If you ever get to try Michter’s 25-year-old bourbon or rye expressions, or you somehow stumble across someone offering you a taste of Celebration Sour Mash, consider yourself very lucky. These are all extremely expensive but delicious American whiskeys, despite being senior citizens in what is arguably a category that shines with lower age statements. Case in point—much younger, more affordable, and consistently great Michter’s whiskeys come in the form of the distillery’s 10-year-old bourbon and rye, and the details of the 2024 release of the latter were just announced.
Just about a month ago, we covered the news of the new Michter’s 10 Year Bourbon, an annual release that whiskey fans missed in 2022 when it didn’t come out. Today the distillery revealed some of the details behind the 2024 10 Year Rye, a single-barrel expression of Kentucky-style rye (meaning the mashbill contains somewhere just above the required 51 percent rye grain as opposed to a 95 or 100 percent rye). “For over 20 years at Michter’s, we have been hard at work trying to show that American rye can be a world class spirit,” said Michter’s president Joseph J. Magliocco in a statement. “Along with our US*1 Rye, our 10 Year Rye has led the way for us. In fact, the first rye released by Kentucky Michter’s was our 10 Year Rye.”
Michter’s master distiller Dan McKee says that he’s come to really appreciate Kentucky-style rye as a complex version of this whiskey category, with a good amount of spice but ample flavor nuances due to the higher percentage of corn and malted barley in the mashbill. Master of maturation Andrea Wilson, who was responsible for selecting the barrels for this year’s release, concurs. “What strikes me about the 10 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye is its elegance and complexity without being spice dominant,” she said “The spice is beautifully integrated with hints of floral notes, fruit, honey, citrus, and chocolate that create a wonderfully balanced experience perfect for a summer evening.”
Michter’s 10 Year Rye comes in at 92.8 proof, but each bottle may vary slightly flavor due to the fact that this is a single barrel product and not a blend of casks. The SRP is $200, which is admittedly high (and even higher on the secondary market) considering that there are decade-old rye whiskeys available from brands like Old Overholt, Templeton, Redemption, and Basil Hayden that you can find for half that much. Still, Michter’s 10 Year is a really excellent whiskey, so it’s worth the extra expense. The 2024 expression is just rolling out now, but you can find previous releases from websites like Caskers now.
