Shenk’s Homestead 2020
Quick Stats:
- Distiller: Michter’s
- Spirit: Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey
- Aged: Unstated
- Proof: 91.2
- Purchase Price: $84.99
- Michter’s Website
About The Distillery & Bottle: - “Originally known as Shenk’s and later as Bomberger’s, the whiskey company which ultimately became known as Michter’s was founded by John Shenk, a Swiss Mennonite farmer, in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania in 1753. In its earliest days, Shenk’s produced whiskey from rye grain, a favorite local crop in the Pennsylvania Blue Mountain Valley where the distillery was located.”
- “2020 Release Shenk’s is a Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey made with a substantial amount of rye. Following up the success of the 2019 Shenk’s release, where some Chinquapin (Quercus muehlenbergii) barrels were utilized during maturation, the 2020 release utilizes a greater percentage of whiskey aged in Chinquapin Oak in each batch. The wood has been naturally air dried and seasoned for at least 3 years. The longer seasoning combined with our specified toast and char allows the oak aromas and characters specific to Chinquapin oak to fully express themselves.”
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Nose
(4.5)
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Palate
(5)
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Finish
(4)
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Value
(5)
Notes & Review
Nose: Charred orange peel, toasted hay, burnt vanilla, winter spice, peach
Palate: Brown sugar, honey butter, cinnamon, baking spices, toasted oak, black currant, candied orange peel
Finish: Charred oak, baking spice, singed vanilla, deep baked toffy
Review: Shenk’s is one bottle of juice I’ve wanted to try for a good while, and its also one of the bottles of juice that didn’t disappoint me when I finally got to try it.
Made by Michter’s, this bottle is rich in history, dating back to 1753. It’s said that when General Washington led the Continental army, he made a stop at the then named Shenk’s Distillery to procure barrels of their whiskey when their rum supplies ran short.
The nose is nice and full, but not overpowering. It’s balanced between the sweeter and earthier notes.
The palate definitely shines on this pour, bringing out unique flavors of candied orange and brown sugar with notes of deeply toasted honey butter and black currant keep it deep and complex while balancing its sweetness.
The finish is long and keeps the mouth coated in an enjoyable thread of more toasty and charred notes, but not so much so that it’s unenjoyable.
If you run into a bottle and even remotely like Michter’s sour mash releases and balanced pours that don’t pull too far in one direction, this is definitely a bottle to buy sooner rather than later. I’d heavily recommend trying it if you come across it at a bar or bottle share.
