“The light music of whiskey falling into a glass—an agreeable interlude.”
- James Joyce
Michter's has a proven track record of unveiling some pretty epic whiskey. From some legendary 10 year bourbon and rye to the ultra-aged 25 year expression, this is a brand known for pushing the envelope on what it means to offer a premium product. Given that the modern distillery kicked off distillation at Shively in 2015, the whiskey that goes into these prodigious age statements has to be a set of sourced barrels that they had squirreled away for a special occasion, perhaps to celebrate the brand's renewed vigor and success in their new home in Kentucky.
Michter's is a storied brand that has history dating back to 1753, when Michael Shenk first filed a patent for a gristmill in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania. This site would be the home of vaunted distilling lore from that fateful year all the way up until 1990, when the legendary late Dick Stoll received the unfortunate call from the bank that would end up shuddering the distillery in Schaefferstown for good. If you're interested in the incredible saga that occurred in the span of those 250 years, I'd be remiss not to recommend this spectacular write-up from Michael Veach for Bourbon Culture. Mike did a spectacular job covering the whole story from past to present—if you're a Michter's nut, this is the article for you.
The Michter's we know today in Louisville arose out of a very timely buy from Joe Magliocco, a former Michter's salesman who had a certain nostalgia for the brand. After learning of the availability of the abandoned trademarks, he secured the rights to the Michter's name for a paltry $275 in 1996. While it certainly took some time to figure out the path forward, Magliocco now has a singular bottle of whiskey that retails for more than quadruple that brilliant initial investment. This by no means undermines the incredible story of modern Michter's. The effort that has gone into building the brand into a household name in American whiskey is certainly no small feat, and it's been a true joy to follow along with their successes.
While the suggested retail price for the 20 year bourbon is set by the brand at $1,200, given the limited nature of this bottling, you'll likely have to shell out a little more if you want to score your own bottle. It should be noted that there are other 2024 batches out there; I've seen folks talking about a 24I3208 batch, so it's not just 597 bottles for everybody... Accessibility aside, if you want to match the experience that I chronicle below, seek out batch 24I3207.
While I've certainly written my fair share of Michter's reviews and even had a brief run-in with previous bottlings of the 20 year expression, this is ultimately my first time getting to purchase and thoroughly review my own bottle. As always, I thoroughly tasted this three times before offering my thoughts and numerical rating. Now let's get on with the show!
Company on Label: Bottled by Michter's Distillery LLC, Louisville, Kentucky 40216
Whiskey Type: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed bourbon mash bill
Proof: 114.2°
Age: 20 years
MSRP: $1200
Further identification: Batch 24I3207 first released in November of 2024
Nose: Upon lifting the glass to my nose, I find the rich bouquet of hyper-aged bourbon. Browned butter, creamy waffle bread, and butterscotch are the most apparent aromas, but I can tell this glass is just getting warmed up. Further nosing with my glencairn cupped in warming hands produces sassafras bark, old school Barq's root beer, and other resinous terpenes that remind me specifically of the pine forest in Myles Standish State Forest in Carver, MA. It's the kind of forest that springs up after a devastating fire, the ultimate memento of the resiliance of life. What I'm most impressed by here, and with the previous batches of the 20 year expression I've tried, is a lack of an over-oaked characteristic that can often turn these hyper-age statements too dark and tannic. This bourbon is easy and enjoyable in the nose, calling to mind the comfortable hum of a breakfast diner on an early weekend morning.
Coming back from a few sips to the nose, I find the creamy tones have proliferated nicely, reminiscent of a warm, oozing glaze you might find slipping down the side of a freshly made coffee cake. There's a lovely old-fashioned Christmas candy medley that really has me nostalgic here, as I find myself in the dark wood-lined dining room of my late grandmother's house, which also happened to be located in Carver, MA. As the glass nears empty, the perpetual underlying comfort of sweet vanilla tones has me in pure elation. The empty glass offers hints of coconut shavings, granite, and rich leather.
Palate: My first sip is instantly exquisite: juicy red berries, creamy flan, and a tingling, subtle spice make for the perfect first sip of bourbon. Another small sampling elevates a potpourri spice blend that's warm and inviting, mixing in cinnamon, lemon, and clove that is being lovingly prepared for a Thanksgiving feast. The mouthfeel is soft and enveloping, building swirling coffee cake and raspberry struesel in elegant refinement. As I continue to slowly sip through this glass, I find it remarkable that one pour can take you on such a journey through life's memories; I'm incredibly grateful for moments like this. Overall, this is a leathery, old bourbon, to be certain. Interestingly, the pour it reminds me of most is a 1916-1933 I.W. Harper 18 summers old bottled in bond whiskey that I've had the great pleasure of sampling through multiple times thanks to the venerable Gregory Cloyd. My last sip is a satisfying farewell of sweet maraschino cherry and raspberry parfait before a long, comfortable finish of pipe tobacco exudes strong Lord of the Rings vibes. This. Is. Perfection.
TL;DR: Golden old whiskey reminiscent of a bygone era
Rating: 5/5
This is undeniably great bourbon. There's not a fault to be found, no matter how long you dig for it. It's built up by exquisite components and completely bucks the assumption that whiskey in this age range is inherently overoaked. Where some might run at the thought of trying to balance the profile of a 20 year bourbon, Michter's shines in their blending ability. If there was one pour I could go back to without fear of the bottle running dry, this would be it. So, back to the original question: does an ultra-rare bourbon mean what hits your glass is going to be ultra-delicious?
In this case, it's a resounding yes.
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