Whiskey Review: Michter’s 10 Year Bourbon 2026 Edition
Note: This review of Michter’s 10 Year Bourbon 2026 Edition reflects the personal opinions of Editor Kyle Swartz. This bottle was sent to him as a media sample.
Michter’s has released the 2026 edition of their 10 Year Bourbon, a single barrel product. This year’s release is 94.4 proof. The suggested retail price is $195 per 750-ml. bottle.
Nose
Rich, welcoming, inviting. Tons of brown sugar, birthday cake, Bing cherry, rickhouse, dark fruits, cherrywood, vanilla extract, and cocoa. (Spoiler alert: Those last two tasting notes would end up defining this release.) Perfect nose, no flaws, 100/100.
Palate
Rich brown sugar, dark fruits, caramel, and the dominant flavors of vanilla extract and cocoa. Dark cherries shine towards the end of the palate. Nobody makes sub-100 proof whiskeys better than Michter’s, and M10 ’26 is another homerun in that category. The lower proof makes this incredibly smooth and drinkable, with remarkable depth of dark, sweet flavors. Medium weight, but again, that’s no issue here with how much is going on in the palate. Wonderful, velvety texture, reminding me of Buffalo Trace-style texture. A touch of tannins provides balance. With time in the glass, that big cocoa note mellows into milk chocolate.
Finish
Well textured, and long, with lots of cherrywood, vanilla extract, and cocoa. The finish “fades softly into a sweet sunset,” to quote my frequent fellow reviewer, David Sokoloff, who practically melted into my kitchen while we sipped this whiskey yesterday.
Upshot
The 2026 release of M10B is fantastic, one of the better whiskeys I’ve tasted this year. As for comparing with past releases, the 2026 is more on the dark chocolate/cocoa side. Obviously the price tag is high, but this is a no-brainer pickup for anyone who’s seriously collecting/drinking bourbon nowadays. Treat yourself to this one; it’s a big winner.
Kyle Swartz is editor of Beverage Dynamics. Reach him at kswartz@epgacceleration.com. Read his recent piece, How to Attract Gen Z to Alcohol.
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