Michter's US-1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon Whiskey 2014 First Release

The founding First Release. Michter's US-1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon 2014 — the inaugural edition of one of American whiskey's most innovative annual programs: finishing Kentucky straight bourbon in a second barrel whose interior has been toasted (not charred) to draw out specific caramelized wood sugars unavailable from standard charred barrels.

Toasting and charring are fundamentally different processes. Standard bourbon aging uses charred new oak barrels — the char creates a layer of activated carbon and caramelizes the outermost wood sugars. Michter's Toasted Barrel process uses a second finish barrel toasted at lower heat without charring — caramelizing deeper wood sugars (particularly hemicellulose) that the char process does not reach, adding distinctive vanilla, maple, and toasted grain notes unavailable from charred-only aging.

The 2014 First Release predates the program's established collector following — the founding expression of an innovation that Michter's has now refined across multiple annual releases. Over a decade from its original distribution, the 2014 is now one of the rarest expressions in the Michter's Toasted Barrel program.

Specs

• Producer: Michter's Distillery, Louisville, Kentucky
• Style: Toasted Barrel Finish Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Release: 2014 — First Release (founding)
• Size: 750ml

Browse all bourbon at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the difference between toasting and charring a barrel? Charring burns the barrel interior at high heat, creating activated carbon and caramelizing the outermost wood. Toasting applies lower heat without flame, caramelizing deeper wood compounds (hemicellulose) that charring doesn't reach, adding distinctive vanilla, maple, and toasted grain character.
• How does the 2014 First Release compare to the 2015 Second Release also in stock? The 2014 is the founding edition, one year older. The 2015 is the Second Release — the program's second chapter. Together they form a consecutive founding pair of the Michter's Toasted Barrel program.
• Is the 2014 First Release still available? Yes — two bottles in current stock.