(Credit: Richard Thomas)
Louisville based Michter’s Distillery is set to release its 2026 Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey and its 2026 Bomberger’s Declaration Kentucky Straight Bourbon next month.
In 1753, Swiss Mennonite farmer John Shenk founded Shenk’s Distillery in Pennsylvania. This distillery was later renamed Bomberger’s Distillery in the 1800s before its name changed again to Michter’s Distillery in the mid-20th Century. The Pennsylvania part of the lineage ended with that distillery’s closure in the 1990s, as the whiskey industry in America reached its lowest ebb, but the brand was acquired by Joseph J. Magliocco and revived into the Kentucky-based Michter’s we know today.
Shenk’s is often seen as a premium offshoot of Michter’s US*1 Sour Mash Whiskey, with the same being said of Bomberger’s and US*1 Bourbon.
“Each year our production team looks forward to working on these special releases of Shenk’s and Bomberger’s,” commented Michter’s President Joseph J. Magliocco. “They really highlight the creativity of our distillers. While there is a commonality in each of these whiskeys from year to year, every release is a bit different because of experimentation done at the distillery.”
While describing the 2026 Shenk’s release, Michter’s Master Distiller Dan McKee said, “In addition to this whiskey being a bit rye forward, we used caramel malted barley which offers a nice caramel bread pudding note that balances the beautiful spice. The cooperage we use includes some 24-month air dried French oak from the Vosges forest as well as some 60-month air dried American oak, and this helps impart a special character to this Shenk’s release.”
Michter’s Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson commented, “It is a wonderful opportunity to work on Shenk’s and Bomberger’s with Dan and the team at Michter’s. The prospect is not just to try something new, but to explore how aroma, depth, flavor, complexity and finish can be influenced through changing variables to enhance the drinking experience. This year’s Bomberger’s again brings delight with the whiskey’s hallmark Chinquapin Oak coupled with the addition of some Hungarian Oak thereby creating an intriguing, rich chocolate decadence around the cherry and spice attributes synonymous with Chinquapin. Both types of oak were naturally seasoned and air dried for three years with a custom toast and char. It is super exciting to see how the integration of oak flavors can enhance the sophistication and depth of the tasting journey.”
Shenk’s Homestead is 91.2 proof (45.6% ABV) and has a U.S. suggested retail price of $110. Bomberger’s Declaration is 108 proof (54% ABV) and has a U.S. suggested retail price of $120.
