Michter's Fort Nelson Distillery in Louisville.
What started as a slow burn is now heading toward fever pitch. In little over two decades, collectors have propelled Michter’s to the forefront of modern collectible whiskey. It is one of the few American labels capable of multiple appearances in our monthly online list of the 20-highest auction prices, elbowing its way past notable scotches and cult Japanese bottles. Like LeNell’s, early Willett, and early Pappy, the most valuable Michter’s rarities are the output of barrels of sourced bourbon and ryes snapped up by those smart or lucky enough to be on it at the start when Michter’s president Joe Magliocco was building the business and reviving the Michter’s name.
Michter’s Single Barrel Rye 25 year old holds the brand’s highest auction record and first appeared in 2008. They release single barrel 25 year olds as stock permits, both bourbon and rye, but the gaps between releases can be many years, as the whiskey must meet their quality standards. But it’s not just the high age-statement expressions stealing the action; some Michter’s 10 year old single barrel releases can command up to $5,000 apiece.
Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash first appeared in 2013, priced at $4,000. Subsequent releases followed triennially in 2016, 2019, and 2022, the latter being priced at $6,000. Each release captures a unique blend of Michter’s finest barrels of straight bourbon and rye, some aged for more than 30 years. Its red-box packaging delivers a premium feel not normally seen in American whiskey, and that prestige is helped by very small production runs that make it difficult to find. The four releases to date still total only 1,134 bottles. In April 2024, Unicorn Auctions set a new record for Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash with a $20,000 bid for the inaugural release, blended by Michter’s then-master distiller Willie Pratt. Bonhams Skinner came close to matching this with a hammer price of $18,000 in June 2024. Unicorn Auctions also holds the auction record for the 2022 edition at $13,600 and the 2019 edition at $13,100, while Whisky Auctioneer holds the 2016 edition record at $17,970, the rarest of the four releases at just 256 bottles.
With its Shively Distillery and Fort Nelson Distillery in Louisville, Michter’s has transitioned from non-distiller producer to distiller, while expanding its loyal fan base. Conspicuous appearances in Showtime’s “Billions” certainly did them no harm either. The Michter’s team’s skill in maturation and blending, management of rare stocks, and their single barrel and small batch strategy have earned them the respect and admiration of drinkers and collectors alike. Michter’s is a brand that collectors can start buying today, and watch grow in value for years to come.
World Records
Michter’s 25 year old Single Barrel rye
Hammer price: $27,016
Whisky Auctioneer, Scotland – February 2023
One of 1,050 bottles released in 2012, the early Michter’s high age-statement single barrel releases have proven to be the most valuable at auction.
Michter’s 25 year old Single Barrel bourbon
Hammer price: $20,000
Sotheby’s, New York – February 2023
This bourbon was one of 134 bottles from barrel No. 3784, and Bonhams Skinner matched its hammer price for a bottle of Michter’s Single Barrel bourbon 20 year old in June 2023.
Collectible To Buy Now
Michter's Celebration Sour Mash 2025 Release
Well, it's not out yet, but be on the lookout. Providing master distiller Dan McKee and master of maturation Andrea Wilson continue the three-year cycle of Celebration releases, then 2025 should be the year when the fifth edition is unveiled. Whether you plan to drink it or save it for a special occasion, we suggest getting your hands on a bottle if you get the opportunity.
