Bomberger’s Declaration Review
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
2021 Release
108 Proof
Price Paid: $89.99 (Total Wine & More)
Please enjoy our Bomberger’s Declaration Review
So, I am assuming that everyone knows that Bomberger’s Declaration is made by Michter’s? Shenk’s, too? But, do you know the history of the names? They both refer to the distillery that would eventually become the original Michter’s distillery. That’s the Michter’s Distillery which was in Pennsylvania, not the current Kentucky one, which is of fairly recent construction.
Apparently, at the time Bomberger’s Distillery (which was at that point Michter’s) closed down in 1990, it was the oldest distillery in the United States. Brothers John & Michael Shenk had started the distillery way back in 1753. Abe Bomberger bought the distillery in 1861 (seems like sort of an odd time, what with the Civil War and all, but that’s what he did🤷🏻♂️). The distillery shut during prohibition, but reopened after. It changed hands multiple times and eventually its owners rebranded it as Michter’s, which was a name created as a combination of the names of one of the owners sons.
Tasting Notes
Let’s taste it:
Color: I don’t usually comment, but this is a striking deep copper.
🛏 Rested for 25 minutes in a Glencairn
👉🏻Nose: Burnt caramel, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, pear, cherry; full and rich; medium alcohol
👉🏻Taste: Oak, some char, burnt caramel, light crème brulée, brown sugar, light cherry; full mouthfeel
👉🏻Finish: Flavors continue, crème brulée becomes more noticeable. Oak and char comes forward and lingers. Light fruit and sweetness remains. Long finish. Moderate burn.
This is a complex bourbon. It’s loaded with deep, dark, full flavors in the nose. Oak and char come forward in the taste, and continue into the long finish, but other flavors also remain. I let this bourbon breathe for longer than usual, as this is a freshly opened bottle, but I expect that the flavors will open up more with time. I am really enjoying it so far.
Summary
Bomberger’s Declaration is a bit different every year. This year, according to Michter’s: “For the aging of this release, our maturation team chose special barrels, some of which were made from Chinquapin (Quercus muehlenbergii) oak that has been naturally air dried for over 3 years. While similar barrels were used in the 2019 and 2020 releases of Bomberger’s, this year our production team opted to accentuate rich characters and depth by adjusting the char levels…” So I am assuming that is, at least in part, accounting for these complex flavors.
Have you had this year’s Bomberger’s Declaration? What did you think? Cheers!🥃
We hope you have enjoyed our enjoy our Bomberger’s Declaration Review! Check out our Old Fitzgerald 11 Years Aged Bourbon Review!
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