Michter's 2016 20 Year Old Limited Release

Michter's 2016 20 Year Old Limited Release. Michter's Distillery, Louisville, Kentucky — Kentucky straight bourbon aged 20 years, approved by Master Distiller Dan McKee and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson, one of the earliest documented vintages in Michter's modern ultra-aged program — deep amber with caramel, vanilla, dark chocolate, dried fruit, and a hint of spice, with a long, warm finish that marks two decades of patient Kentucky barrel maturation.

The 2016 vintage is among the earliest approved releases from Michter's modern 20 Year program under Dan McKee and Andrea Wilson. The 20 Year is not released every year — only when McKee and Wilson jointly determine that available barrels have reached peak maturity. The 2016 was an approved year; the 2017 and 2020 were not. As one of the first releases under the current production team's tenure, the 2016 is now nearly a decade out of primary distribution and found only through specialty retailers with legacy stock.

At 20 years, Michter's Kentucky straight bourbon has experienced two full decades of seasonal expansion and contraction in the barrel — Kentucky's extreme summer heat driving the spirit deep into the wood, winter cold pulling it back, each cycle extracting more flavor compounds and driving deeper oak integration than a younger expression can achieve. The result is a richness, concentration, and complexity that places the 20 Year among the finest aged American bourbons produced.

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Deep amber with rich mahogany tones from two decades of barrel contact.
• Nose: Caramel, vanilla, and dark chocolate with dried fruit — the complexity of 20-year Kentucky maturation layered through the aromatics.
• Palate: Full-bodied and smooth with dark fruit, leather, warm spice, and a deep caramel sweetness fully integrated by two decades in the barrel.
• Finish: Long and warm — a hint of spice and dark fruit fading through a deeply satisfying close.

Specs

• Distillery: Michter's Distillery, Louisville, Kentucky
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Age: 20 years
• Release: 2016
• Approved by: Dan McKee (Master Distiller) + Andrea Wilson (Master of Maturation)
• Inventory: 3 bottles in stock
• Size: 750ml

Browse all bourbon at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How rare is the 2016 vintage specifically? The 2016 is the earliest available Michter's 20 Year vintage in the Wooden Cork collection — nearly a decade out of primary distribution. The subsequent gaps in 2017 and most years make the 2016 a particularly significant early expression of the McKee/Wilson 20 Year program.
• Is the 2016 Michter's 20 Year still available? Yes — 3 bottles in current stock. Order online with fast shipping.