Review: Michter’s Bourbon 20 Years Old 2024

By David Tao | January 3, 2025 |

While Michter’s is no stranger to limited releases, certain bottlings hold near-legendary status in American whiskey. One of those is the brand’s 20 year old bourbon, an expression as sought after as it is rare, with each release often comprising under 1,000 bottles.

Adding to the rarity — and perhaps in turn the appeal — is the unpredictable release cadence. According to the brand, Master Distiller Dan McKee and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson only approve Michter’s 20 and 25 year old bottlings when mature stocks show exceptional depth and character. McKee and Wilson seem especially keen on identifying barrels that make it past 15 years without tiptoeing into over-oaked territory.

Of course, in spirits, reputation and reality are best reconciled with a taste test. Which brings us to today.

In December 2024, Michter’s announced another highly limited release of their 20 year old bourbon, the first such bottling since 2022. (At Drinkhacker, we last encountered a 20 year old Michter’s release in 2015, as a single barrel offering.) The bottle we sampled came from Batch# 24I3208, which lists a bottle count of 557 on the label. It’s bottled at 114.2 proof and carries a suggested retail price of $1,200. As with all Michter’s releases, this whiskey undergoes their proprietary filtration process before bottling.

Let’s see how it tastes!

For reviews, I generally let whiskey rest in a tasting glass for five minutes before nosing. And I certainly respected that here, but it’s almost a moot point. As soon as you pop the cork, Michter’s 20 bursts with dark berry compote, bananas foster, sweet balsamic vinegar, lightly tanned leather, dusty library book stacks, and (remarkably) both damp and dried tobacco leaves. I’ve often noticed a “cigar box funk” on older Michter’s releases, and this latest 20 year bourbon certainly carries that bill — but with enough fruit to keep early scents grounded far away from tannic soup.

Continuing on the nose: That dark fruit pairs with richly toasted wood at first before transitioning to more tannic aromas one can only get from truly mature whiskey. The nose here is a journey, one that starts in a brick oven bakery and then quickly moves to the earthen floor of an old rickhouse. At the very back of the nose, both coffee and chocolate-forward scents fold in, touched with residual sweetness. I couldn’t help but think of Sno-Caps candy, along with hints of dark mocha.

A first sip brings intensely dark caramel and freshly scraped vanilla bean. Those first flavors are supported by some incredible viscosity. It’s at once both thick and silky, the bourbon gliding evenly across the tongue like it’s not in any particular hurry. A touch of tart blueberry cobbler comes next, followed quickly by more of that decadent mocha. Both of those dessert flavors carry some spice as well, namely baked clove and nutmeg. The chocolate leans dry, bridging sweet and tannic near the midpalate; it’s like a dark chocolate bar lightly infused with liquid oak extract. (Frankly, tasting this had me hoping for such a thing.)

Compared to what I’ve sampled in previous batches of Michter’s 20 and 25, the midpalate here is perhaps a touch less sweet, especially compared to the nose. That leaves more room for spice and tart fruit to accumulate. Toward the back end, a small touch of citrus peel breaks free of the chocolate, adding just a little acidity to the end of a very rich dram.

The finish goes on for miles here. A little sassafras and spice meld with vanilla to evoke a root beer float, after which things lean gradually more toward barrel char. Again, Michter’s 20 isn’t in any rush to force the issue with oak — but when this bourbon decides to show its age, it does so with aplomb.

Michter’s 20 is undoubtedly one of the most sought after and celebrated bourbons on the market today, perhaps even more coveted due to its irregular release schedule. The 2024 release only bolsters that reputation. Led by Dan McKee and Andrea Wilson, Michter’s has once again achieved the tallest task in ultra-premium spirits: living up to a reputation for delivering the extraordinary.

114.2 proof.

A+ / $1200 / michters.com [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]