This Year’s Michter’s 10 Year Old Bourbon Is On Its Way

After sampling barrels with Michter’s Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson, Michter’s Master Distiller Pamela Heilmann has approved the April 2018 release of Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon.

“While grain selection, cooking, yeast, fermentation, and distillation are all critical, the story doesn’t end there. So much of the quality of the whiskey comes from what happens after it’s put into the barrel. With Pam Heilmann and Andrea Wilson, we have two phenomenal whiskey experts leading our team,” said Michter’s President Joseph J. Magliocco.

While the position of Master Distiller is well established in Kentucky, the position of Master of Maturation is less common outside of Scotland and Ireland. Wilson’s job is to support Heilmann by managing barrel specifications, barrel procurement, heat cycling and monitoring of liquid temperatures during aging, and tracking the maturation of particular barrels like those evaluated for this year’s 10 year release. Wilson says, “By having two Masters, Michter’s is recognizing that there are two very distinct phases of making Kentucky bourbon. I’m extremely honored to be able to support Pam.” Widely respected for her accomplishments in the whiskey world, Wilson was the first woman to ever serve as Chair of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.

As Master Distiller at Michter’s, Heilmann occupies the company’s “Dr. No” position with ultimate responsibility and ultimate authority to approve all Michter’s releases. Before joining Michter’s, Heilmann ran Booker Noe Distillery, at that time the largest bourbon distillery in the world, where she was Distillery Manager. “Our goal is to make the greatest American whiskey. At Michter’s the standards are incredibly high, and we only release something when it’s ready, not just because it’s 10 years and a day old,” offered Heilmann. “It’s great to be able to work with someone as knowledgeable about wood science and whiskey as Andrea. When we tasted this 10 Year Bourbon, both of us were very happy and very excited to release it this year.”

The suggested U.S. retail price per 750ml bottle of Michter’s 10 Year Bourbon is $120, so the official price point remains unchanged from last year.