Background

First and foremost, if you want a ton of Michter’s background, then Bourbon Culture's Michter’s Distillery: Past, Present and Future is an absolute must read.

I’ve distilled the hyper abbreviated and relevant to this review points on M10B, but seriously, read the whole thing, it’s awesome.

• This release started as Chatham Imports wanting to showcase older barrels they sourced, and they combined these older barrels into a “single barrel” before bottling. Misleading, yes, but early bottlings were suspected to contain some Stitzel Weller stocks.

• Michter’s president Joseph (Joe) Magliocco has stated that no M10 bourbon or rye has ever contained a whiskey that is less than 11.5 years old.

• In 2004, Michter’s started contract distilling with Brown-Forman to their specifications, which would presumably be the source of this release. They transition over to their own distillate for these 10 year releases is expected in 2026. 

Again, read the whole history, it’s excellent and a go to resource on all things Michter’s. Onto the review!

Michter’s 10 Year Bourbon - 2023 (10 Years, 94.4 Proof)

Nose: WHOA… this is some dusty funk. Leather, herbal, funky cherries, cocoa nibs. There’s a lot going on here.

Palate: Herbal, leather, brown sugar, dark chocolate and nougat. The mouthfeel is a little thin, but the flavors are there.

Finish: A long herbal, tobacco, leathery finish balanced out by a nice cherry cordial note.

Excellent (8/10)

Overall: I just really can't shake how much this drinks like a dusty, and I mean that from multiple angles. It has this amorphous, leathery and herbal funk throughout that I consistently have the hardest time describing because the taste is so distinctly “old whiskey.” But it also reminds of those 86/90 proof older releases (like Old Fitz Prime) that, yes, are flavorful, but also drink thin and leave you craving a higher proof version. Delicious, yet leaves you wanting all in one glass.