By Richard Thomas
Rating: A-
(Credit: Richard Thomas)
Introduced in 2014, Bomberger’s Declaration from Michter’s has become a fixture of late summer’s annualized releases. Although this expression and its sibling, Shenk’s, do not (yet) have the same buzz attached as either Michter’s other limited editions (such as Barrel Strength Rye or the 10 Year Old Single Barrels) or the well-established and passionately sought bottles of the uber hot Fall release season, that is just a boon for the folks who know these expressions. Even though whiskey sales are slumping generally this year, there are still far too many thirsty mouths chasing too few limited editions, so the odds of picking up a sort of sleeper bottle like Bomberger’s are better.
Bomberger’s is named after the distillery that last made Michter’s whiskeys, in the brand’s previous incarnation as in Pennsylvania. That plant closed in 1989, as American Whiskey hit rock bottom, and today is essentially a ruin as much as a National Historic Landmark.
This year’s Bomberger’s Declaration has some special features, both relative to bourbon in general and against past iterations of the expression. First, Michter’s Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson the staves used in making the barrels behind Bomberger’s stock have been air dried for anywhere from 18 months to five years. The typical bourbon barrel stave has been dried for just six months, so even the youngest of those staves has been weathered and dried three times as long. After six months, the oak is sufficiently seasoned for coopering, and added time does not improve on that. What the extended seasoning accomplishes is to break down the harshest tannins in the oak, the stuff that produces astringency in whiskey. Previous installments had used barrels made from staves seasoned for three years.
The oak in question is also not white oak, but that tree’s cousin, Chinquapin oak. This oak has a more complex flavor profile, bringing in notes of cherry, mint and earthy cocoa in addition to the expected vanilla and cookie spices. Also, the press release for this year’s Bomberger’s Declaration made no mention of malted rye, leading to some speculation that the mash bill behind Bomberger’s stock changed, in addition to the known change in barrel wood.
The Bourbon
This deep amber pour was bottled at 108 proof, and at that strength it is actually a touch hot on the nose. I felt a couple drops of water were called for, so in they went and away went the heat.
The nose leads with a spicy, oily take on traditional bourbon: melted brown sugar, cookies spices, a daub of mild oak. Attached to that is a fruit orchard: cherries and white peaches.
The palate comes on in waves or layers, leading with nuts and then wood, that being replaced with a craft, thick and earthy caramel candy dusted with cocoa powder, before finally reaching cinnamon, nutmeg and a clutch of spearmint. The finish takes a couple of twirls around the dance floor on that spice conclusion before fading into a faint touch of cherries and stone fruits.
The recent tweaks in the production process behind Declaration really sing. If you can snag this bottle at or near its recommended price, it is well worth having.
The Price
A bottle of Bomberger’s Declaration is supposed to set you back by $120. With a national market value of $200, it’s not uncommon to actually find it on store shelves at that price.
