Michter’s announced today that the 10 and 20 year bottlings of their product will be available this December. Retail price will be $120 for the 10 year and $600 for the 20 year.
You read that right. $120 for the 10 year. Now, I like the 10 year version of this whiskey. All the releases have been good, with some bordering on outstanding. The 20 year is actually tasty, though it’s past it prime at that age.
But just for comparison purposes, the following bourbons are all 10 years old or more, and priced well below $120:
- Elijah Craig Small Batch- 12 Years
- I.W. Harper 15 Year
- Eagle Rare- 10 Years
- Bulleit 10 year
- Russell’s Reserve 10 Year
- Henry McKenna Single Barrel Bottled-in-Bond- 10 Years
- Very Special Old Fitzgerald- 12 Years
- Weller 12 Year
- Forged Oak- 15 Years
- Old Rip Van Winkle – 10 Years
- Van Winkle Special Reserve Lot B – 12 Years
The following are 20+ year old Bourbons that aren’t even in the
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neighborhood of a $600 retail price:
- Barterhouse- 20 Years
- Rhetoric- 20 & 21 Years
- Blade & Bow- 22 Years
- Van Winkle Family reserve- 15, 20, and 23 Years
- Lost Prophet – 22 Years
Just Sayin’
Source: PR Newswire Long-Awaited Release of Michter's 10 Year and 20 Year Bourbons
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Nov. 17, 2015
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Nov. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Michter's Master Distiller Willie Pratt has approved the release of Michter's 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon and 20 Year Single Barrel Bourbon to the company's distributor network for sale this December. This will mark the first release of the 2015 bottling of these two coveted expressions.
Nicknamed "Dr. No" by the Michter's sales force due to his frequent refusal to release whiskeys before he believes they have sufficiently matured, Mr. Pratt is a stickler for quality. Says Pratt, "These two bourbons were set for release at the beginning of this year, but I held them back for a bit more aging. I wanted them to be just right."The suggested U.S. retail price per 750ml bottle of Michter's 10 Year Bourbon is $120 and the suggested U.S. retail price per 750ml bottle of Michter's 20 Year Bourbon is $600.
Contact: Joseph J. Magliocco 502-774-2300 x580 jmagliocco@michters.com
Bill's Blog 
I think the press release is a microcosm of everything right and wrong with the Bourbon industry right now. Willie Pratt fighting off sales and marketing who don’t give a crap what’s in the bottle.
It would be nice to have a few Doctor No’s in every distillery to prevent the trend of selling over priced, average at best whiskey because most of the consumers are buying into the hype.
For $120 I better get Willie himself to stop by and pour me a dram!!! Otherwise I will stick with buying 5 bottles of Russell’s or Elijah Craig. Just my opinion of course.
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It has to be mentioned here that consumers are at fault as well. This 20 year version will sell. For SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS, and fetch more than that on the deplorable “secondary” markets.
There is one thing that will stop this practice. It’s not something Joe or Willie will do. The only way to stop it is to STOP BUYING overpriced whiskey. Stop buying it at retail, stop trading for it, stop buying it on secondary sites, and stop buying it at bars.
If we continue to provide the market at these prices, we are thus SETTING the prices for future bottles. Producers can, should, and will keep charging more and more until the customer reaches their limit.
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Well said Bill!! Agree 100%
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