Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey 2022 Release

Seven extraordinary barrels. Three Kentucky straight bourbons and four Kentucky straight ryes, the youngest over 12 years old and the oldest over 30. The fourth-ever release of Michter's Celebration Sour Mash — Dan McKee's second selection for this series.

Michter's first released the Celebration Sour Mash in 2013 with a singular ambition: to offer a rare American blend intended to rival the finest spirits made anywhere else in the world. It was a watershed moment in U.S. whiskey history — the first time an American company explicitly positioned a domestic blend against the world's greatest spirits on equal terms. The 2022 is only the fourth release in the series' history.

For the 2022 edition, Master Distiller Dan McKee — in consultation with Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson — selected seven barrels: three Kentucky straight bourbon and four Kentucky straight rye, assembled into a single expression that spans more than 18 years of aging difference between the youngest and oldest components. The blend is bottled at 112.8 proof and 56.4% ABV. The result is one of the most complex and ambitious American whiskey releases produced in the modern era.

The Seven Barrels

• Bourbon components: 3 Kentucky straight bourbon barrels
• Rye components: 4 Kentucky straight rye barrels
• Age range: Youngest component over 12 years; oldest component over 30 years
• Proof: 112.8 (56.4% ABV)

Specs

• Producer: Michter's Distillery, Louisville, Kentucky
• Style: Blended American Whiskey (Kentucky Straight Bourbon + Kentucky Straight Rye)
• Proof: 112.8 (56.4% ABV)
• Master Distiller: Dan McKee
• Master of Maturation: Andrea Wilson
• Size: 750ml
• Release: 2022 — 4th-ever Celebration Sour Mash

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Frequently Asked Questions

• How many Michter's Celebration Sour Mash releases have there been? Four — 2013, and three subsequent releases. The 2022 is the fourth-ever production and Dan McKee's second as Master Distiller. Each release uses a different combination of barrels selected from Michter's aging inventory.
• Why bourbon and rye together? The Celebration Sour Mash is a true American blend — deliberately combining the distillery's finest bourbon and rye stocks rather than limiting itself to a single spirit category. The goal is complexity that no single-style expression can achieve: the caramel depth of aged bourbon combined with the structure and spice of aged rye.
• What does "sour mash" mean? Sour mash is a production technique used throughout American whiskey — a portion of the previous batch's spent grain is added to each new fermentation, creating pH consistency and flavor continuity across batches. It is not a flavor descriptor but a production method foundational to Kentucky bourbon and rye production.
• How does the 2022 compare to the 2013 inaugural release? Each release reflects a different set of barrels — the age range, proof, and bourbon-to-rye ratio vary. The 2022 at 112.8 proof with a 12–30 year age spread represents one of the more powerful and age-diverse releases in the series.