Michter's Is Bringing its 10 year old Bourbon Back After a Year-Long Wait

In terms of sustained attention and pursuit from impassioned whiskey drinkers, few bottles rival Michter’s 10 year old single barrel bourbon. We’ve previously listed it as being among the most sought-after whiskies on the market, rivaling such gems as Hibiki 17 year old and Old Forester Birthday Bourbon. Demand for the 10 year old bourbon has continued to rise, especially after last year’s decision by Michter’s to release only its 10 year old rye for 2022.

But the hiatus is officially over, as the Kentucky whiskey maker has just announced details for this year’s 10 year old single barrel bourbon, along with some context on why they held it back in the first place. Master distiller Dan McKee and master of maturation Andrea Wilson determined that the barrels just weren’t where they needed to be when they tasted them last year. “It is not an easy decision to hold back a popular offering for a year,” Michter’s president Joseph Magliocco tells Whisky Advocate in a statement. “But our loyal Michter’s fans and our retail partners understood that we were holding it back to try to eventually offer the most exceptional whiskey we could.”

As a result, this year’s batch, which is bottled at 47.2% ABV and listed at $185, is slightly older, but Magliocco says not to expect a change in approach for this 10 year old release. Could we see future batches held back for similar reasons? “Only time will give us the answer to this,” he says. “Michter’s has always released products to a taste profile, rather than a strict age. This goes back to our first Kentucky master distiller Willie ‘Dr. No’ Pratt, who was nicknamed after the James Bond villain because of his refusal to release whiskey until he felt it was at its peak maturity.”

Whisky Advocate scored the 2021 release of Michter’s 10 year old bourbon 91 points, and while Michter’s doesn’t share bottle counts, Magliocco says the whiskey will be available across the country and in export markets as well.