2025 Michter's 10 Year Bourbon Review: A Most Thorough Examination

“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.”

 - Henry David Thoreau

Michter's 10 year bourbon bottlings have long been a fan favorite for anyone enthusiastic about Kentucky bourbon. Toeing into the land of the hyper-aged spirits, there's a reputation going around that this release often includes whiskeys that are older than the age statement on the bottle. How these blends get put together is still much of a mystery, but the tasting team at Michter's consists of incredible palates and dedicated scientists.

Much like the naturalist Henry David Thoreau would extol the virtues of reflecting on experiences in the natural world with pointed rhetoric, I adore sitting with a whiskey a long while, exploring it thoroughly in order to observe and understand its true character. For this year's Michter's 10 year bourbon, that included enjoying and sharing all 750mL that comes in the broad shouldered bottle from Michter's sourced stocks over the course of more than 50 days. This is above and beyond my normal process laid out in my editorial policy, but occasionally really interesting whiskeys make me pause and evaluate for a long while, much like the legendary late Harvey Fry tended to do—spending upwards of a week getting to know a particular whisky expression before offering full tasting notes and a rating. My dear friend Alden Hart told this story to Charles Maclean who looked surprised and possibly a little jealous. I took this assignment personally and extended a week process out to a month. Ready to hear about the latest and greatest from Michter's? Let's get on with the review that has been nearly 2 months in the making.

Company on Label: Bottled by Michter's Distillery LLC, Louisville, Kentucky 40216

Whiskey Type: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey

Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed bourbon mash bill

Proof: 94.4°

Age: 10 years (though commonly assumed to be older)

MSRP: $195

Further identification: This is a single barrel product; the bottle under review comes from barrel 25A0147, which I purchased with my own money at an elevated market price ($345)

Nose: Light caramel and wispy thin butterscotch lead on a searching inhale. Touches of cardamom and bubbly Fresca give a little intrigue to an otherwise rather simple, easy-going nose. The aromas are cohesive but fairly mellowed out from a long rest in oak. After a sip, gobs of vanilla dominate the sensory wheel. A shy nose slowly ekes out hints of black pepper, black licorice, and black ice over pavement. The empty glass smells of crêpes loaded with whipped cream with an undercurrent of light cola.

Palate: My first sip is light and easy on the tongue, just as the whiskey was on the nose. A long swish and hold on the tongue reveals butter, pie crust, and brown sugar syrup, which paint a velvety picture on the palate. Another sip laces in graham cracker and just a kiss of anise. If it had more effervescence, it would start to resemble a glass of IBC root beer, straight from the glass bottle. By my third sip, I'm ready to invoke the ultimate whiskey writing sin: this pour is smooth. This is kick-off-your-boots whiskey—you're free to melt into a comfy couch with not a chore left on the to-do list. The linger sits long on the tongue and up in the roof of the mouth with mint, chocolate, and confectioners' sugar. Sipping near the bottom of the glass shows off salt water taffy and a kiss of coconut. If it seems that I'm being washy with the light adjectives, that's just an accurate depiction of the whiskey at hand. As I land softly at the bottom of my glass, I struggle to find further complexities outside of a whisper of the character inherent in the 2023 Michter's 10 year bourbon expressions that I fell in love with. Those pours were rich with earthy clay, layers of vanilla, and vintage oak in spades. This unfortunately falls short of that level of greatness, as the finish leaves little parting impression.

TL;DR: An almost-great bourbon that lands squarely in the shadow of former releases

Rating: 3.5/5

(Good enough. There's something to enjoy here.)

While exceptionally easy to drink, this ultimately lacks a defining character, something the 23A0043 Michter's 10 year bourbon exuded in spades. I expect a higher caliber of whiskey, an air of elegance, and bountiful complexity out of a release as regaled as Michter's 10 year bourbon. Despite not rating with any regard to price, I am compelled to question the value here, with many other budget whiskeys nailing this level of drinkability at much lower price points. Despite all these qualms—it's still a crushable whiskey. At the time of publishing, I no longer have the bottle under review, if that's any indication to you on my level of enjoyment that you can glean beyond my standardized rating scale. I'm hoping next year will be another truly special year for Michter's 10 year bourbon.

WRITTEN BY: NICK ANDERSON

With nearly a decade of sipping experience, Nick Anderson brings a well-calibrated palate to his profound passion for the whiskey industry. Beginning in Irish whiskey before expanding into bourbon, rye, and beyond, he has long been taking the ephemeral observation of unspoken enjoyment and translating it into meaningful words. He is the owner and primary long-winded whiskey writer for AmongstTheWhiskey.com, and he hopes you find resonance in the patient conveyance of an honest whiskey review.