Shenk’s is Michter’s homage to the forefather of Michter’s Distillery John Shenk. Shenk’s uses a mashbill that has no grain present in over 50%, so it can’t be classified as a bourbon. This 2019 bottling of Shenk’s includes a portion of the stocks that were aged in Chinquapin (Yellow) Oak barrels before being blended into the final whiskey. It has the same ABV as their standard Small Batch Bourbon, but the price for Shenk’s in the market is typically double of SB. So I was curious how they stack-up against each other!

Currently (in 2020) Michter’s is sourcing from Brown-Forman, but they have been aging their own distillate since 2015.

Small Batch Bourbon) ($40) - I am a fan of this whiskey. It is one of my favorites in the “under-100-proof” category. The nose is somewhat light, with honey, stone-fruits, caramel, vanilla, and oak. The palate is slightly medicinal, with subtle sweet-corn, vanilla, oak, cinnamon, and rye-spice. The finish is medium with more spice and a little bit of sourness. There is something unique about Michter’s that I think comes from the slight medicinal and sour qualities which I appreciate.

Shenk’s) (I paid $95) - The nose is immediately more oak, and a little more sour, along with brown sugar and maple syrup. On the palate, there is oak, leather, brown sugar, and maple syrup, along with a definite sour note as well, with almost a black-tea quality. The medium finish is smooth with a bit of brown sugar, black pepper, leather and tobacco. This is a very smooth sipper that is full-flavored but light in the finish.

Verdict) I did enjoy Shenk’s a little more than SB, and it is a little more unique, and tastes like it has been aged a little longer. However, the difference is not huge, and now that I have a bottle I definitely would have a hard time paying the prices for another. I think my money would be better spent on 2-bottles of the SB Bourbon.