Old bourbon isn’t always good bourbon… except when it is. And sometimes, it’s really, really good, as is usually the case when it comes to Mikker’s 20-year-old expression. This well-aged bourbon is back for 2025, and after two decades of barrel maturation, this expensive, high-proof bottle sounds like a great example of how careful supervision can produce a wonderful whiskey—even after spending so much time in casks.
Mikker’s 20-year-old bourbon was first released a decade ago in 2012, a few years before his own distillery came online. Although the mixers have been busy making whiskey in recent years that goes into its younger expressions, these older releases are apparently still comprised of whiskeys out of contract, although the source has not been revealed (if you do a bit of internet work you can find some potential suspects). Last year’s 20-year release was the first in two years, as apparently the barrels that went into the 2023 expression weren’t offensive, but this year marks a return to the annual release.
Some of the more recent examples of bourbon are older ones that are still very good. The 18-year-old from last spring was really fantastic, and the recent Knob Creek 21 exceeded expectations (it’s even better than the younger 18-year-old version in this lineup). Still, Mikel President Joe Magliocco acknowledged the difficulties in implementing it. “Bourbon is required by law to be aged in a brand new barrel, which imparts more flavor, color and oak character more quickly than a used barrel,” he said in a statement. “Aging a whiskey that will taste amazing after two decades in its first use barrel is an extremely difficult endeavor that requires a skillful balance of art and science. I’m sure people will appreciate the thoughtful and dedicated work of our production team when they taste this exceptional whiskey.”
We haven’t yet been able to sample this year’s release, which was bottled at 114.3 proof, but master of maturation Andrea Wilson has some tasting notes. “Micker’s 20-year-old bourbon is an ideal representation of how oak can be used to deepen the vanilla, toffee, chocolate, spice, fruit, and confectionery notes that add complexity to a bourbon,” he said. “We hope that everyone who has the opportunity to taste this product is able to experience the beloved attributes of a beautiful, timeless bourbon produced through intentional aging.”
You can find Mikker’s 20-year-old bourbon in specialty retailers nationwide starting this month (SRP $1,200), and previous releases are still available on the secondary market for hefty prices.
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