Michter’s 10-Year-Old Bourbon is Back

The wait is over, folks! Michter’s 10-Year-Old Bourbon, a beloved annual release, is finally back on the shelves. This Kentucky distillery’s single-barrel bourbon and rye whiskeys are highly sought after by whiskey enthusiasts worldwide. In 2022, the distillery only released its rye whiskey, citing the need to allocate some of its whiskey stock due to high demand. But this year, both the bourbon and rye are back, and we couldn’t be more excited.

Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson described the 2024 release as “overaged to a beautiful maturity with an excellent nose, creamy texture, and an array of characteristics on the palate that ascend through to the finish, making every drop an enjoyable moment.” As with all single-barrel releases, each bottle will vary slightly depending on the barrel it was filled from.

New Distilleries for the Experienced Whisky Drinker

If you’re an experienced whisky drinker looking to try something new, you’re in luck. Scotland is home to over 140 malt and grain distilleries, offering a plethora of options for the adventurous whisky enthusiast. Here are five new distilleries that are making waves in the industry:

Ardnahoe

Ardnahoe Distillery, owned by Hunter Laing, is the first new distillery on Islay since Kilchoman in 2005. With a production capacity of 1,000,000 liters per year, 80% of which is aged in first-fill ex-bourbon casks and 20% in ex-sherry casks, this distillery is one to watch.

Ardnamurchan

Ardnamurchan Distillery, owned by The Adelphi Bottling Company, produces 500,000 liters of whisky per year. This distillery is known for its contrasting peated and unpeated single malt distillate, coming in at around the 30/35ppm mark before distillation.

Daftmill

Daftmill Distillery, with a production capacity of 65,000 liters per year, is a small but mighty player in the Lowland whisky scene. This functioning farm distillery produces all of its own barley, supplies other distilleries with barley, and has led the way in the Lowland whisky renaissance.

Lagg

Lagg Distillery, located on the Isle of Arran, produces 750,000 liters of whisky per year. This Lowland distillery is known for its peated whisky, with a Corriecravie release that’s been described as a possible Islay killer.

Torabhaig

Torabhaig Distillery, owned by Mossburn Distillers, produces 500,000 liters of whisky per year. This Isle of Skye distillery is known for its transparent labeling, which includes information on the whisky’s vintage, cask numbers, and ppm rating after distillation.

Michter’s Master Distiller Shares His Favorite Bottle

At the Nassau Paradise Island Wine and Food Fest’s Michter’s tasting, we spoke to Dan McKee, Michter’s master distiller, about the one bottle of Michter’s whiskey we should try before we die. McKee hesitated, saying, “Wow, that’s a hard one.” But after some thought, he recommended the celebration sour mash whiskey, made like sourdough bread. He also mentioned the 10-year rye, which is warm and spicy with cinnamon and crushed peppers, and has deep toffee and vanilla notes with a hint of citrus.