Michter’s Debuts Lauded Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey for the First Time Since 2022

(Photo: Michter’s)

On Tuesday, Michter’s Distillery announced it will begin shipping the 2025 Edition of Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey this month. The release marks only the fifth time the whiskey has been made available since its debut in 2013, and the first since 2022.

Only 315 bottles will be released worldwide. Each bottle has a suggested retail price of $6,000, but previous editions have gone on to sell for upwards of $20,000. Bottled at 115.2 proof (57.6% ABV), the 2025 release is blended from seven barrels: four Kentucky straight rye and three Kentucky straight bourbon.

The company describes Celebration Sour Mash as the rarest whiskey in its portfolio. Previous releases have been spaced years apart, with production depending on the availability of mature barrels that meet internal standards. The 2022 release of Celebration Sour Mash has earned an incredibly high Critics’ Score of 99 on The Daily Pour, cementing it as one of the greatest whiskeys of all time.

According to Michter’s, the 2025 Edition includes whiskey aged from more than 12 years to more than 30 years. Master Distiller Dan McKee said the oldest barrels were used in limited amounts to avoid overpowering the blend.

“The 2025 Celebration contains whiskey from seven extraordinary barrels, with the youngest whiskey being over 12 years old and the oldest whiskey being over 30 years old,” McKee said in a news release. “It’s remarkable how the oldest barrels contribute just the right amount of oak influence while leaving room for the delicate nuances of the other beautiful ryes and bourbons in the blend to shine.”

Michter’s President Joseph J. Magliocco said the barrels were selected by McKee and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson, who oversee the aging and blending process.

“Each release of Michter’s Celebration is truly unique and cannot be replicated. This extraordinary whiskey is a symphony decades in the making, orchestrated by Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson and Master Distiller Dan McKee,” Magliocco said. “Together, they carefully oversee the aging and blending process, selecting these seven whiskeys not only for the extraordinary individual characteristics each brings, but with the understanding that together, they will create a whiskey so exquisite that the sum is even greater than its individual parts. It reflects patience, precision, and profound expertise composed into a single, unforgettable experience.”

Wilson said the focus of the project is blending barrels at peak maturity rather than aiming for a fixed age statement.

“To be part of creating Celebration is a tremendous honor. It is about respecting the art of maturing whiskey to its perfect moment, not a specific age; blending whiskeys to a profile that surpasses the beauty of any one barrel alone; and seeking something so unique it conveys a poetic elegance,” Wilson added. “The result is a composition of enchanting complexity, bold sophistication, and depth that echoes the timeless treasures of American whiskey.”

Each bottle comes in a presentation box that includes a letter signed by McKee.

Celebration Sour Mash was introduced in 2013 and drew attention for its price point, which placed it among the most expensive American whiskeys offered at retail at the time.

Michter’s produces bourbon, rye, sour mash whiskey and American whiskey at its Louisville distillery. In October, the brand was named The World’s Most Admired Whiskey for the third year in a row by Drinks International.