Michter’s has revealed the release a new batch of its coveted 20-year-old bourbon.
The Kentucky distillery introduced its 20-year bourbon in 2012, but not as an annual release. Instead, it is bottled when both master distiller Dan McKee and master of maturation Andrea Wilson are satisfied with the quality.
They have managed to cobble together a release in four of the last five years. Wilson and McKee skipped 2023 after failing to find the right mix of hyper-aged barrels to justify a release.
That commitment to quality is important, as old bourbon can become irreversibly tannic in just a few short Kentucky summer months.
Michter’s president Joe Magliocco said: “By law, bourbon must be aged in a brand-new barrel, which imparts flavor, color, and oak character more quickly than a used barrel. To age a whiskey that will taste wonderful after two decades in a first-use barrel is an extremely difficult endeavor that requires a skillful balance of art and science. I believe that people will appreciate the thoughtful and conscientious work of our production team when they taste this exceptional whiskey.”
Some people enjoy very old bourbon’s drying taste, but Michter’s 20 Year Old stands out for its rich and flavorful profile. That takes very special, highly supervised barrels to achieve, making Michter’s a highly limited and highly coveted release.
If you can’t find one of the estimated 700 bottles at retail, you’ll likely have to pay more than the $1,200 list price on the secondary market, where previous releases regularly trade for over $3,000.
We have not sampled the latest Michter’s 20 Year Old, which was bottled at 114.2 proof (57.1% ABV), but official tasting notes include “vanilla, toffee, chocolate, spice, fruit and confectionery notes”.
Michter’s 20 Year Old will be available through specialist retailers from November, with extremely limited numbers going out to global markets.
