Bulleit Rye vs Michter’s Rye: Discover the Better!

Discover the differences between Bulleit Rye vs Michter’s Rye in this in-depth comparison and decide which Rye Whiskey is better for You!

Bulleit Rye

Nose	Mint, cedar, vanilla, rye spice
Palate	Caramel, spearmint, vanilla, rye spice
Finish	Rye spice, oak spice, old leather
Alcohol content	90 proof (45% ABV)
How to drink	Rocks, cocktails
Similar to	Redemption Rye, Jack Daniel’s Rye

Nose has a soft minty note, followed by cedar wood, vanilla and rye spice.

Palate offers a blast of rye spiciness at first, followed by spearmint hints, caramel and a touch of vanilla.

The finish has a medium to long length, pleasantly warm, with more mint and a tad of charred oak.

Solid dram as there is nothing off-putting about it, just a good old classic and affordable rye whiskey.

Bulleit hits you with the rich spicy notes you expect to find in this type of whiskey, but overall this is a sweet and smooth whiskey and quite easy to sip.

If you feel it too spicy add large ice cubes avoiding dilution; that will make it easier to sip.

Where this whiskey shines is in cocktails as the rich spice presence will add a nice kick to your favorite cocktail.

Overall, Bulleit Rye is a solid option, it won’t blow you away with any memorable tasting note but makes a good alternative for those looking for a “rye whiskey high in rye“.

Most rye whiskeys in the market are “barely legal”; as they have low rye content in the mash making them taste pretty much like spicy bourbons.

There are a few facts worth knowing about Bulleit Rye:

• It does not carry an age statement but it is aged between five to six years in heavily charred, new American oak casks.

• Bulleit Rye is made from 95% rye and 5% malted barley.

• Earned the Double Gold and Gold Medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

• Bulleit is crafted at the MGP of Indiana Distillery along several other whiskeys such as the Templeton Rye, Angel’s Envy, George Dickel among several others.

Michter’s US 1 Kentucky Straight Rye

Nose	Herbal, mint, honey
Palate	Honey, butterscotch, cherry, rye spice
Finish	Medium length, caramel and spice
Alcohol content	85 proof (42.5% ABV)
How to drink	Add water
Similar to	Pikesville Rye, Piggyback

Michter’s smells like a new car, along a herbal note, followed by mint and honey.

On the palate, there is maple honey sweetness up-front, followed by butterscotch, with a hint of cherry, very little rye spice and a tad of oak coming far behind.

The finish has a medium length, rich in caramel, with a touch of rye spice and light on the oak.

This whiskey has a more subtle rye character than others, yet packs some nice sweet flavors making it a nice sipper.

Michter’s subtle rye spice makes me think that it carries barely enough of this grain to belong to this category. This is what you can call a “barely legal rye whiskey“.

This is an easy and sweet drinker, with imperceptible warmth as it’s bottled at low proof and low in spice making it a good option for those who want to get baptized into rye whiskey.

Drinks nicely neat or rocks, although I would not use it as a mixer as it lacks the punch to deliver good cocktails.

There are a few facts worth knowing about Michter’s Rye:

• This is a single barrel whiskey.

• It does not have an age statement.

• Mash bill is unknown but most be low in rye.

• Made from rye grain, severed to maximize the extraction of flavors from the grain.

• Michter’s is produced in two facilities: their original Michter’s distillery located in Shively, as well as their second Fort Nelson distillery.

• Michter’s was originally distilled at The Pennsylvania Michter’s Distillery which went belly-up in 1989.

• The brand was acquired by Joe Magliocco for $245 in the 1990s.

Bulleit Rye vs Michter’s Rye: Price comparison

Prices are approximate and stated in USD:

Whiskey	Price
Bulleit Rye	$33
MIchter’s Rye	$50

Bulleit Rye vs Michter’s Rye: Which is better?

Bulleit for mixing, Michter’s for sipping

• Michter’s Rye is a nice sipper, while Bulleit Rye is a great mixer to make tasty cocktails.

• Michter’s is low in rye, with very little to no burn, making a good option for those who want to get initiated into rye whiskey before tackling the spicy bombs.

• Bulleit Rye is much more spicy and tasty, it drinks nicely rocks although its best use is in a Manhattan or Old Fashioned promising to add a nice kick.