Sometimes you ask a question and receive such a detailed response that there’s really no need to edit. You just want to pass it along straight from the horse’s mouth. In this case, that voice is Michter’s Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson. As one of the most talented whiskey-makers in the game, Wilson and colleague Master Distiller Dan McKee continuously lift the Kentucky endeavor to new heights—such as recently being named “The World’s Most Admired Whiskey” by UK trade publication Drinks International…for an unprecedented third consecutive year.
The topic being our Spirit Of The Week—the unexpected, eyebrow-raising, heartbeat elevating new expression from Michter’s 20 Year Bourbon. We’ve spilled a lot of digital ink here discussing other Kentucky distilleries’ efforts to extra-age bourbon in the wildly fluctuating climate of the Bluegrass State, and challenges therein—especially given how torrid Kentucky summers can be. Compare that to the cool and temperate climate of Scotland, for instance, which allows their whisky to mature with all the grace of George Clooney.
For what plagues many Kentucky whiskeys sitting in a barrel over, say, a dozen years are the banes of over-aging. Usually that involves a heavy-handed oak influence, including tannins from excessive oak contact embittering the profile. To solve this climate conundrum Maker’s Mark had to literally carve a cave out of their limestone foundation to create an atmosphere stable and cool enough to slow-age their bourbon. Buffalo Trace built a $20-million climate-controlled rick house dubbed Warehouse X to do the same, although via air state-of-the-art air conditioning and humidity monitoring. So when we heard Michter’s managed to age their coveted bourbon for a full two decades, presumably without over-oaking, we asked Wilson a simple question:
How did you find an environment cool and steady enough climate-wise in your Kentucky campus to mature a bourbon for 20 years without over-aging? And here below is what Wilson wrote back.:
“As you know the maturation of whiskey is a complicated series of chemical processes influenced by a number of contributing factors—first and foremost the chemical makeup of the distillate profile inclusive of flavor compounds developed during fermentation, type of oak, whether you choose to kiln dry the wood or naturally air dry and season, whether you just char a barrel or define a specific toast and char, proof of entry into the barrel, temperature, humidity fluctuations during storage, overall storage conditions, air flow and other environmental factors just for starters.
“However, there is another significant influence and that is the warehouse itself. We believe details matter in the curation of beautifully aged Kentucky Bourbon and Kentucky Rye and thus we operate a very quality controlled maturing program. We believe the materials of construction, warehouse design and warehouse environment have significant influences on how the product will age. Michter’s uses rack-style warehouses constructed of concrete and steel to allow barrels to be stored with plenty of space for good air movement around the barrels, and for good access to the barrels for sampling, inspection and quality monitoring.”
“At Michter’s, quality transcends everything we do.”
Michter’s Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson
She mentions how Michter’s warehouses are only four floors standard, each floor using steel rack tiers to store three barrels high per floor. While many other labels build massive rick houses seven stories or more, Wilson explains Michter’s avoids this practice because higher floors store heat in the summer, accelerating maturation and causing dramatic shifts in quality and flavor. “It is important to us to curate the journey of the aging of a whiskey, and not just leave it to chance, but to engage in the process over time,” the Master of Maturation continues. “Changing variables can alter outcomes, and details matter. At Michter’s, quality transcends everything we do.”
“To age a whiskey that will taste wonderful after two decades in a first-use barrel is an extremely difficult endeavor that requires a skillful balance of art and science,” Michter’s President Joseph J. Magliocco adds to the conversation. He’s quick to give a nod to his creative teammates, knowing a whiskey gem like Michter’s 20 Year Bourbon can only be created with the utmost diligence and attention to detail. “I believe that people will appreciate the thoughtful and conscientious work of our production team when they taste this exceptional whiskey.”
So there you have it. Surely the expense of building concrete-walled rick houses vastly out-cost those of wood and tin cladding from other Kentucky distilleries, but the results are evidently well worth it. Should you be lucky enough to have the coin to spend on such a fine juice, you might be able to find Michter’s 20 Year Bourbon for its SRP of $1,200 (bottled at 57.1% ABV / 114.2-proof). But more than likely, if you can even get your giddy little fingers on this exquisite juice, it’ll cost you plenty more.
Follow Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.