I Write! I Talk! I Drink! (Not Necessarily In That Order)

A veritable Murderer’s Row of whiskey

The other night I hosted a tasting of Michter’s whiskeys at the super-swanky University Club in midtown Manhattan. The plan was for me to do it in person, but 2020 being what it is, I was in quarantine after exposure to Covid-19, so I participated via Zoom (I tested negative, if you’re wondering). Also Zooming in for the festivities were Michter’s Master of Maturation, Andrea Wilson, and Master Distiller Dan McKee. They are two of the smartest and nicest people, not just in Kentucky whiskey, but in the whole damn state, perhaps even the planet. Andrea’s been a go-to source for me pretty much every time I have to write a whiskey article of any complexity, so it was a real honor to have her on board. And I’ve known Dan to be a man of few words, so it was a thrill and a pleasure to have him chiming in at great length on what makes Michter’s special.

And Michter’s IS special. Though its lineage can be traced all the way back to 1753, its current history really only dates to the mid 1990s. That’s when Joe Magliocco acquired Michter’s lapsed trademark (American whiskey was a decidedly bottom-shelf, all-but irrelevant spirit at the time), moved its base of operations from Pennsylvania to Kentucky, and started sourcing big, bold and beautiful aged whiskeys with the idea of one day distilling them in the same style. And a quarter-century, two distilleries, a farm, a visitors’ center, and approximately twelve kajillion dollars of investment later, that’s exactly what they’re doing. Today, Michter’s is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all American whiskeys — rare bottles at auction are even starting to command Pappy-like prices.

I remember eight or nine years ago, on my first trip to Kentucky, I was chatting with two extremely esteemed, high-profile bourbon writers and the subject of Michter’s came up. “They’re just throwing so much money around,” the first one groused. “Do they even know what the hell they’re doing?” the other said.

“But you know… I really like their new 10 Year Old bourbon.”

“Yeah, I have to admit, it seems like they’re a force for good.”

At this point, there’s no doubt about it.

But to get back to the tasting — I’ve hosted a couple of smaller, much less formal events, but this was my first big one, where I didn’t know any of the attendees, all of whom had paid actual US currency to learn about the booze that was being set in front of them. I was nervous as heck, but judging from the feedback, everything went smoothly. I’m the first to admit that Andrea and Dan carried the ball for much of the time, but I’m glad I didn’t fumble when I had to do my thing. And once I got over being terrified, it was actually kind of fun.

All of which is to say, hosting spirits tastings is now a Thing I Do. So if you’re in the market… I’m available.