Is Michter’s “Cost Be Damned” Approach Producing the Greatest American Whiskey?

American whiskey has come a long way since the ’70s and ’80s—a time when brown spirits were less popular in the US and many producers were forced to shut down. For those who correctly predicted the comeback of bourbon and rye, the challenge is now producing enough to keep up with demand. Now that the resurgence of American whiskey has gone global, even smaller players who operate with quality over quantity in mind are entering appreciative new markets, including Asian countries.

In the Philippines, Wine Warehouse and Apotheke Craft Spirits have partnered to bring in Michter’s, a whiskey brand with a long history of ups and downs that is now flourishing under new management. Michter’s has changed hands and gone by several names since it was founded in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania in 1753—before the American Revolutionary War. (Founded as Shenk’s and later known as Bomberger’s, the company was renamed Michter’s in the 1950s; it’s a portmanteau of then-owner Lou Forman’s sons’ names, Michael and Peter.) Michter’s went bankrupt in 1989, and in the 1990s Chatham Imports president Joe Magliocco partnered with Dick Newman to revive the abandoned brand.

Though Michter’s traces its history to the first American distillery in Pennsylvania, the new owners knew that they wanted to make whiskey in Kentucky, home of some of the country’s best distillers and whiskey resources. “You can make bourbon anywhere, but Kentucky is the gold standard,” says VP of international sales Matt Magliocco. He cites the southern state’s climate (with hot summers and very cold winters) and its limestone-rich water as important factors in whiskey production.

In addition to making whiskey in Louisville, Kentucky, the current incarnation of Michter’s also takes a “cost be damned” approach to production.

“We don’t run this brand on profitability,” says Magliocco of the 100-percent family-owned company. Instead, they compete to make the best American whiskey using time-consuming, somewhat inefficient production methods that are neither confidential nor proprietary—they’re just not adopted by bigger producers because of the high cost.

What makes Michter’s different? 

1. Wood for the barrels is air-dried for 18 to 48 months — Before the wood is nailed together into a barrel it’s exposed to the elements and natural bacteria breaks down the layers of the wood. Because of the cost of storage and the extra steps required in the construction process, Magliocco says that Michter’s pays their supplier a premium of USD$50 more per barrel than other producers.

2. Barrels are toasted over a gentle flame before they’re charred — Toasting before charring brings out more of the natural sugars in the wood so that the resting whiskey extracts richer flavor from the barrel. Among other things, this breaks down the lignin layer of the wood into vanillin, which gives whiskey its vanilla and spice notes.

3. Low entry proof — One of the most expensive parts of the Michter’s production process is the low entry proof, which refers to the strength of the whiskey when it enters the barrel for aging. The brand’s previous master distiller Willie Pratt suggested that they use the pre-Prohibition historical entry proof for whiskey: 103 proof instead of the industry standard of 125 proof. Michter’s adds more water at the start of the process than at the end compared to producers that barrel at a higher proof. This increases evaporation and requires more barrels to mature the spirit, but the result is a more aged product in the bottles and richer, warmer whiskey with a long finish.

4. Heat cycling — During the winter, the production team heats the warehouse and then opens windows to let cold air in when the liquid in the barrels reaches a specific temperature. This induces extra heat cycles and encourages more interaction of the whiskey with the wood. Again, more whiskey is lost to the atmosphere (“angel’s share”), but the whiskey produced has more maturity and depth.

5. Individualized filtration — Instead of using a uniform filtration process, Michter’s used a tailored filtration protocol to make different whiskies. When production switches from bourbon to rye, for example, all of the filtration equipment is switched out and different temperatures and times are used to create the best possible product.

To demonstrate the rewards of the many decisions made during the distillation and maturation process to coax the fullest flavor out of the product, Matt Magliocco led a tasting of five of Michter’s whiskies at the Grand Hyatt Manila’s Cellar Door:  

US*1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Michter’s lush and rounded entry-level premium bourbon hits the palate with creamy, rich vanilla and hints of caramel and stone fruit. Approachable and easy to drink straight.

US*1 Kentucky Straight Rye – A traditional Kentucky rye with a lower percentage of alcohol. Spicy and peppery with a warm, soft finish.  This is not a “high rye” whiskey; the corn and malted barley add sweetness, complexity, and balance to the mix.

US*1 Sour Mash – Sour mash refers to mash that has been previously cooked that’s kept for the next batch to retain consistency in the production process. Though all of the whiskies by Michter’s can be called sour mashes, the name of this bottle is a nod to a ’70s release by the old Michter’s distillery in Pennsylvania—at the time, customers were more likely to buy a bottle labeled “sour mash” than “rye.”  The US*1 Sour Mash is a bridge between bourbon and rye, with corn, rye, and malted barley—but nothing in the majority—matured in toasted and charred new American oak. It opens like a bourbon—rich, round, and sweet—and ends with a dry, spicy finish.

10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon – This special release, which comes out about twice a year, is the same whiskey as the US*1 with a slightly different ABV—45 percent instead of 47.2 percent, with more pronounced viscosity and blossoming vanilla, butterscotch, and smoke.

10 Year Kentucky Straight Rye –The first 10 Year Kentucky Straight Rye release approved by Michter’s new master distiller Pamela Heilmann, who worked at Beam Global for almost 15 years and is known for creating some of the best bourbons of the past few years. This rye is a tribute to Michter’s roots and exemplifies the house style: rich, bold, and flavorful with a creamy mouthfeel. With only 23 bottles allocated to the Philippines, this is the kind of bottle that whiskey enthusiasts hoard and keep for themselves. We recommend seizing any chance to drink it (or buy it).

Michter’s will be exclusively distributed through Wine Warehouse’s retail arm, Wine Depot Inc. at the end of May 2018, except for the 10 Year Old Rye that is produced in small batches and has few allocations per country. Wine Depot has stores located in Makati, Alabang, Greenhills, Alabang, SM Aura, and Cebu, and is also accessible through its online retail site www.winedepot.com.ph.