| Category | Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey |
|---|---|
| Country | Region | Not provided |
| Distillery | Michter’s Distillery |
| Age statement | NAS |
| Alcohol % | Proof | 54% | 108 pf |
| Release | April 2026 | Michter’s Legacy Series |
| Mash bill | Undisclosed |
| Cask type | Chinquapin oak with Hungarian oak | Both oak varieties naturally seasoned and air-dried for three years |
| Price point | $120 - $150 |
| Bottle status | Active |
Bomberger’s Declaration | 2026 Release
Appearance / Color
Rich mahogany with reddish-brown highlights
Nose / Aroma / Smell
Dark chocolate, butter toffee, and ripe cherry lead, followed by roasted pecan, brown sugar, orange peel, and seasoned oak. With rest, blueberry, banana bread, black walnut, leather, black tea, and cinnamon add depth. The oak is prominent but stops short of becoming aggressively tannic.
Flavor / Taste / Palate
Chocolate and dark cherry form the center of the palate. Toasted pecan, butter toffee, molasses, brown sugar, and vanilla provide a rich foundation while cinnamon, pepper, and baking spice keep the sweetness controlled. Black tea, tobacco, leather, and dry oak emerge toward the back. The texture is silky and mouth-coating rather than heavy. At 108 proof, it carries substantial flavor without the force of a barrel-proof bourbon.
Finish
Medium-long, dry, and layered. Dark chocolate, cherry, cinnamon, toasted oak, white pepper, and tobacco linger together. Toffee and barrel sugar provide a final touch of sweetness beneath the drying oak and cocoa.
Overview Bomberger’s Declaration honors the historic Pennsylvania distillery known as Bomberger’s during the 1800s and later as Michter’s. The annual release is part of Michter’s Legacy Series alongside Shenk’s Homestead. For 2026, Michter’s paired the expression’s characteristic Chinquapin oak with Hungarian oak. Both woods were seasoned for three years before receiving custom toast and char treatments. The Hungarian oak intensifies the chocolate character surrounding Bomberger’s familiar cherry, toasted-nut, baking-spice, and oak profile. Michter’s official release page provides the complete production and tasting description. Overall Impression The 2026 release is a dark, oak-driven Bomberger’s centered on chocolate, cherry, toasted nuts, and baking spice. Hungarian oak gives the chocolate an especially prominent role, while Chinquapin oak supplies the recognizable fruit and spice character. Its strongest feature is balance: the oak is expressive, but the cherry, toffee, and chocolate retain enough sweetness to keep the whiskey from becoming austere. A short rest is recommended; a few drops of water can make the cherry and chocolate more expansive. Reception Early 2026 coverage is strongly favorable, particularly toward the layered chocolate, cherry, spice, and mature oak profile. The Daily Pour scored it 93 and found a dry, oak-forward profile with cocoa, cherry, raisin, cinnamon, tobacco, and leather. The Whiskey Wash emphasized brown sugar, warm oak, dried orange, honey, pepper, nuts, and a charcoal-toffee finish. Community discussion remains relatively limited but generally places the 2026 edition above the 2025 release, with recurring praise for its depth at 108 proof. The principal disagreement is whether it offers enough distinction from other premium bourbons near $120.
Bomberger’s Declaration | 2026 Release
- Category
- Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Distillery
- Michter’s Distillery
- Country | Region
- Not provided
- Age Statement
- NAS
- Alcohol / Proof
- 54% / 108 pf
- Price Point
- $120 - $150
- Mash Bill
- Undisclosed
- Cask Type
- Chinquapin oak with Hungarian oak | Both oak varieties naturally seasoned and air-dried for three years
- Release
- April 2026 | Michter’s Legacy Series
Appearance
Rich mahogany with reddish-brown highlights
Nose
Dark chocolate, butter toffee, and ripe cherry lead, followed by roasted pecan, brown sugar, orange peel, and seasoned oak. With rest, blueberry, banana bread, black walnut, leather, black tea, and cinnamon add depth. The oak is prominent but stops short of becoming aggressively tannic.
Palate
Chocolate and dark cherry form the center of the palate. Toasted pecan, butter toffee, molasses, brown sugar, and vanilla provide a rich foundation while cinnamon, pepper, and baking spice keep the sweetness controlled. Black tea, tobacco, leather, and dry oak emerge toward the back. The texture is silky and mouth-coating rather than heavy. At 108 proof, it carries substantial flavor without the force of a barrel-proof bourbon.
Finish
Medium-long, dry, and layered. Dark chocolate, cherry, cinnamon, toasted oak, white pepper, and tobacco linger together. Toffee and barrel sugar provide a final touch of sweetness beneath the drying oak and cocoa.
Overview Bomberger’s Declaration honors the historic Pennsylvania distillery known as Bomberger’s during the 1800s and later as Michter’s. The annual release is part of Michter’s Legacy Series alongside Shenk’s Homestead. For 2026, Michter’s paired the expression’s characteristic Chinquapin oak with Hungarian oak. Both woods were seasoned for three years before receiving custom toast and char treatments. The Hungarian oak intensifies the chocolate character surrounding Bomberger’s familiar cherry, toasted-nut, baking-spice, and oak profile. Michter’s official release page provides the complete production and tasting description. Overall Impression The 2026 release is a dark, oak-driven Bomberger’s centered on chocolate, cherry, toasted nuts, and baking spice. Hungarian oak gives the chocolate an especially prominent role, while Chinquapin oak supplies the recognizable fruit and spice character. Its strongest feature is balance: the oak is expressive, but the cherry, toffee, and chocolate retain enough sweetness to keep the whiskey from becoming austere. A short rest is recommended; a few drops of water can make the cherry and chocolate more expansive. Reception Early 2026 coverage is strongly favorable, particularly toward the layered chocolate, cherry, spice, and mature oak profile. The Daily Pour scored it 93 and found a dry, oak-forward profile with cocoa, cherry, raisin, cinnamon, tobacco, and leather. The Whiskey Wash emphasized brown sugar, warm oak, dried orange, honey, pepper, nuts, and a charcoal-toffee finish. Community discussion remains relatively limited but generally places the 2026 edition above the 2025 release, with recurring praise for its depth at 108 proof. The principal disagreement is whether it offers enough distinction from other premium bourbons near $120.
Bomberger’s Declaration | 2026 Release tasting sheet