It’s tough to not be impressed by what Michter’s is doing down in Shively, Kentucky, nowadays.
The sterling American whiskey model is liable for among the most sought-after spirits presently on cabinets, and the proficient people behind these liquids have discovered a method to routinely bottle sensational bourbons bearing prolonged age statements (upwards of twenty years), although most comparably aged bottlings are usually properly previous their prime.
So outstanding is the string of successes, in truth, that final yr the model was topped the “World’s Most Admired Whiskey” in an unbiased survey of whiskey specialists, journalists, bartenders, and customers.
Proving it has no plans to relaxation on its laurels, Michter’s has simply dropped its first vital launch of 2024. The most recent batch of Michter’s 10-12 months Bourbon is right here—and it’s a banger.
In contrast to different exalted expressions within the whiskey world, this single-barrel providing—recognizable by a cork topper sealed in black wax—doesn’t come round with any type of confirmed regularity. We beforehand noticed an version arrive in late autumn of 2023. Earlier than that, it hadn’t hit cabinets since 2021.
“Our manufacturing crew has at all times given super consideration to what they really feel is able to launch, however after this honor, the stakes appear even increased,” says Michter’s president Joseph Magliocco, alluding to the “Most Admired Whiskey” accolade.
As at all times, although, he entrusts the method to grasp distiller Dan McKee and grasp of maturation Andrea Wilson. Collectively, they pattern 1000’s of casks, pulling solely those which match an exacting taste profile—after a minimal of 10 years of affected person ageing, in fact. In line with Wilson, they usually err on the facet of choosing casks that go properly past that decade benchmark.
At any price, age is only a quantity on the bottle. What they’re in search of within the liquid—historically proofed at 94.4—is one thing that noses with confectionery aromas, and drinks with dried fruit delicacy, delivered on a creamy, burnt-auburn physique. The precise nuances may fluctuate barely from cask to cask, however that’s a characteristic, not a flaw, in any single barrel launch. And the goalposts said above maintain true in each final drop of the 2024 version.
“It’s brimming with all of the traits that I search for in a particular bourbon,” McKee explains.
He’s biased. We’re not. It took barely a sip earlier than we had been comfy calling this yet one more nice Michter’s launch. However what would actually impress us is a bottle store keen to fork one over on the $185 recommended retail worth. The 2023 version is already laborious to seek out at below $650. Admiration comes with a price.
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