Michter’s 20 Year commands a pretty penny on a retail store shelf, let alone the secondary market. If you think Pappy and BTAC prices are out of control, Michter’s 20 takes it to a new level. What could drive this kind of pricing? Look around for Michter’s 20 Year reviews and you’ll read things like “a near perfect bourbon” or “the best pour I’ve ever had”, or “legendary.” Needless to say, people really love this stuff.
The funny thing is that all the Michter’s age stated whisky is sourced from other distilleries. Michter’s checks their sourced barrels around the 17 year mark to select the best ones for the 20 Year release. They make it a point to find barrels that aren’t overoaked. It makes you wonder what happens to the 17-20 year old barrels that DON’T make the cut. Do they just keep aging them? Do they sell them?
I had the opportunity to try a pour of the 2018 version earlier this year and tried to keep expectations in check. As it turns out, I didn’t need to.
| Category | Notes |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Dark chestnut |
| Nose | Oak. A lot of oak. Corn sweetness, fresh tobacco, cappuccino, powdered sugar, fresh mint |
| Taste | Botanical up front, dates, a really nice layer of oak, milk chocolate, vanilla, a hint of earthiness, raisins. |
| Finish | Dark dried fruit, blackberries, pipe tobacco, spicy, toffee, cacao nibs, butterscotch. |
| Overall Thoughts | Oak forward but not astringent. As nicely balanced as this is, 20 years for bourbon is just past my sweet spot. I feel like this would have been right up my alley at 15 years old. I have yet to try a bourbon 20 years or older that doesn't taste too oaky for me. Your results may vary. |
| Total Score | 88/100 |
