Michter's Celebration Limited Edition Sour Mash

[squire]

Because the notes sound like they were written for him.

[WhiskyRI]

This is a marketing stunt pure and simple. Even though we are all making fun of it and decrying it - we are talking about it. And it's not like there aren't Single Malt Whiskies priced at similar levels, and higher. We aren't their target - frankly no knowledgeable consumer is their target. This is like Bezos' drone delivery. It's about owning the conversation. The fact that they've sold some to restaurants is great and they don't really care who buys. With a single bottle purchased they've covered their costs by a long shot.

Additionally this will make their next $300 bottle seem that much more reasonable. It's about expanding the market's willingness to pay top dollar. Once upon a time $100 for a bottle of bourbon would have been crazy, now $200 is regularly seen. Within two years we'll see multiple $500 bottles before crazy markups.

[Dolph Lundgren]

The Chicago Tribune reports 14 of the 273 bottles have been distributed to the Chicago area and three Chicago bars-The Aviary, Drumbar and Big Star-have purchased bottles. The Aviary bought 2 bottles and will be selling it at $325 an ounce. The chef de cuisine of the beverage program, Micah Melton, says "Honestly, I didn't want to like it, because I didn't want to buy a $4,000 bottle of whiskey". But he then reasons (without the honestly ) "It's delicious. It has amazing balance. There's sweetness from the bourbon and spice from rye, but not too much spiciness. And the alcohol is right where it should be." Looking for a bargain? Big Star says they will price it in the "neighborhood" of $175. The Tribune has their wholesale bottle price closer to $3,000 than the suggested retail of $4,000.

So, if 4 of us head to big star and split an ounce 4 ways, it's only like $44 bucks a quarter ounce. Not a bad deal...not at all...

[tanstaafl2]

An interesting perspective on "new" Michter's in general. Not specific to to the Celebration but I thought it might be of interest here.

http://www.cooperedtot.com/2014/03/considering-michters.html

[ChainWhip]

An interesting perspective on "new" Michter's in general. Not specific to to the Celebration but I thought it might be of interest here.

http://www.cooperedtot.com/2014/03/considering-michters.html

He's been getting some heat from other bloggers for this piece. Still, it's interesting to get information straight from the horse's mouth and I appreciate his efforts here.

[tanstaafl2]

He's been getting some heat from other bloggers for this piece. Still, it's interesting to get information straight from the horse's mouth and I appreciate his efforts here.

As much as I dislike the fake history many NDP's seem compelled to create I have to admit that what's in the bottle is also important. I haven't tried Michter's that much because of the bad rep but the 10yo straight rye that I have tried was certainly very good although it was based primarily on which barrels I have found. Haven't done any comparison between presumed older and newer bottlings.

Despite this article I still haven't developed any real interest in giving the 10yo single barrel bourbon a try.

[CooperedTot]

Thanks for the link to the blog post, tanstaafl2 I've tasted Celebration a couple of times now. It is a vatting of bourbon and rye, in an homage to the old Michter's Sour Mash whiskey they used to sell in the Jug House before it closed in the early 90s. They used some 30 year old stocks, apparently, and some from younger sources of both Bourbon and rye, supposedly from "favorite barrels". It tastes complex, but not particularly rich. More sunny and bright. It's interesting, but I'd never guess it was a very expensive product from taste alone. It doesn't taste anywhere near as old or rich as their age statement single barrel products - like the Single Barrel Rye 25 or 10 (which are both very good) or the Single Barrel Bourbon 20 or 10 (which are both beyond just good. The versions I've tasted are more like "excellent" IMO). The packaging for Celebration is beautiful - and apparently costs Chatham, the manufacturer $700 a bottle. The question is "why"? As a whiskey consumer I wouldn't bother with this.

[cowdery]

I think you have to take a balanced perspective. Michter's (Chatham) is genuinely spending a lot of money to become a grain-to-glass bourbon producer. They're serious about it. They're doing it. They've encountered some obstacles but are still moving forward.

What they call their manufacturing program, i.e., contracting with someone else to make whiskey for them, has been going on for ten years. All of their NAS products are from that stock, in which they have invested millions of dollars. They are transitioning their age-stated 10-year-old bourbon and rye to that stock. With contract distilling, a non-distiller producer (NDP) has significantly more control than when buying bulk product but that doesn't make them a distiller. The 'cooking in someone else's kitchen' metaphor is valid to a point but a distiller has a distillery at which it mashes, ferments, and distills alcohol. Calling someone an NDP is not derogatory, it's a statement of fact. Distiller/Non-Distiller is a clear and unambiguous distinction. Let's not screw with it.

As for the history stuff, you can't unring a bell, but Michter's has learned from the criticism they've received and now speaks in terms of reviving and paying homage to a venerable name.

As a consumer, I don't buy Michter's because I think it's overpriced for what it is, but I have been sorely tempted by the 10-year-old rye. But if you like Michter's and don't mind paying for it, then you should enjoy it without thinking it's one of the 'bad guys.' Michter's is very similar to Angel's Envy.

[tanstaafl2]

Well, I may have to reconsider and give the 10yo SB bourbon a try just for the heck of it if I can find one that appears to be an "older" bottling. Everything else above that is too much to fool with and still not convinced the other stuff is worth the price. I do still keep an eye out for the 10yo SB rye if it is a decent price but haven't seen any lately.

[portugieser]

I have tried it once and fully agree with CooperedTot's assessment. It's nice and complex but there are many bourbons that I prefer over it. Significantly, the pricing and marketing of this seems like a brash effort to create PR splash by selling ridiculously-priced whiskey, all in an effort to create a halo over the other brands. In my view, this really violates the spirit of what most others do in the business, which is to sell honest bourbon at an honest price.

Edited March 10, 2014 by portugieser

[Restaurant man]

I have tried it once and fully agree with CooperedTot's assessment. It's nice and complex but there are many bourbons that I prefer over it. Significantly, the pricing and marketing of this seems like a brash effort to create PR splash by selling ridiculously-priced whiskey, all in an effort to create a halo over the other brands. In my view, this really violates the spirit of what most others do in the business, which is to sell honest bourbon at an honest price.

[CooperedTot]

Well, here we all are talking about it. I appreciate Chuck's point that, bottom line, Michter's isn't so different from other NDPs that are building distilleries. As for the relative value of the product - It's a question of what you like. I get a dark rancio quality out of the Single Barrel 10 and 20 bottlings that reminds me of 1960s Old Fitz. Because I'm guarding my last half bottle of that - I'm quite happy to substitute Michter's 10 for $85. In that context it's fine and I don't mind paying it. It's similar to how I feel about Port Ellen and Kilchoman. Recent older Kilchomans taste a whole like young Port Ellen (which is unobtainable, and the old stuff is between $500-$1000 bottle). (I know I should be talking about Scotch. I'm a newbie on this board - have mercy). I've been a lurker here for years. Very pleased to finally be official...

[Gillman]

Out of this discussion, what I got that is important is the Michter's executive's connections to the time when the original Michter's was available. And, as Chuck said, the fact is that they are building distilleries. You can't ask for more in terms of someone trying to revive a legacy and it sounds like the branding is changing to emphasize that as opposed to the stuff the company was taken to task for (by some) - all to the good.

As to the whiskeys. I haven't had the older age-stated ones or Celebration. I am fairly familiar though with the Sour Mash Whiskey (the "recreation" of Michter's Original Sour Mash) and the 10 year old bourbon and rye and the younger rye. The 10 year old rye was very good when it apparently was older than the 10 year age statement, apparently 18 years old from statements I recall reading on SB many years ago. I never though the bourbon was particularly outstanding. As for the rye, it depended on the batch or barrels and I am not sure what it is like now. The younger rye whiskey is okay, not special IMO.

Old whiskeys no matter how good will always be a distraction though, in the sense that there will be very little of it and it will always be tannic to a certain degree.

What the new Michter's needs to do (IMO) is not make a new A.H. Hirsch 16 year old bourbon because 1) that is too matured to be useful for a commercial strategy for many years, ii) bourbon wasn't the mainstay for the branded original Michter's into the 1990's - Original Sour Mash was at some 6 years old. That is what they should focus on recreating because it was a great whiskey and second was the branded commercial standby of the original business. The Sour Mash whiskey released a few years ago didn't come close to emulating that, IMO. I respect the effort, and I hope they keep trying but even if they can't do it from contracted make, soon they will have their own aging whiskey to work with.

Sure they'll make bourbon and rye too but other distillers have been doing that a long time and perfected the details - what Michter's should do to distinguish itself is duplicate the palate of Michter's Original Sour Mash whiskey, a whiskey hailed by the late Michael Jackson for its "ginger" palate. It was 50% corn, 38% rye, rest barley malt. It is not really even a near bourbon because 51% corn (as A.H. Hirsch bourbon was) was still very high on the rye side, it was more a rye whiskey than anything else. Second, apparently some reused cooperage was used (or at certain times), which tends it away from bourbon even more. This is the recipe that I understand was contributed by Bettye Jo's Uncle Everett Beam in the 1950's. Recreating that with fidelity would make a real difference and at 6 years old, you don't have to wait a half-generation to do it.

Gary

Edited March 11, 2014 by Gillman