Table Of Contents

The Details

Rating 97
Style
Whiskey
Produced In Kentucky
United States
ABV 57.6%
Availability Limited
Price $6,000.00 
Reviewed By
Reviewed 2026-03-05

Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey 2025 Review

Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey Stats and Availability

This Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey 2025 marks the fifth ever release of Michter’s (if not the American spirits world’s) most luxury whiskey. The “2025 Edition,” just hitting shelves this month, is bottled at 115.2 proof and available in extremely limited qualities. A mere 315 bottles were produced, offered at a suggested retail price of $6,000, and presented in a lavish gift box with a drawer containing a letter signed by Michter’s master distiller Dan McKee.

Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey

In just about two decades of existence, Michter’s has ascended to easily being the most respected and coveted luxury brand of American whiskey.

The once-historic Pennsylvania brand — with roots dating back to 1753 — actually went bankrupt in 1990. But by 1996 Joseph Magliocco, a lawyer who also owned wine import business Chatham Imports, was looking to add a whiskey brand to his portfolio. Noticing the Michter’s trademark had lapsed and not been renewed, he was able to acquire it for a mere $245 and some paperwork. By then, Pennsylvania didn’t really have distilling operations anymore, so Magliocco moved the company to Kentucky and began sourcing quality bourbons and ryes from distilleries in the area.

Michter’s doesn’t produce any bottom shelf bottles, there are no economy releases in its portfolio; everything is of the highest quality. And the semi-occasional Celebration is the brand’s pinnacle. Magliocco had first been inspired to create it while perusing a Wally’s Wine & Spirits catalog and seeing all the luxury bottles of Cognac available. Nothing of the sort existed yet in the American whiskey world and he asked his then-master distiller, Willie Pratt, to whip something up.

The first Celebration, released in 2013, was a blend of well-matured bourbon and rye stocks — hence, why it’s officially labeled as a “sour mash whiskey” — and offered for $3,400. It sold quickly and joined the tater pantheon of most anticipated bottlings in American whiskey.

This latest release, “orchestrated” (according to the press release) by master of maturation Andrea Wilson and master distiller Dan McKee, is a blend of four Kentucky straight rye barrels and three Kentucky straight bourbon barrels, ranging in age from 12 years to over 30 years old. (Being that Michter’s only started doing their own distilling in 2015, you have to presume most of this liquid is sourced, with the internet pointing fingers at Brown-Forman’s Old Forester Distillery as the likely culprit.)

I was offered an ounce or so of this precious liquid, served in the heaviest cut crystal Glencairn I’ve ever held, at a press event with other persons of my ilk.

Initially, in both aroma and on the palate, I was overwhelmed with a spiciness from both the rye and oak — anise, dark chocolate, oxidative sherry, herbal tea, and a certain nuttiness, with a bit of a bitter, drying sensation. Good, but I wasn’t yet blown away.

Now I’m not necessarily the biggest proponent in believing you need to let a whiskey “open up,” but this beast greatly benefited from just that. After a few minutes the bourbon notes began to appear along with new complexities: a fruity, almost tropical ester on the nose, more toffee and caramel notes on the palate, leading toward an overall rounded sweetness. Perfectly drinkable at the proof, with a coating mouthfeel, and a finish that is long and pleasing, well-remembered even after the glass has been drained.

That was indeed something to be celebrated.

Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Rating

97/100

Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Recap

Look, the fact of the matter is you probably won’t ever taste this, nor might you ever even see a bottle available. (Nor may I again.) So, in a way, reviewing a $6,000, highly-limited whiskey is purely an intellectual exercise. Is this sort of price justified? You want me to say, “No way,” so you can say, “Ha! I knew it!” and never again think about this sort of thing again. Unfortunately, sometimes these luxury bottlings do fully deliver and that is, indeed, the case here. This 2025 Edition shows, yet again, why Michter’s is the king of American luxury whiskey.

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· Brand Profile: Michter's

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97
POINTS
Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey 2025

Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey Stats and Availability

This Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey 2025 marks the fifth ever release of Michter’s (if not the American spirits world’s) most luxury whiskey. The “2025 Edition,” just hitting shelves this month, is bottled at 115.2 proof and available in extremely limited qualities. A mere 315 bottles were produced, offered at a suggested retail price of $6,000, and presented in a lavish gift box with a drawer containing a letter signed by Michter’s master distiller Dan McKee.

Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey

In just about two decades of existence, Michter’s has ascended to easily being the most respected and coveted luxury brand of American whiskey. The once-historic Pennsylvania brand — with roots dating back to 1753 — actually went bankrupt in 1990. But by 1996 Joseph Magliocco, a lawyer who also owned wine import business Chatham Imports, was looking to add a whiskey brand to his portfolio. Noticing the Michter’s trademark had lapsed and not been renewed, he was able to acquire it for a mere $245 and some paperwork. By then, Pennsylvania didn’t really have distilling operations anymore, so Magliocco moved the company to Kentucky and began sourcing quality bourbons and ryes from distilleries in the area. Michter’s doesn’t produce any bottom shelf bottles, there are no economy releases in its portfolio; everything is of the highest quality. And the semi-occasional Celebration is the brand’s pinnacle. Magliocco had first been inspired to create it while perusing a Wally’s Wine & Spirits catalog and seeing all the luxury bottles of Cognac available. Nothing of the sort existed yet in the American whiskey world and he asked his then-master distiller, Willie Pratt, to whip something up. The first Celebration, released in 2013, was a blend of well-matured bourbon and rye stocks — hence, why it’s officially labeled as a “sour mash whiskey” — and offered for $3,400. It sold quickly and joined the tater pantheon of most anticipated bottlings in American whiskey. This latest release, “orchestrated” (according to the press release) by master of maturation Andrea Wilson and master distiller Dan McKee, is a blend of four Kentucky straight rye barrels and three Kentucky straight bourbon barrels, ranging in age from 12 years to over 30 years old. (Being that Michter’s only started doing their own distilling in 2015, you have to presume most of this liquid is sourced, with the internet pointing fingers at Brown-Forman’s Old Forester Distillery as the likely culprit.) I was offered an ounce or so of this precious liquid, served in the heaviest cut crystal Glencairn I’ve ever held, at a press event with other persons of my ilk. Initially, in both aroma and on the palate, I was overwhelmed with a spiciness from both the rye and oak — anise, dark chocolate, oxidative sherry, herbal tea, and a certain nuttiness, with a bit of a bitter, drying sensation. Good, but I wasn’t yet blown away. Now I’m not necessarily the biggest proponent in believing you need to let a whiskey “open up,” but this beast greatly benefited from just that. After a few minutes the bourbon notes began to appear along with new complexities: a fruity, almost tropical ester on the nose, more toffee and caramel notes on the palate, leading toward an overall rounded sweetness. Perfectly drinkable at the proof, with a coating mouthfeel, and a finish that is long and pleasing, well-remembered even after the glass has been drained. That was indeed something to be celebrated.

Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Rating

97/100

Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Recap

Look, the fact of the matter is you probably won’t ever taste this, nor might you ever even see a bottle available. (Nor may I again.) So, in a way, reviewing a $6,000, highly-limited whiskey is purely an intellectual exercise. Is this sort of price justified? You want me to say, “No way,” so you can say, “Ha! I knew it!” and never again think about this sort of thing again. Unfortunately, sometimes these luxury bottlings do fully deliver and that is, indeed, the case here. This 2025 Edition shows, yet again, why Michter’s is the king of American luxury whiskey.

Reviewed On: 03-05-2026
97
POINTS
Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey 2025

Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey Stats and Availability

This Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey 2025 marks the fifth ever release of Michter’s (if not the American spirits world’s) most luxury whiskey. The “2025 Edition,” just hitting shelves this month, is bottled at 115.2 proof and available in extremely limited qualities. A mere 315 bottles were produced, offered at a suggested retail price of $6,000, and presented in a lavish gift box with a drawer containing a letter signed by Michter’s master distiller Dan McKee.

Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey

In just about two decades of existence, Michter’s has ascended to easily being the most respected and coveted luxury brand of American whiskey. The once-historic Pennsylvania brand — with roots dating back to 1753 — actually went bankrupt in 1990. But by 1996 Joseph Magliocco, a lawyer who also owned wine import business Chatham Imports, was looking to add a whiskey brand to his portfolio. Noticing the Michter’s trademark had lapsed and not been renewed, he was able to acquire it for a mere $245 and some paperwork. By then, Pennsylvania didn’t really have distilling operations anymore, so Magliocco moved the company to Kentucky and began sourcing quality bourbons and ryes from distilleries in the area. Michter’s doesn’t produce any bottom shelf bottles, there are no economy releases in its portfolio; everything is of the highest quality. And the semi-occasional Celebration is the brand’s pinnacle. Magliocco had first been inspired to create it while perusing a Wally’s Wine & Spirits catalog and seeing all the luxury bottles of Cognac available. Nothing of the sort existed yet in the American whiskey world and he asked his then-master distiller, Willie Pratt, to whip something up. The first Celebration, released in 2013, was a blend of well-matured bourbon and rye stocks — hence, why it’s officially labeled as a “sour mash whiskey” — and offered for $3,400. It sold quickly and joined the tater pantheon of most anticipated bottlings in American whiskey. This latest release, “orchestrated” (according to the press release) by master of maturation Andrea Wilson and master distiller Dan McKee, is a blend of four Kentucky straight rye barrels and three Kentucky straight bourbon barrels, ranging in age from 12 years to over 30 years old. (Being that Michter’s only started doing their own distilling in 2015, you have to presume most of this liquid is sourced, with the internet pointing fingers at Brown-Forman’s Old Forester Distillery as the likely culprit.) I was offered an ounce or so of this precious liquid, served in the heaviest cut crystal Glencairn I’ve ever held, at a press event with other persons of my ilk. Initially, in both aroma and on the palate, I was overwhelmed with a spiciness from both the rye and oak — anise, dark chocolate, oxidative sherry, herbal tea, and a certain nuttiness, with a bit of a bitter, drying sensation. Good, but I wasn’t yet blown away. Now I’m not necessarily the biggest proponent in believing you need to let a whiskey “open up,” but this beast greatly benefited from just that. After a few minutes the bourbon notes began to appear along with new complexities: a fruity, almost tropical ester on the nose, more toffee and caramel notes on the palate, leading toward an overall rounded sweetness. Perfectly drinkable at the proof, with a coating mouthfeel, and a finish that is long and pleasing, well-remembered even after the glass has been drained. That was indeed something to be celebrated.

Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Rating

97/100

Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Recap

Look, the fact of the matter is you probably won’t ever taste this, nor might you ever even see a bottle available. (Nor may I again.) So, in a way, reviewing a $6,000, highly-limited whiskey is purely an intellectual exercise. Is this sort of price justified? You want me to say, “No way,” so you can say, “Ha! I knew it!” and never again think about this sort of thing again. Unfortunately, sometimes these luxury bottlings do fully deliver and that is, indeed, the case here. This 2025 Edition shows, yet again, why Michter’s is the king of American luxury whiskey.

Reviewed On: 03-05-2026