Michter’s 20 Year Bourbon (2019 Release)

A little background

Michter’s Distillery annually releases a highly sought-after bourbon, Michter’s 20. This bourbon is sourced from an unknown distillery, and is sold in a beautiful, elegant bottle. The whiskey itself sits at 114.2 proof (which, in my opinion, is a pretty remarkable proof for a whiskey this age) and was aged in American oak barrels. The whiskey at Michter’s reaches a “fork in the road” when it hits 17 years old, and is selected at anywhere from 17-20 years old to be bottled at the 20 year mark. The victors go on to be sold for an MSRP of around $700. Trying this has been on my bucket list, I am really excited to be able to review this. 

(Tasted neat from a Halo Glass)

Color

Yellow Gold

Nose

The nose on this bourbon is extraordinary! It is extremely full, filled with notes of dark cherries, vanilla, and cola. Orange rind and toasted nuts are present as well upon a lighter nosing. Both with a light and heavy nosing, syrup is present, and the rest of the notes seem to embody the viscosity of it, sticking to everything in the nose. There is an ever-so-slight hint of oak as well, but not nearly as much as I was expecting off of a 20 year old whiskey. This actually smells a bit like some of the dusty bourbons that I have been lucky enough to try. I cannot say enough good things about the nose.

Palate

Though I thought it impossible, the palate is even better than the nose. The front and mid palates burst with notes of dark cherries. A beautiful, thick and syrupy mouthfeel and taste coats the entire palate. Cola and vanilla cover the mid and back palate with an immense thickness. Charred oak is definitely present on the front of the palate, and continues to make its way back to the back of the palate through the duration of the sip. There is also a very slight hint of sassafras root on the sides of the mid-palate that were noticed as I was doing the “Kentucky Chew.” This bourbon reminds me greatly of some of the top-tier dusty whiskies that I have tried. It just has a certain depth and complexity to it that not many bourbons do these days.

Finish

The finish is immensely long, and sticks to every aspect of the palate. Charred wood, cherry syrup, and vanilla are the most prominent notes. The sweeter notes stay mainly on the mid palate, while the welcomed bitterness of the charred oak makes itself known on the front and back palate. It lasts long enough to where you can and should take a few minutes in-between each sip to fully enjoy it.

In closing

This is one of the best whiskies I have ever had the chance to try. The fact that it reminds me so much of some of the great dusty whiskies that I have tried says a lot: especially that the quality of this bourbon is hard to match with what you and I regularly see produced today. Everything about it is nearly perfect, there is nothing I would change at all. I would like to think that I would buy a bottle of this at MSRP, but it is a very steep price. Worth it? That is subjective. Is it incredibly delicious? I can subjectively say that, objectively, yes it is. I can definitely see how this bourbon passed the “fork in the road” that was described by the distillery. I would be really interested in trying different year’s releases of this to see how they compare!