When it comes to American whiskey, Michter’s dominates the U.S. and world stage. The heritage brand — reinvented by the Magliocco family via Chatham Imports in the 1990s — helped preserve American rye whiskey as a style and bring it back alongside “sour mash” whiskeys and amazing bourbons. Like their whiskey or not, you cannot deny that the rebirth of Michter’s was instrumental (in part) to the resurgence of American whiskey after some very hard decades. The biggest reason for that is that the whiskey was great and remains so.
Since we are talking about truly excellent whiskey, I figured it was time to rank all their expressions. There are actually a lot. Moreover, Michter’s releases new batches on a fairly regular basis.
Let’s get a little background before we dive in:
The core line of Michter’s is their Small Batch Bourbon, Single Barrel Rye, Unblended American Whiskey, and Sour Mash. These bottles should be available on pretty much every shelf in the U.S. for a fairly good price in the mid-$40 range. The next level of Michter’s is their limited edition yearly releases. This section covers their toasted barrel finishes, 10-year single barrel rye and bourbon, barrel strength whiskeys, Bomberger’s, and Shenk’s. To be clear though, these whiskeys are generally released every year. Sometimes, a year is missed here and there.
Lastly, there’s the super rare stuff. This is the 20-year age statement whiskey and above and the Celebration Sour Mash. These rarities are often seen every three to five years but can be spaced even further apart.
Let’s address the elephant in the room of any highly allocated whiskey in the U.S. — Michter’s limited edition bottles tend to be very allocated. That means that a select few restaurants, bars, and retailers get bottles when released. This is due to such a small quantity produced. Michter’s has always been about quality over producing massive numbers of cases. That means that the MSRP of the limited edition bottles is rarely what we as consumers get to pay. Some bottles are going to cost you anywhere from two to 100 times more than their listed price. It just depends on vintage, retailers, and what’s out there.
So what makes Michter’s so beloved? Well, it comes down to the people. There’s the Magliocco family at the top. They deeply care about the heritage of Kentucky whiskey and preserving something for future generations. They believe in making whiskeys that parents pass down to children and grandchildren. Yes, they want to sell whiskey to the masses — that’s what the core line is for — but they want to last beyond any trend.
Master Distiller Dan McKee and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson are legends in the whiskey industry. They strive to source, distill, and age whiskey that’s just right for Michter’s. For McKee and Wilson, building a whiskey expression is never about a commodity. It’s about the love of the game, creating something exceptional, and offering us humble whiskey drinkers something beautiful to enjoy every day, on special occasions, and with our loved ones.
That, folks, is why Michter’s is so damn beloved and successful. Now let’s rank some!
17. Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Unblended American Whiskey
ABV: 41.7%
Average Price: $47
The Whiskey:
Generally speaking, when you see a whiskey labeled as “blended whiskey” or just “bourbon” (instead of “straight bourbon”), it’s a blend of whiskey with neutral grain spirits to help keep costs down and profits high. This expression is labeled as “Unblended,” specifically because it’s made with whiskey only (no grain spirits added). The whiskey in these bottles was aged in barrels that were “whiskey-soaked.” Once the whiskey is just right, it’s then blended and small-batch bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Orchard fruits, butterscotch candies, and vanilla cake greet you on the nose with a hint of wooden spice.
Palate: That fruit becomes more dried and almost salted on the palate while bourbon vanilla and mild caramel sweetness mingle with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Finish: The finish is pretty short and sweet with a red berry vibe next to some thin apple cider.
Bottom Line:
This is a great mixer. Protip: Keep this whiskey in the freezer for mixing highballs or cocktails — or shooting with a cold beer on a hot day.
16. Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45.7%
Average Price: $43
The Whiskey:
Michter’s really means the phrase “small batch” here. The tank they use to marry their hand-selected eight-year-old bourbons can only hold 20 barrels, so that’s how many go into each small-batch bottling. The blended juice is then proofed with Kentucky’s famously soft limestone water and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this is very fruity with a mix of bruised peach, red berries (almost like in a cream soda), and apple wood next to a plate of waffles with brown butter and a good pour of maple syrup that leads to a hint of cotton candy.
Palate: The sweetness ebbs on the palate as vanilla frosting leads to grilled peaches with a crack of black pepper next to singed marshmallows.
Finish: The end is plummy and full of rich toffee next to a dash of cedar bark and vanilla tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is an essential cocktail bourbon to have on hand. It makes a great old fashioned or whiskey sour. I’d also argue that you can easily pour this over some ice and sip it as an everyday table whiskey too. It’s good stuff.
15. Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Original Sour Mash Whiskey
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $42
The Whiskey:
This was the first American whiskey to be named “Whiskey of the Year” by The Whiskey Exchange in the U.K. back in 2019. The reason this is a “sour mash” and not a “bourbon” or “rye” is that the mash bill doesn’t focus on corn or rye, hence it’s just a sour mash whiskey. The whiskey is aged in new white oak with a heavy char.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with smoked plums, crunchy rye crusts, a hint of caraway, and deep caramel with a hint of salt next to vanilla and apple/pear cider.
Palate: The sip embraces the smoky dark fruit with hints of vanilla and cherry popping up next to winter spices and a touch of green savory herbs.
Finish: The whiskey carries that smoky plumminess through to the end with a nice nod to an oaky and bourbon-y vanilla underbelly.
Bottom Line:
This is another fine cocktail base — it works in bold seasonal cocktails so don’t be afraid of adding big flavors.
14. Michter’s Limited Release US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This release takes Michter’s signature Kentucky Sour Mash — which doesn’t have enough corn or rye to be bourbon or rye whiskey — and finishes it in toasted barrels. In this case, those barrels are first air-dried for 18 months and then lightly toasted barrel before the whiskey is filled in. Finally, the booze is batched and bottled with a good dose of that Kentucky water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a soft sense of a pile of firewood cut from an old fruit orchard next to dark chocolate oranges with a flake of salt and a drop of honey with a hint of vanilla cake frosted with apple cinnamon butter frosting.
Palate: The palate has a lightly smoked cherry vibe next to clove and allspice with a sense of lush and creamy eggnog and vanilla-cherry tobacco stuffed in a slightly pitchy pine box.
Finish: The end leans into the cherry tobacco with a layer of mild chili spice and more soft and sweet orchard firewood.
Bottom Line:
This is probably the most “acquired taste” whiskey on the list. The wood really shines through. If you pour this over a rock as a sipper, you’ll get a deep and dry firewood vibe. In a cocktail, the woodiness will veer from cedar bark to orchard bark with a singed vibe, which isn’t for everyone. But if that is the vibe you’re looking for, this is going to deliver.
13. Michter’s US*1 Limited Release Toasted Barrel Finish Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45.7%
Average Price: $448
The Whiskey:
Michter’s originally dropped this back in 2014; it has since become a mainstay of their release schedule. The whiskey is standard bourbon that’s then finished in a toasted barrel from the famed Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville. They build these barrels by hand from 18-month air-dried white oak and then lightly toast the inside before the aged whiskey goes in.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with a pecan pie vibe that’s nutty, dry, and full of dark Caro syrup sweetness with a hint of candied orange peels with a touch of cinnamon and dry cedar bark.
Palate: The palate holds onto the sweetness as it leans towards a campfire roasted marshmallow, a touch of saffron and clove-stewed pears, a pile of sappy firewood, and creamy nuances of vanilla pudding all meander through your senses.
Finish: The end has a light savory nature that leads back to the pear, vanilla, and marshmallow on a very slow fade toward a pile of fresh firewood piled high on soft black soil.
Bottom Line:
The sweetness of the Kentucky bourbon balances the woodiness of the toasted barrel finish nicely on this one. I’d still use this primarily for cocktails with a woody kiss but you’ll probably like it best on a rock. The water and ice will help the dryness of the wood take on a creamy sense with singed marshmallows and a touch of cherry chocolate cake.
12. Michter’s US*1 Limited Release Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 55.3%
Average Price: $109
The Whiskey:
Michter’s fills their barrels with 103-proof hot juice off the stills. After a handful of years spent aging, that proof inches upwards as the angels take their share. Usually, the whiskey is cut with that soft Kentucky limestone water before bottling but not in this case. This is pulled from single honey barrels that were just too good to cut and bottled at the Fort Nelson Distillery right on Louisville’s Whiskey Row.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose draws you deep into the classic bourbon ecosystem of rich buttery toffees next to salted dark chocolate-covered cherries, a touch of smoked stone fruits, and a minor note of spicy tobacco leaf.
Palate: The palate delivers on those notes as the tobacco spice amps up before being smoothed out by rich and creamy vanilla, salted caramel, and apricot stone dryness.
Finish: That dryness drives the mid-palate towards the finish with a pecan shell vibe next to slightly bitter singed cedar bark.
Bottom Line:
This is a great workhorse whiskey. It shines in cocktails if you’re looking for a little extra punch. It also works wonders as a slow sipper over a single large ice cube. You can’t lose pouring this one, especially if you’re looking for classic Kentucky bourbon.
11. Michter’s US*1 Limited Release Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
ABV: 54.6%
Average Price: $104
The Whiskey:
This rare Michter’s expression is pulled from single barrels that were just too good to batch or cut. Once the barrels hit the exact right flavor profile, each one is filtered with Michter’s bespoke system and then bottled as-is at the strength it came out of the barrel.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark cherry and butterscotch candies pop on the nose next to sour red wine mixed with mulled wine spices — lots of cinnamon, clove, and star anise — next to tart apple skins, apple bark, and a hint of singed marshmallow between lightly burnt Graham Crackers.
Palate: The palate subtly leans into spices with a nutmeg/eggnog vibe next to rich vanilla ice cream and smoked cherries with a minor note of fresh pipe tobacco and singed cedar bark.
Finish: The end adds some dried red chili and sharp cinnamon to the tobacco with a pinch of freshly cracked black pepper and a supple sense of a fresh fruit bowl with a lot of red berries.
Bottom Line:
This is a bold rye whiskey that really leans into the Kentucky vibes. It’s sweetly balanced with a grassiness that’s pure Kentucky. It’s truly a bourbon-lovers rye whiskey, which makes it a great sipper or Manhattan base.
10. Michter’s US*1 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
ABV: 42.4%
Average Price: $43
The Whiskey:
Michter’s well-crafted juice is warehoused until the deeply charred new white oak barrels hit just the right moment in both texture and taste. Those barrels are then hand-selected and bottled one at a time with a touch of Kentucky water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Peppery rye and a hint of citrus open this one up before deep fatty nuttiness, dry espresso beans, soft dark chocolate sauce, and a twist of sharp spearmint dance through the nose.
Palate: There’s a distant line of toffee candies dipped in roasted almonds next to a brioche smeared with Nutella and dipped into a fresh cup of espresso with mild notes of white pepper, ground chili powder, and maybe a whisper of honey.
Finish: The finish leans into woody winter spice barks and buds — think cinnamon, clove, and allspice — with a sense of whole red peppercorns soaked in molasses, a whisper of walnut cake, and a thin line of toasted marshmallows dipped in dark chocolate.
Bottom Line:
This is a core line of Michter’s and yes it deserves to be this highly ranked. This has no business being as good as it is for this price point and widely available. This is an excellent cocktail mixer that works as a very sumptuous everyday sipper, especially over a rock.
9. Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey Small Batch 2023 Release
ABV: 45.6%
Average Price: $109
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is made with a fair amount of rye whiskey over a bit of bourbon in a traditional sour mash style. 2023’s release varied with the use of malted rye in the mash bill, adding an extra layer of malty depth. The whiskey was then aged in specially made toasted French oak that spent 24 months seasoning in France before they were made with barrels that spent 18 months air-drying in Kentucky before they were coppered. The barrels were all batched and bottled with just a touch of Kentucky limestone water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft boot leather, dried and candied orange, spiced Christmas cake, fresh vanilla beans, sultanas, and a hint of fresh firewood round out the nose with a hint of almost sweet oak char and simmering molasses cut with almond kissed with dark citrus oils.
Palate: The palate has a nice sweet spiciness like a box of Red Hots next to allspice, clove, and orange with rummy raisins, nutmeg-heavy eggnog, and a whisper of oily espresso bean sneaking in late before a bold yet measured winter spice bark sharpness arrives.
Finish: The end marries the orange oils to soft cedar notes with a woody spiciness next to soft notes of sweet cinnamon, stewed plums, minced meat pies, and brandied cherries layered with chewy tobacco leaves over a lush and creamy finish.
Bottom Line:
Shenk’s is just good whiskey. It’s highly sippable, deeply hewn, and will leave you feeling satisfied. It’s also spicy enough to make a hell of a winter cocktail.
8. Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Toasted Barrel Finish Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
ABV: 54.45%
Average Price: $334
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is Michter’s standard rye, finished in a second toasted barrel. In this case, those barrels are air-dried for 24 long months before being lightly toasted and loaded with the rye. The whiskey then goes into the bottle at barrel strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has a spicy and sweet nose that’s just like a buttery, candied, and dried fruit, and nut-filled holiday cake that’s been drenched in good whiskey and left to sit for a month to amp up those flavors while a flutter of dry cedar kindling dipped in dark chocolate sneaks in.
Palate: The taste has a clear sense of black-tea-soaked dates, creamed vanilla honey, black walnuts, wet brown sugar, and a touch of salted dark chocolate with a whisper of bitterness that feels like vanilla pods still on the branch and old smoking hickory just kissed with brisket fat.
Finish: The mid-palate dries out towards that pitchy yet dry woodpile with an echo of dirt from the bottom of that woodpile on the finish before the roasting herbs and soft dark berries arrive with a whisper of dark chocolate tobacco and leather.
Bottom Line:
This is essential Kentucky rye. Again, it perfectly balances sweet almost bourbon vibes with a deep grassiness of a good rye without going into harder botanicals or herbs. It’s amazing sippable with a great finish that’ll have you coming back for more.
7. Michter’s US*1 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 10 Years Old
ABV: 47.2%
Average Price: $475
The Whiskey:
The whiskey barrels sourced for these single-barrel expressions tend to be at least 10 years old with some rumored to be closer to 15 years old (depending on the barrel’s quality, naturally). Either way, the whiskey goes through Michter’s bespoke filtration process before a touch of Kentucky’s iconic soft limestone water is added, bringing the bourbon down to a very crushable 94.4 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a peppery sense of cedar bark and burnt orange next to salted caramel and tart red berries with a moist and spicy sticky toffee pudding with some brandy butter dancing on the nose.
Palate: The palate blends vanilla tobacco with salted dark chocolate-covered marzipan while espresso cream leads to new porch wicker and black peppercorns.
Finish: The end has a pecan waffle vibe with chocolate chips, maple syrup, blackberry jam, and minced meat pies next to old tobacco and cedar with a sweet yet roasted marshmallow on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those whiskeys that’s just attainable enough to be really exciting. You’ll be able to find this in most good whiskey bars. Buy a pour! Or get a little spicy with it and have them make you an amazing old fashioned with it.
Not to be cliched, but this is truly quintessential Kentucky bourbon.
6. Michter’s US*1 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey 10 Years Old
ABV: 46.4%
Average Price: $399
The Whiskey:
2023’s Michter’s 10-Year Rye release was an instant classic. The whiskey is made from a corn-rich rye whiskey mash bill with a good dose of barley in there. The absolute best barrels are chosen — with some up to 15 years old — for this release. Then each of those barrels is individually bottled as-is with a hint of proofing water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich and lush toffee combines with soft marzipan on the nose as a dash of freshly cracked black pepper leads to cinnamon-laced apple cider and cherry-soaked cedar bark.
Palate: The palate is part Red Hot and part zesty orange marmalade with creamy vanilla pudding, sweet and spicy dried chili peppers with a hint of smoke and woodiness, and this fleeting whisper of celery salt.
Finish: The end dries out the almond with a vanilla cream tobacco, soft and sweet cedar, and dark chocolate orange vibe all balanced to damn near perfection.
Bottom Line:
This is my home pour. I use it for after-work pours over a big rock or in my Manhattans. Seriously, folks, there’s no better whiskey than this for Manhattans. Period.
5. Michter’s US*1 Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey 25 Years Old
ABV: 58.65%
Average Price: $25,000
The Whiskey:
All we really know about this single-barrel rye release is that the barrels Michter’s sourced for it are some of the best of the best in the whiskey world. A 25-year-old whiskey aged in a new oak will rarely taste this nuanced but that’s sort of the magic of Michter’s and this bottle.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s an earthiness here that feels like dried white moss on a wet forest floor next to little popping notes of bitter yet oily espresso beans, vanilla that costs way too much to buy, oranges wrapped in gold cellophane, and an almost wet black pepper vibe.
Palate: Golden sultanas draw you in with a very clear sense of clove that almost leads to anise (maybe black licorice) with that vanilla staying dry as the orange oils become burnt and this distant note of salted, almost black cacao powder harkens the finish.
Finish: That finish does lean into a classic Tellicherry cracked black pepper but remains dry and features just the right amount of dried fruit sweetness.
Bottom Line:
Yes, this is outrageously expensive. That’s because it hasn’t been re-released in a very long time. It’s also freaking delicious. This is probably the #1 expression elite whiskey lovers will be clamoring to see a new version of in 2024 or 2025. It’s that good.
4. Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash 2022
ABV: 56.4%
Average Price: $19,999
The Whiskey:
The fourth ever Michter’s Celebration release — and the first one since 2019 — was finally released in early 2023. The bottle was slightly delayed, making it a February 2023 release this time around. This American whiskey is a collaboration between Michter’s Master Distiller Dan McKee and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson. The duo chose seven whiskeys for this special blend that ranged from twelve to thirty-plus years old. Those barrels were batched and bottled without any cutting with water, creating only 328 bottles for the whole world.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose subtly opens with a sense of dark chocolate cut with brown butter, Saigon cinnamon bark, and a light note of crème brûlée made with just a drop of cognac.
Palate: That boozy vanilla opens the luxurious palate toward a dusting of winter spices — clove, anise, nutmeg — next to stewed peached and burnt orange over singed marshmallows, old smoldering hickory, and orchards full of falling leaves next to whisper of creamy black cherry and candied pecans.
Finish: Those pecans meld with woody maple syrup, more cinnamon bark, orange-studded cloves, and a sense of bushels of orchard fruits mixed with nuts and dried fruits in an old wooden basket and wrapped with thick old twine and leather next to a spiced chocolate cherry tobacco leaf dropped in the middle of it all.
Bottom Line:
Good whiskey bars will have a bottle of this in some corners of the country. Try it! It’s a great experience of how wonderful whiskey can be without having to be “bourbon” or “rye.”
3. Michter’s Limited Release Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 25 Years Old
ABV: 58.1%
Average Price: $10,002
The Whiskey:
The whiskey in the bottle was distilled in or before 1998 at an undisclosed Kentucky distillery from a unique mash bill. That whiskey went into new American white oak barrels and was basically left alone until they were moved over to the Shively, Kentucky campus where they were monitored for excellence. When the barrels hit the right mark — that’s where the Michter’s team’s prowess comes in — they were batched for this very small limited release and bottled 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a deep sense of old molasses vats that held prunes, dates, and raisins with a sense of winter spice barks, berries, and buds next to brown buttery Christmas sugar cookies dipped in dark chocolate and dusted with ground vanilla pods before this light sense of smoked walnut shells and fire-roasted chestnuts arrives.
Palate: That molasses leans toward thick hot chocolate just kissed with red chili before a deep sense of candied almonds takes the taste toward rich and moist sticky toffee pudding flaked with sea salt and fresh orange zest with a hint of vanilla buttercream.
Finish: The end leans into dried sweetgrass and old fall leaves in an apple orchard with a hint of pear-brandy-soaked marzipan dipped in dark-as-night chocolate and kissed with a mix of woody brown winter spices wrapped up in old tobacco leaves and stored in a very old whiskey barrel in a musty old brick rickhouse on a cold fall day.
Bottom Line:
This whiskey was just re-released and you can actually buy it right now (for a steep price). This is a true collector’s item and will be a mic drop pour if you have it. It also helps that this is a truly delicious bourbon whiskey that’s unparalleled outside of very few releases.
2. Bomberger’s Declaration Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 2023 Release
ABV: 54%
Average Price: $119
The Whiskey:
This whiskey heralds back to Michter’s historical roots in the 19th century before the brand was even called “Michter’s.” The old Bomberger’s Distillery in Pennsylvania is where the brand started way back in the day (1753). The whiskey in the bottle is rendered from a very small batch of bourbons that were aged in Chinquapin oak. The staves for that barrel were air-dried for three years before coppering, charring, and filling. The Kentucky bourbon is then bottled in an extremely small batch that yields around 2,000 bottles per year.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sweet mashed grains — think a bowl of Cream of Wheat cut with butter and molasses — mix with sticky toffee pudding, old saddle leather, old cellar beams, and sweet cinnamon with a hint of candied orange and dark chocolate next to luscious eggnog with a flake of salt.
Palate: The palate is super creamy with a crème brûlée feel that leads to soft winter spices, dry cedar, and orange chocolates with a hint of pear-brandy-soaked marzipan in the background.
Finish: The end has a creamed honey vibe next to brandy-soaked figs and rum-soaked prunes with fresh chewing tobacco and salted dark chocolate leading back to dark chocolate and old cellar floors with a touch of smoldering orchard bark.
Bottom Line:
This is probably the most drinkable bourbon on the list for anyone looking for an elevated bourbon experience. This goes beyond classic and is in “quintessential” territory thanks to a profile that goes beyond the ordinary into the extraordinary. This is just delicious whiskey, bourbon or not.
1. Michter’s US*1 Limited Release Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 20 Years Old
ABV: 57.1%
Average Price: $4,889
The Whiskey:
Master Distiller Dan McKee personally selects these (at least) 20-year-old barrels from the Michter’s rickhouses based on… I guess just “pure excellence” would be the right phrase. The bourbon is bottled as-is from the barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A sense of dark cherry with deep rummy molasses, dried rose petals, old almond shells, and cedar bark mingle with a fresh pipe tobacco leaf just kissed with apple and pear essence with a hint of vanilla oils and old wintry wine spices.
Palate: The taste leans into smoldering vanilla pods with a sense of old oak staves from a dusty old cellar next to sweet cinnamon and cherry over dried sage and sharp spearmint with a clove syrup base and a dash of toasted marshmallow sweetness.
Finish: The end is full of dark cherry and woody spice with moist marzipan, burnt orange oils, and chewy fresh tobacco wrapped up in old leather and cedar bark with a hint more of that old cellar sneaking in.
Bottom Line:
This is arguably the best of the best right now. It’s an amazingly deep and balanced sipper that goes beyond the average and becomes something transcendent. This is the bourbon pour we all dream of, especially on these cold winter nights. It’s that special.
