With strong ties to a distilling legacy spanning over 250 years, the Michter’s Distillery in Louisville, KY, has been producing a comprehensive range of award-winning American whiskies since the brand was resurrected by Company President Joseph Magliocco in the 1990’s. Now distilling in their own facilities since August of 2015, the Michter’s brand has seen a quick return to global recognition for the quality of both their own and their sourced whiskies under Master Distiller Dan McKee, Master Distiller Emeritus Pam Heilmann – the first woman to serve as a Master Distiller at a Kentucky Distiller’s Association distillery since prohibition, and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson – the first woman to ever serve as Chair of the Kentucky Distillers Association and inductee to the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame®.
The Michter’s core range of whiskies, which are bottled under their popular US☆1 line, consists of their small batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon, their single-barrel Kentucky Straight Rye, their small batch Unblended American Whiskey, their small batch Original Sour Mash American Whiskey, and several limited edition variations of these. Their age–stated whiskies, which are bottled under their 10-year-old, 20-year-old, and 25-year-old labels consist of straight Kentucky bourbon and rye whiskey which come from sourced stocks and are released on a ‘when-ready’ basis to eager fans.
In February of this year, Michter’s Distillery delighted fans with news that their highly anticipated 10-year-old bourbon would return for the first time since 2021. With the announcement last year that there would be no release resulting in mixed reactions, Michter’s President Joseph J. Magliocco reiterated the rationale behind the Distillery’s decision in the press release for this year’s release, stating “I thought that the 10-Year Bourbon we are now releasing was drinking beautifully last year, but our Master Distiller Dan McKee and our Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson told me that with one more year of maturation, it would be extraordinary.”
For long-time fans of the brand, the news that a release would be held back due to not being deemed ready was disappointing, but came as no surprise given the distillery’s reputation for holding back stocks deemed not ready, first started by their late Master Distiller Willie Pratt. Having been involved with the Distillery from the very start, Pratt played a pivotal role in shaping Michter’s whiskey production approach and refining its distinct processes. Pratt’s unwavering commitment to perfection led to his nickname, ‘Dr. No,’ as he would refuse to release any whiskey until he deemed it ready, and as such this tradition became deeply ingrained in the distillery’s ethos. Today, Michter’s Master Distiller, Dan McKee, and Master of Maturation, Andrea Wilson, continue upholding this commitment to offering only the finest quality whiskey, meaning that if a whiskey is not deemed ready, it will not be released.
Commenting on this year’s release, Dan McKee is quoted as saying: “One of the most important things I learned from our late Master Distiller Willie ‘Dr. No’ Pratt was patience. He would not release a product unless he felt it was at its peak maturation…Last year, Andrea and I tasted the then already well over 10 year old bourbon and spoke about it. We both felt that it would be exceptional with one more year in the barrel. I’m so excited about how it turned out.”
Andrea Wilson is also quoted as saying: “There are many characteristics we are evaluating when considering barrels for this release including complexity, body and depth. These are the aspects of a whiskey that make it memorable, and we feel the additional time has complemented this release creating an experience that builds to the finish.”
Today I’ll be taking a look at the 2023 release of this whiskey which, as a reward for fans’ patience, is the first release of Michter’s 10y.o. bourbon which is officially recognised as being older than the age statement on the bottle. For years now rumours that the true age of the whiskey far exceeds the age statement have surrounded both the 10y.o. bourbon and rye releases, but this is the first time the distillery has confirmed this.
Vital Stats:
Name: Michter’s 10 yo.o Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon (Barrel #23A0310)
Age: 10 years old
Proof: 94.4 proof (47.2% ABV)
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey
Mashbill: Undisclosed (At least 51% corn)
Producer: Michter’s Distillery, Louisville, KY (Sourced from an undisclosed distillery)
Website: https://michters.com/whiskey/10-year-kentucky-straight-bourbon/
Glassware: Glencairn
Review
Nose: The nose opens decadent, inviting you in with rich notes of soft stewed red and black fruit dusted in earthy baking spices and topped with a generous drizzle of dark brown sugar caramel that borders on dusty butterscotch. As you nose deeper, mature herbaceous notes, dark chocolate and toasted oak also emerge alongside ripe plums, strawberries, earthy baking spices and white pepper.
Palate: The palate opens viscous with an initial wave of rich soft stewed fruits which are closely followed by dark herbaceous notes, thick caramels, dark chocolate, a subtle charred oak influence, black pepper, and earthy baking spices. As you keep chewing, lingering dark chocolate and herbaceous notes drive more complex notes of fruits, fire-roasted nuts, and earthy baking spices.
Finish: The finish opens with lingering heat and spice on the palate pulling you into a warm ‘Kentucky hug.’ This is accompanied by delicate notes of fruits, caramel, leather, a kick of mint of mint, and charred oak tannins. The aftertaste is long with notes of tannic oak, roasted nuts, and a gentle peppery spice, providing a satisfying finish.
Overall
Here we have it. After a 2 year wait between releases, Michter’s have finally rewarded fans’ patience with a fantastic release that reminds us why their 10y.o. bourbon remains one of the stand-out releases of limited edition bourbon each year. Since taking the reins, Master Distiller Dan McKee has consistently demonstrated his dedication to bigger, bolder, better releases whilst remaining committed to the traditions passed down by previous Master Distillers. For the third year in a row, we have been given a delicious, complex, layered bourbon that is both understated and elegant with thick caramels, rich soft stewed fruits, earthy spices, and a dark herbaceous oak profile. As a bonus, this year’s release also has all the hallmarks of a much older whiskey with the colour being noticeably darker than previous releases, and the taste further confirming it as definitely being older than 10 years old. In fact, as I’m sipping this I’m instantly reminded of Michter’s 20y.o. bourbon’s profile with its old charred herbaceous oak notes balanced with layers of dark brown sugar, and a depth and intensity of flavours you cannot fake. If this were a small batch, I’d argue strongly they had snuck in a few 18+ year-old barrels to achieve those bitter yet herbaceous oak notes, however, as a single barrel their presence is easily explained: much older stocks. In the 2021 release, rumours placed the 10y.o. release in the 15+y.o. age range on average and the overall profile was packed with notes consistent with this. When compared to the 2021 release, the 2023 tastes even older, with a darker, bolder profile especially in the herbaceous charred oak notes, macerated red and black fruit notes, and dark caramels which linger on the tongue and are reminiscent of something from the 17 – 20 y.o. age range. Another interesting observation from my bottle was, even though Michter’s have created a custom chill-filtration protocol for each of the single barrels used in this release, there’s enough barrel char residue in the bottom of the bottle to tell me that this whiskey was so good at dumping that any filtration must have been minimal preserving those delicious and delicate flavours. This year’s release gives a decadent and layered sipping experience I’d recommend to anyone that has grown tired of the inconsistent ‘limited releases’ from other distilleries that have oversold and underdelivered. If you’re a fan of a herbaceous older bourbon profile or you are maybe looking to try something that tastes quite old for its age statement, then this bourbon is worth adding to your list of things to seek out.
In a bourbon climate where the term ‘limited release’ means about as much as ‘small batch,’ and where value for money is a distant thing of the past unless you know where to look, premium releases like these from Michter’s remain a beacon of hope. Yes, like everything else, their prices have also had to increase on limited releases, but the quality of the finished product has also inproved meaning that although it aint cheap, at least you know what you’re paying for – some of the best whiskies you’ll find all year!
Try or Buy?
This year’s release clocks in with an SRP of $185 and at this price it has to be a try before you buy from me as it passes the $100 limit. However, if you subscribe to the $10 per/year price hypothesis as a hidden indication of a whiskey’s age – doing the sums for yourself it’s clear what your money may be getting you, and surely tastes that way to me!
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