drinking, well-balanced whiskey that manages to hit the sweet spot for well-aged rye. Let’s see what the 2026 release has in store.

Michter’s Single Barrel Straight Rye 10 Years Old 2026 Review

The nose is a bit of a contrast to previous years. It’s less high tone with a more restrained herbal element; more damp grass and soft wintergreen, less bright mint and fresh herbs. The oak is perhaps masking some of that greenery as there are lots of exotic wood notes in the mix: cedar and sandalwood with plenty of warm baking spice to back it up and a nice lacing of cocoa powder and a citrusy pop of Seville orange peel. There is a notable energy here that should be familiar to fans of older ryes, but it’s framed more by notes of butterscotch, toffee, and dark brown sugar which add a generous depth to the bouquet.

The palate is also a bit less rye-forward than in previous iterations with early notes of Demerara syrup, toffee, clove, and subtle blackberry jam. A bit of woody, cinnamon stick adds some grip on an otherwise lush and rich midpalate accented by dark notes of treacle, baking chocolate, and orange oil. A flash of rye spice arrives on the finish with fading notes of butter mints, eucalyptus, and a cool kiss of wintergreen, all underpinned by a decadent, sticky vanilla bean note that lingers long after the warmth has subsided. It’s another impressive, well-aged rye from Michter’s that should be universally appreciated by bourbon and rye lovers alike.

92.8 proof.

A- / $210 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

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