USA · KENTUCKY · SMALL BATCH STRAIGHT BOURBON REVIEW
Michter's US*1 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon
The everyday bourbon, done right.
Michter's accessible small-batch bourbon — caramel, vanilla and toasted oak at an easy 91.4 proof, from the most-admired name in American whiskey.
The workhorse of the Michter's range: a Kentucky straight bourbon married in batches of no more than twenty barrels and bottled at 91.4 proof. Where the 10 Year is the special-occasion pour, US*1 is the versatile everyday bottle — creamy, caramel-forward and equally at home neat or in an Old Fashioned. Michter's has been named the world's most-admired whiskey three years running; this is its most affordable way in.
Buy Online FROM $44 Read the full review →
Official site · michters.com
THE DECISION
The everyday Michter's bourbon, neatly executed.
This is approachable bourbon with Michter's soft oak signature: caramel, toasted grain, vanilla, and a rounded finish that works neat or in a spirit-forward drink.
OUR SCORE
90/100
BUY FROM
$44
BEST PRICE $43.99 | TOTAL WINE | JULY 2026
A dependable buy in the mid-$40s. It wins on polish more than proof.
I CHAPTER ONE · ORIGIN
A $245 name, revived in Kentucky.
The Michter's name traces back to a historic Pennsylvania distillery that went bankrupt in 1989. In 1997 Joseph Magliocco — who bought the dormant trademark for a famous $245 — revived the brand with the late whiskey veteran Dick Newman and rebuilt it in Kentucky. US*1 became the flagship core line, named for the 'US number one' barrels of the original.
Today Michter's distills and matures in Louisville, under master distiller Dan McKee and master of maturation Andrea Wilson. US*1 Bourbon is distilled to 138 proof, entered into the barrel at an unusually low 103, and married in small batches of no more than twenty casks. In October 2025 Michter's was named the world's most-admired whiskey for the third year running — this bourbon is its most affordable way in.
THE SHORT VERSION
HOW IT'S MADE — IN FIVE STEPS
Bourbon Mash
A corn-forward Kentucky straight bourbon recipe — caramel-sweet, gently spiced.
Low Entry Proof
Filled at 103 proof — among the lowest in bourbon — for richer, more even maturation.
House Cooperage
Air-dried oak, toasted before charring — a signature the brand obsesses over.
Small Batch
Married in batches of no more than twenty barrels — consistency with character.
91.4 Proof
An approachable, versatile strength built for neat sipping and cocktails alike.
THE SPEC SHEET
| REGION | Kentucky, USA |
|---|---|
| STYLE | Kentucky Straight Bourbon |
| AGE | NAS · small batch (≤20 barrels) |
| ABV | 45.7% · 91.4 proof |
| MASH | Corn-forward (undisclosed) |
|---|---|
| CASK | New charred American oak |
| FILTRATION | Custom chill filtration |
| TYPICAL PRICE | ≈ $44–$60 |
II CHAPTER TWO · ON THE PALATE
Creamy caramel, clean and easy.
A textbook everyday bourbon — sweet-forward but never cloying, and endlessly mixable. Small batch, so bottlings stay admirably consistent.
NOSE
Vanilla and butterscotch lead, with light florals, brown sugar, dusty corn and a punch of barrel char. Inviting rather than deeply complex.
ON THE NOSE9.0 / 10
PALATE
Creamy and gently sweet — caramel corn, brown sugar and vanilla over a dab of rye spice and soft toasted oak. Medium-bodied at 91.4 proof.
ON THE PALATE9.1 / 10
FINISH
Drier and earthier than the palate — tobacco leaf, brown sugar and light herbs, medium length and clean. An easy, repeatable everyday pour.
ON THE FINISH8.9 / 10
EDITORIAL TRUST
Why this score is defensible.
The grade reflects blind-style tasting notes, current US pricing, range context, and whether the bottle earns its place beside nearby bourbon and rye alternatives.
TASTED NEAT
Glencairn glass, rested before scoring
PRICE CHECKED
BEST PRICE $43.99 | TOTAL WINE | JULY 2026
RANGE CONTEXT
Compared against nearby bourbon, rye, and same-brand alternatives
III CHAPTER THREE · IS IT FOR YOU?
Who this bottle is really for.
FOR
You want a reliable everyday bourbon that overdelivers for the tier
You make cocktails — Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, whiskey sours
You love Michter's and want the affordable entry point
You prefer creamy, approachable sweetness over heat
You want small-batch care without a high price
You value a versatile bar-cart bottle over a trophy
NOT FOR
You chase high proof — 91.4 is deliberately gentle
You want a stated age
You want the depth of the 10 Year — this is the everyday sibling
You want the outright cheapest bourbon — Wild Turkey 101 undercuts it
You want single-barrel variety — batching smooths it out
You want cask-strength intensity
IV CHAPTER FOUR · HOW TO DRINK IT
Neat, on a rock, or in an Old Fashioned.
NEAT OR ONE CUBE
Soft enough to sip neat; a single large cube opens the vanilla and rounds the oak.
BUILD AN OLD FASHIONED
Its caramel-and-char backbone and steady 91.4 proof make it a natural base for stirred classics.
DON'T OVERTHINK IT
This is a workhorse, not a trophy — pour it freely and keep a bottle on the cart.
WANT MORE DEPTH?
For a special-occasion step up, the Michter's 10 Year Bourbon trades everyday value for serious age and complexity — at roughly five times the price. Keep US*1 for the cocktails.
THE SERVE
The serve
SERVE NEAT, OVER ONE BIG CUBE, OR IN AN OLD FASHIONED
BUYING COMPARISON
Where it sits on the American shelf.
90 / 100
| BOTTLE | SCORE | PRICE | ROLE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michter's US*1 Bourbon | 90 | $44 | Polished everyday pour |
| Russell's Reserve 10 | 89 | $35 | Age-stated value |
| Four Roses Small Batch Select | 91 | $65 | More spice and proof |
| Wild Turkey Rare Breed | 91 | $55 | Bigger flavor |
| Michter's 10 Bourbon | 92 | $180+ | Luxury step-up |
V CHAPTER FIVE · WHERE TO FIND IT
Where to buy it — and shop around.
Total Wine & More BEST PRICE
In stock · ships to most states
Local liquor stores SHOP AROUND
Street pricing varies widely by state
ReserveBar PREFERRED RETAILER
2-hour delivery in select states
Prices sampled July 2026 and vary — suggested pricing across the US*1 range has crept up, but big retailers routinely discount the bourbon to the mid-$40s, so shop around. Superior Whiskey earns a commission on ReserveBar purchases — our preferred retailer — but the BEST PRICE tag always reflects the lowest verified price. US*1 Bourbon is a common back-bar pour; most cocktail bars can serve it.
VI CHAPTER SIX · ASK FORGE
Forge
SUPERIOR WHISKEY'S AI TASTING GUIDE
Is US*1 Bourbon worth it at today's prices?
At $44 street, an easy yes — a creamy, consistent small-batch bourbon from the most-admired name in whiskey. Closer to sticker, it's less obvious: Wild Turkey 101 gives you more proof for half the price, and the 10 Year Bourbon is the one to save up for. Buy US*1 when you catch it discounted — it's a workhorse, not a splurge.
THE VERDICT
A dependable everyday bourbon — polish over proof.
Michter's US*1 is exactly what a workhorse should be: creamy, caramel-forward and versatile, a small-batch bourbon that sips fine neat and holds its shape in an Old Fashioned. It carries the polish of the most-admired name in American whiskey without the special-occasion price of the 10 Year. The catch is that at 91.4 proof it wins on refinement rather than power, and there are louder bourbons at this money. Score it on the glass and it earns its 90; buy it in the mid-$40s and it is an easy bottle to keep open. A genuine everyday pour.
“The most-admired name in whiskey, at its most pour-freely price point.”
COMMUNITY PULSE
What drinkers tend to agree on.
A dependable buy in the mid-$40s. It wins on polish more than proof.
CONSENSUS
Michter's US*1 Small Batch Bourbon is strongest when judged against its actual shelf price.
WATCHOUT
Availability and markup can move the value score faster than the liquid score.
BEST USE
Pour neat first; add water only if proof or oak starts to dominate.
IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Michter's US*1 Bourbon, answered.
Is Michter's US*1 Bourbon really small batch?
Yes — genuinely small: batches are married from no more than twenty barrels, then bottled at 91.4 proof. It's the core, everyday bourbon — not a limited or allocated release.
What proof is it?
91.4 proof, or 45.7% ABV — deliberately approachable, built for easy neat sipping and for cocktails.
Why has the price gone up?
Michter's has raised suggested pricing across the US*1 core range. Street prices still run lower — $43.99 at Total Wine as of July 2026 — so it pays to shop around rather than pay sticker.
US*1 Bourbon or the 10 Year Bourbon?
Different jobs. US*1 is the everyday, mixable workhorse; the 10 Year is a special-occasion, age-stated single barrel at five times the price. Most people want US*1 for the bar cart and the 10 Year as a treat.
Is it good in cocktails?
Excellent — arguably its best use. The caramel-and-char backbone and steady 91.4 proof make it a natural for Old Fashioneds, Manhattans and whiskey sours.
Who makes it?
Michter's, based in Louisville, Kentucky and owned by Joseph Magliocco's Chatham Imports. Master distiller Dan McKee and master of maturation Andrea Wilson oversee it. Michter's has been named the world's most-admired whiskey three years running.