Bomberger’s Declaration Bourbon Review (2026)

By Richard Thomas

Rating: A-

Although each review is a thing unto itself, so it is basically fine to retell the same or a similar story for these annualized expressions, this time I really do not want to repeat the backstory of the defunct Bomberger Distillery in Pennsylvania and the Michter’s brand history. I’ll skip that part and dwell strictly on the bottle; if you are interested, please read my review of Bomberger’s Declaration from last year.

I wrote that review this past September, so something worth noting is that Michter’s 2026 batch of Bomberger’s and Shenk’s were shipping in April. Little more than half a year separate the two releases, and that is noteworthy for a pair of expressions that, historically, are not technically annualized. Like many Michter’s limited editions, they often are released on an annual basis, but not always, and sometimes two or three years will pass between batches. This also underlines that even if a release of this type does arrive in a given year, its timing is not predictable.

At its root, Bomberger’s Declaration is about the use of some very well-seasoned Chinquapin oak. That type of oak has a different and more complex flavor profile compared to its cousin, white oak. Mint joints the cookies spices, earthy cocoa the vanilla, and sometimes a cherry note can be found on the top. And whereas typical bourbon barrel staves are dried for six months, the staves for these barrels were air dried for 3 years. The extended air drying time breaks down the tannins while still in the wood, moderating the “oaky” astringency that can arise in whiskey maturation. This year may be from the same production, because it also used barrels made from staves air dried for three years; the change was the addition of finishing in Hungarian oak. This latter exotic type of wood is noted for its earthy, leathery, sometimes smoky character. Both the Chinquapin and Hungarian oak barrels were given the same custom (and undisclosed) toasting and charring.

As suggested above, I suspect Bomberger’s Declaration 2025 and 2026 are drawn from the same production run. The similarity in what we know about the whiskey and the release timeline suggest part of that run was released last year as it was, while another part was given the Hungarian oak finish for a season or two and released this year.

Tweaks of this nature have always been part of Bomberger’s and Shenk’s. One thing that never changes is the proofing point: that is always 108.

The Bourbon
The color of this pour was middle amber with a thick-looking, extra dose of red added. The hue remained clear in the Glencairn, but was not bright.

Continuing with the assumption that this is basically a finished version of last year’s Bomberger’s, I think the extra some months in wood took the pinch of heat out of the nose. No water needed here. Instead, it leads heavy with earthy caramel. In the main, the scent is like someone made an artisanal Milky Way bar: you would need some dark chocolate and nougat to help get across how earthy the caramel is. Add to that a skewer of dry wood through it, and a cocktail cherry stuck on the end of that skewer.

The flavor profile is in tune with traditional bourbon–plenty of melted brown sugar, cookie spices and vanilla–but that dry, spicy skewer has become more like a stake. Dust it with cocoa powder and add some spearmint to the cookie spices, and you’ve got a fairly dry, layered take on bourbon. Fans of Four Roses, Old Granddad or Basil Hayden should rejoice at the thought.

Bomberger’s for this year concludes with a rush of sweet cinnamon, turning to a faint touch of dry wood at the end. Bomberger’s has been one of those expressions that has always delivered an interesting twist on the bourbon flavor profile, but these last two have been hitting triples rather than doubles. That is perhaps why it has been gaining in attention and, unfortunately (see below), price.

The Price
A bottle of Bomberger’s 2026 is officially marked at $120. The market value (what retailers actually ask) is between $170 and $250. Given that this year’s batch rivals Michter’s 10 Year Old Bourbon in overall terms, and that bottle is often priced at over $300 by retailers, Bomberger’s becomes a pretty decent alternative, especially if you read the tasting notes and thought “I can dig it.”