Michter’s 20 y.o. Bourbon Review (2022 Release)

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.

Since its resurrection in the late 1990s the Michter’s brand has operated under a consistent ethos: to produce the best quality American whiskies regardless of the cost. They hired the most talented people, scoured the market for the best aged stocks, built state-of-the-art facilities, meticulously refined every nuance of their process, relentlessly innovated, and put everything into producing whiskies that can comfortably sit in the highest levels of the ‘luxury whiskey’ category. Today their uncompromising reputation has made their limited releases some of the most coveted, with each subsequent press release igniting a global frenzy of anticipation, as enthusiasts, collectors, and aficionados alike clamour for a limited number of bottles. Amidst this fervor, however, one release stands out as the crown jewel: Michter’s 20-year-old bourbon. Although not the only exceptional ultra-aged whiskey expression from Michter’s, Michter’s 20y.o. is renowned by many as the best. Compared to its big-ticket cousins it strikes a delicate balance between being ultra-aged, fairly priced, and somewhat attainable, especially by the dram. Whereas older releases like Michter’s 25y.o. bourbon, Michter’s 25 y.o. rye, and Michter’s Celebration, are considered near-mythical and practically unobtainable, the 20 marks the outer boundary of what’s possible for the dedicated devotee. Thus, imagine my excitement when in October of 2022 it was announced that 2022 would see the return of this Behemoth of Bourbon.

Describing the release, Michter’s President Joseph Magliocco was quoted as saying: “This is a whiskey that I really look forward to when Dan and Andrea decide to release it, it’s remarkable that a 20-year bourbon can have so many wonderful qualities without being overly woody.”

Master Distiller Dan McKee and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson also added:
“With the extra attention given to the older barrels, it’s releases like the 20 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon that make me proud of our maturing team and all of their hard work in aging these beautiful whiskeys.”(Dan McKee)

“It is a tremendous honor to work on Michter’s 20 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon with our Master Distiller Dan McKee and our incredibly talented team.  We spent a lot of time reviewing inventory for this special release and are so excited about the complexity of flavor and quality.  We strive for a dynamic experience that makes a memorable whiskey moment and this year’s release will not disappoint,” (Andrea Wilson).

Today I will be taking a look at this 2022 release. Although nearly 10 months after its initial release bottles are no doubt still waiting to be discovered in bars, shops, and auctions globally.

Vital Stats:

Name: Michter’s 20-year-old Straight Kentucky Bourbon (Batch No. L22H2515)
Age: 20 years old
Proof: 114.2 Proof (57.1% ABV)
Type: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Mashbill: Undisclosed (minimum 51% corn)
Producer: Michter’s Distillery LLC, KY
Website:  https://michters.com
Glassware: Glencairn

Review

Nose: The nose opens with a complex blend of dark butterscotch, condensed stewed fruits, thick vanilla, old fine leather, and minty herbaceous oak. Rich, fragrant baking spices, a touch of barrel char, and dark chocolate emerge as you nose deeper alongside lingering black cherry notes.

Palate: The palate opens with a viscous flood of deeply intense flavours including dark butterscotch, faintly tart, and condensed black and red fruits turning dried fruits, a touch of citrus peel, earthy black pepper, and leather. As the spice fades, dark chocolate emerges alongside a lingering dark caramel note, old herbaceous mint, a touch of toasted tannic spice, and some fire-toasted almonds. 

Finish: The finish opens with a warm KY hug, lingering rye spice, sweet red fruits, dark caramels, vanilla, leather, baking spices, and charred oak all leading into a long layered aftertaste.

Overall 

Coming across a whiskey that has left my senses positively stunned like this is such a rare gift. Even as I made the short trip from where I had poured some for this review and the whiskey cabinet, I could smell just how good it was going to be by the heady aroma that filled the space in between. Its flavours are luxurious, complex, precise, richly layered, and perfectly balanced, jumping from the glass and making every sip a mesmerizing journey for the senses from start to finish. This made reviewing it a challenge as doing so felt like deconstructing a Master’s symphony, where each note and harmony contributes to a breathtaking final composition. This complex interplay between flavours cannot be understated, and the result is a whiskey that is as close to flawless as I’ve ever tasted. In my review of a previous release of this whiskey, I made reference to the only thing missing as I sipped it being angels singing softly in the background. This point remains true and, to be honest, what Michter’s have achieved with these releases is nothing short of divine magic. Releasing an amazing once-off bottling of 20-year bourbon is one thing, but to achieve such a level of consistency across multiple releases is unparalleled. All I can say is that this whiskey embodies bourbon indulgence and is a rarer-than-rare gem among top-shelf bourbons, easily justifying every penny of its considerable price tag with a single taste. Michter’s have truly outdone themselves in every sense with this release, and I can’t help but wonder if anyone will ever release a bourbon that will top this one!

Try or Buy?

Although Michter’s 20y.o. remains the best bourbon I’ve ever tasted, a suggested retail price of $1200 makes it a bottle very few can afford. As such, I can only recommend that every bourbon drinker makes the pilgrimage to a bar with a bottle to partake in this heavenly dram. If you have the funds and the opportunity to buy one, then that’s an opportunity I would grab firmly with both hands, they don’t come around often!