The Whiskey Wash Awards, a no-fee, independent competition, recognizes the best whiskies tasted by our reviewers across 2024. With no commercial biases and expert reviewers, our awards showcase expertly crafted and perfectly sippable whiskies. Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey (2024) was one such whiskey.
The Whiskey Wash Awards
A key distinction of the Whiskey Wash Awards lies in its unbiased approach. Neither the producers nor the whiskies themselves are aware that they are being considered for recognition. This eliminates any potential for commercial influence, ensuring that our awards reflect the genuine opinions of our passionate and discerning whisky experts.
Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey (2024)
Shenk’s whiskey is named for Swiss Mennonite farmer John Shenk, the founder of Shenk’s Distillery (now Michter’s). Shenk founded the distillery in Pennsylvania in 1753. It was later renamed Bomberger’s in the 1800s and, finally, Michter’s in the mid-20th century.
Shenk’s Homestead whiskey is released annually as part of Michter’s Legacy Series, which honors the contribution of John Shenk and Bomberger’s Distillery to Michter’s history.
Why Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey (2024) Has Been Named Best American Whiskey
Nino Kilgore-Marchetti, founder of The Whiskey Wash and seasoned reviewer, sampled this expression in August 2024.
Getting up-to-date opinions on our winners, I asked Nino how he feels now about Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey (2024). He said: “Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey dials itself in really, really, well – so well you might not even realize you’ve swallowed it – it is just that good, as you’re left distracted considering it in the most ideal ways—truly a stunning American whiskey.”
‘Truly Stunning’
The gentle balance of sweet, earthy, and fruity flavors in Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey is a tribute to the long-standing production methods at Michter’s, and the power of French oak casks.
French oak is still considered a relatively experimental maturation cask for American whiskeys. However, this whiskey certainly showcases the variety and depth of flavor that it can produce. Its smoothness is also a testament to the sour mash process, which can produce incredible consistency across batches.
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A yearly release from Michter’s, and one worth waiting for.
Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey (2024): Best American Whiskey, Double Gold
Original Notes by Nino Kilgore-Marchetti
Michter’s Distillery is one of the more popular Kentucky distilleries today. This brand’s legacy started in 1753 in Pennsylvania and, through many twists and turns, ultimately ended up in Kentucky under the still-ongoing leadership of Michter’s President Joseph J. Magliocco.
While the Michter’s of 2024 has a decidedly forward-looking agenda that is Kentucky-centric, Magliocco and company look to honor the brand’s history through its Legacy Series, a yearly two-bottle, vintage-dated offering that also lets the distillery team play outside the usual Michter’s sandbox in that each release differs from those of previous years.
“While there is some continuity from year to year, our production team makes creative adjustments to each edition of these whiskeys,” said Magliocco when this year’s bottlings were unveiled.
What’s in the bottle
The whiskey being reviewed here, Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey (2024), follows the standard sour mash process of using a portion of the previously distilled whiskey mash in the next batch. It is standardly made with “a substantial amount of rye.”
“In the 2024 Shenk’s release,” said Michter’s Master Distiller Dan McKee of it, “we used rye, malted rye, and for the first time caramel malt, which offers a nice creaminess to complement the whiskey’s herbaceous qualities and notes of spice.”
At the time of this whiskey’s release, it was noted that, as in the last several years, some of the barrels used in the production of Shenk’s include oak sourced from the Vosges region of France. The oak is air-dried and seasoned for 24 months before being toasted to Michter’s specifications.
Shenk’s is 91.2 proof (45.6% ABV) and has a U.S. suggested retail price of $110.
