Mitcher Us1 Bourbon

US1 Bourbon is a Kentucky straight-style bourbon bottled at 45.7% ABV (91.4 proof), which puts it a little above the 40% baseline you see on many everyday bottles. That extra strength matters in the glass. Bourbon in this range usually carries more weight on the palate and holds its flavor when ice or water is added. The producer is listed as Michter's, and the style is bourbon. That means a mash bill of at least 51% corn, aged in new charred oak. Expect the classic bourbon building blocks: caramel and vanilla from the barrel, a rounded corn sweetness, and a little baking spice from the rye or oak. The reference notes describe a full-bodied, smooth, mellow finish with a mix of spice and sweet notes, which fits what you'd expect from this style. We haven't measured an exact flavor profile for this bottle, so treat the more specific notes below as typical of the category. For sipping neat, pour a measure into a Glencairn glass. The tapered bowl gathers the aroma, so you can pick out the oak, vanilla and spice before you taste. At 45.7%, a few drops of room-temperature water are worth trying. They loosen the nose and soften any alcohol heat, so the sweeter and spicier notes come forward. If you'd rather drink it cold, a large cube in a rocks glass slows the dilution and keeps the first sips from turning thin. Smaller, faster-melting ice will open it up more quickly, and the flavor will fade sooner. The full body and moderate proof make this bourbon a good choice for stirred drinks. An Old Fashioned is the clearest example: a sugar cube or a teaspoon of simple syrup, two or three dashes of Angostura bitters, a strip of orange peel, and a large ice cube. The corn sweetness and spice carry the drink without needing extra sugar. In a Manhattan, use two parts bourbon to one part sweet vermouth with bitters, stirred and strained into a chilled coupe. The vermouth's herbal bitterness balances the bourbon's sweetness. For a Whiskey Sour, shake 2 oz of bourbon with three-quarters of an ounce each of fresh lemon juice and simple syrup. A bourbon with this much body keeps its character against the citrus. If you want something longer, a highball of one part bourbon to three parts soda water over ice, with a lemon twist, brings out the grain and vanilla and keeps the drink light.