Michter’s likes to tout the fact that it was named “the World’s Most Admired Whiskey,” an honor that U.K. publication Drinks International bestowed on the brand in October 2024. All platitudes aside, the Kentucky distillery really does make some fantastic whiskey, and two releases that always stand out are the annual 10 Year Old Bourbon and Rye—and the 2025 edition of the latter expression was just announced.
Rye was really popular about century ago, and then it wasn’t for a long time, but it has once again become a favorite of whiskey fans. “Rye whiskey has deep roots in American whiskey history,” said Michter’s president Joseph J. Magliocco in a statement. “It fell out of favor for most of the 20th century when much of it was used as a blender in other whiskeys. The work of the bartenders in the on-premise community to show how great a good American rye is in cocktails was instrumental in bringing this exceptional whiskey category back.”
And it has indeed come roaring back, with legacy distilleries continuing to release and improve on their rye whiskeys (see Old Overholt, produced at the James B. Beam Distilling Co.), brands still turning to MGP in Indiana to source their rye, and craft distilleries trying out high and low-rye mashbill for their whiskeys.
Michter’s master distiller Dan McKee and master of maturation Andrea Wilson selected the barrels used for the 10 Year Rye release, and the whiskey is bottled as a single-barrel expression. That means that the palate may vary depending on which barrel your bottle came from, but there is some consistency overall. According to Wilson, the whiskey’s flavor has a lot to do with the fact that it comes from the Bluegrass State. We have not been able to sample this new rye yet, so we’ll let her explain: “One of Michter’s defining characteristics for our rye whiskey is the balance of the beautiful baking spice with fresh citrus and floral underpinned by notes of vanilla, caramel, chocolate and sweet oak,” she said. “This Kentucky-style rye differs from the styles from Indiana and other parts of the U.S., and it reveals a refined elegance and harmony of flavors.”
Michter’s 10 Year Rye is bottled at 92.8 proof (46.4 percent ABV), and will come out in June with a suggested retail price of $210. Most secondary market websites are selling it for much more than that, but you can occasionally get lucky and find it for close to its asking price. And you can always find the rest of the Michter’s lineup, which is quite worthy in its own right, available at websites like ReserveBar.
Authors
Jonah Flicker
