Michters

[cas]

What is the distinction between the Hirsch bottlings and Michters bourbon? My wife picked up a bottle of Michters 10 year for me at Binnys on a trip to Chicago - and I'm interested in knowing a bit more about it. I did a search, but wasn't coming up with too much info.

Craig

[BourbonJoe]

What is the distinction between the Hirsch bottlings and Michters bourbon? My wife picked up a bottle of Michters 10 year for me at Binnys on a trip to Chicago - and I'm interested in knowing a bit more about it. I did a search, but wasn't coming up with too much info.

Craig

The Michter's Bourbon you received was not made by Michters, but the Hirsch was. Michters (located in Schaefferstown Pennsylvania) has been out of business for decades. The very last of the true Michter's production is only available now as the gold foil 16 year old Hirsch. Once this is gone, it's the end of a great whiskey era.

Joe :usflag:

[TNbourbon]

What is the distinction between the Hirsch bottlings and Michters bourbon? My wife picked up a bottle of Michters 10 year for me at Binnys on a trip to Chicago - and I'm interested in knowing a bit more about it. I did a search, but wasn't coming up with too much info.

Craig

The current Michter's is bottled by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (Even and Drew Kulsveen) for Chatham Imports of New York. Other than the name, there is not connection to the historic, defunct Pennsylvania distillery.

[cas]

Hmmm. So much to learn. I suppose next you'll be telling me that the Van Winkle line isn't made in the backfields of a small homestead in the Catskills. What's the origin of the Michters whiskey then - where is it distilled and aged?

Craig

[bobbyc]

I suppose next you'll be telling me that the Van Winkle line isn't made in the backfields of a small homestead in the Catskills.

I won't bore you with Kentucky Geography, rest assured, VanWinkle is the real deal made in a real place.

[cowdery]

If the Kulsveens are bottling it then Heaven Hill (which is right across the street) probably made it, but there are other possibilities. It pretty much has to be one of the existing Kentucky distilleries, however, as whatever stocks of old whiskey there once were from defunct distilleries have been pretty much exhausted. Heaven Hill is the only Kentucky distillery that admits to selling bulk whiskey as a regular part of their business but just about every distillery does it from time to time, to adjust inventory levels.

[ProofPositive]

If the Kulsveens are bottling it then Heaven Hill (which is right across the street) probably made it, but there are other possibilities. It pretty much has to be one of the existing Kentucky distilleries, however, as whatever stocks of old whiskey there once were from defunct distilleries have been pretty much exhausted. Heaven Hill is the only Kentucky distillery that admits to selling bulk whiskey as a regular part of their business but just about every distillery does it from time to time, to adjust inventory levels.

Do you know how HH or any other distillery decides which whiskey will be sold as bulk? Is it the younger or youngest they have on hand? Or, do they decide according to samplings and just sell off the ones that don't fit any taste profile of the particular distillery? It makes you wonder just how much of it is out there flowing through the stores and bars.

[cowdery]

Do you know how HH or any other distillery decides which whiskey will be sold as bulk? Is it the younger or youngest they have on hand? Or, do they decide according to samplings and just sell off the ones that don't fit any taste profile of the particular distillery? It makes you wonder just how much of it is out there flowing through the stores and bars.

It's a question of what the customer is buying and how much the customer is willing to pay. If a customer wants the cheapest thing he can legally call "Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey," that is what he will get. If the customer wants a good, well-developed 8-year-old and the distillery has some to sell, that will be offered for a suitable price. In other words, it's more about what the buyer is interested in buying than what the seller is interested in selling.

In the case of HH, a lot of their bulk sales are long term contracts, in which the customer essentially buys the whiskey when it is distilled and actually owns specific barrels, which HH ages for them for a fee.