Michter’s Small Batch US1 Bourbon Vs. Old Elk Blended Bourbon
This comparison came about by accident because I happened to have these back to back one evening and realized how close in proof, and “smoothness” these were. Both are very approachable, easy-drinking options in the $40-50 price range. Fancy Glencairn really likes the Old Elk bottle, lets see if it translates to a winning pour!
Michter’s) 91.4proof, $39. It’s really hard to find details for Michter’s products. This one used to be sourced from Brown-Forman, but it’s thought it is now Michter’s own distillate. No age or mashbill info.
-The Nose is very nice, with notes of rye-spice, caramel, vanilla, oak char, and orange peel.
-The Palate is smooth, and a little creamy. The flavors start with honey, caramel, oak char, and a little dark-cherry. Then a slightly smokey astringent note appears as it transitions into baking spices and rye-spice.
-The Finish is medium with a continuation of that rye-spice, oak char, and a little black-pepper.
Overall, this is a very drinkable, fairly light-bodied, but still complex and enjoyable dram!
Old Elk) 88proof, $50. This is a sourced product blended from MGP, plus undisclosed distilleries in New York and Colorado. It is “slow proofed”, and has a high-malt mashbill of 51% corn, 35% malted barley, 15% rye. ~4yrs old.
-The Nose immediately shows the malt influence with some notes I get from Scotch. There are a lot of cereal notes, along with some light caramel, oak, and citrus.
-The Palate is light-bodied, and velvety smooth with almost no burn. There are notes of cinnamon, brown sugar, and maple syrup, and cocoa.
-The Finish is medium with cocoa, maple syrup, and a hint of rye-spice.
Overall, this has some good flavors, and is a very smooth, but fairly forgettable pour.
VERDICT) Fancy was again fooled by the packaging. In this matchup, the increased complexity of Michter’s Small Batch is the clear winner. And when you factor in price, even more so. The Old Elk packaging is great though!
Fancy is currently in the corner muttering about “redemption”.
What do you guys think of these??