Bomberger’s Declaration Bourbon 2024 Review
“Declaration Series”
Bomberger’s bourbon is one of those pours that requires a little hunting to find but seem to be a little less known than others such as Buffalo Trace’s Stagg Jr (I know, the Jr has been dropped) and E.H. Taylor line. I tried the 2023 Bomberger’s and enjoyed it quite a bit, so having found this bottle in the wild, I’m looking forward to doing a Bomberger’s Declaration Bourbon 2024 review.
The Bomberger’s Declaration series bourbon was first released in 2018 and is distinguished from many other bourbons by its tradition of aging their bourbon in Chinquapin (Quercus muehlenbergii) oak barrels. Chinquapin oak has the reputation of being much bolder in flavor than the typical American White oak. These barrels are naturally air dried and seasoned for three years before being toasted and charred to the Bomberger’s exacting specifications.
According to Michter’s Master Distiller Dan McKee, beginning in 2023 all of the standard Michter’s brands along with Bomberger’s and Shenk’s now use 100% distillate made by Michter’s. Previous versions may have included distillate from Brown-Forman.
Series: Declaration Series
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: Undisclosed
Proof: 108
Proof Designation: na
Batch Designation: Small Batch
Filtered Status: Non-Chill Filtered
Mash bill: 79% Corn, 11% Malted Rye, 10% Malted Barley
Barrel Char Level: 4
Barrel Entry Proof: 103
Distillate Source: Michter’s
Distillery: Michter’s Distillery
Company: Chatham Imports
Bottled By: Michter’s Distillery
Distilled/Aging Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Master Distiller: Dan McKee
Release Date: July 2024
Batch Number: 24F2278
Batch Notes: batch size is 2059 bottles
MSRP: $120
Secondary Market: $130 to $170
Availability: A Little Hunting
Bomberger’s Declaration Bourbon 2024 Review
My tasting reviews are unique in that I include the notes of several well-known whiskey critics. The hope is that this format will help me and others to explore and expand their tasting experience. After you have taken your own tasting notes, read the reviews and see if there is a flavor note that others discerned that now you can detect as well.
For this tasting: Opened Bottle (tasted several times over the course of 2 week)s, Glencairn Glass, Neat, Room Temp, Breathe: 5 minutes
Legs
Swirling the glass, beads began to form at about 8 seconds, tears (legs) began to form at about 19 seconds, and the first legs reached the bowl at about 79 seconds.
Nose
Caramel, toasted oak, anise, brown sugar. The nose is promising.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
There is a huge difference in perspectives from other reviewers on the 2024 Bomberger’s! I wonder how many different batches were released…if you have an idea, please leave a comment.
Whiskey Consensus: Dark cherries, apricots, figs, vanilla, pipe tobacco, almonds, and real maple syrup.
Amongst the Whiskey: On first lifting the glass to my nose, I find a patchwork of woven reeds, a slight earthiness, and dark blackstrap molasses cookies. It’s dark, brooding, and slightly imbalanced in the nose. Subsequent inhales reveal Mexican street corn, tortilla chips, and melted Monterey Jack cheese. It’s an oddball pour given this array of aromas, and one that I’m finding difficult to get into. Hints of chlorinated pool water waft up as I try to discern what the heck is happening here.
The Bourbon Culture: Heavy scents of oak, rickhouse floor and rich caramel show their impact early on. This is a bourbon that carries a lot of barrel influence for its proof. The sweet scent of cinnamon rolls and toffee offer clues to the direction of this release. There’s not a lot of light notes here (except for vanilla) and no fruit notes, but I don’t think fans of this label were drawn to this bottle because of those anyway. This smells easily 9 years old (even though it’s probably only around 5).
Palate
Watery caramel, brown sugar, sour-charred lemon, green oak, tannic, bitter, a little astringent, metallic. The palate is off-balance as the flavors fight each other for attention.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Whiskey Consensus: Chocolate fudge, baking spice, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, dried cherries, and oak.
Amongst the Whiskey: My first sip lands like a meteoric cherry coming in way too hot. Another sip improves my perception as some subtle fruit tones begin to build. I find raspberry, plum, and distinct raisin most impressionable, but a clear imbalance is working against the comfortability here. Despite this release aiming for less tannic qualities given the extra open air seasoning time this release undergoes, I find a lot of tannins landing bitter and disappointing on my tongue. Sipping near the bottom of the glass demonstrates a whiskey that may be better served as a mixer than a neat pour.
A true oddball whiskey and a real fall from grace compared to last year’s Bomberger’s.
The Bourbon Culture: Unlike the nose, the first notes that pop up for me after my sip are rooted in the malted rye component of the mashbill. I’m talking about peppermint candy cane, coffee beans and baker’s chocolate. Each sip also reveals a heavy amount of oak and leather. For spices, I’m picking up on clove, peppercorns, hot cinnamon and fennel. There are some lighter herbal notes that go along with a small amount of apricots and orange zest. Otherwise, there’s not much in the way of fruit for this bottle.
Finish
Medium finish that you want to wash away with something else! Burnt sugar, bitter, watery-caramel, tannic, coppery.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Whiskey Consensus: Pipe tobacco, fudge, dried cherries, vanilla, maple syrup, and oak.
Amongst the Whiskey: My last sip offers the last glimmer of hope that another day may serve this whiskey better as a long linger of marshmallow, biscotti, and crème fraîche slowly settles me back into a place of comfort.
The Bourbon Culture: I find a very balanced finish that has equal parts sweetness and tannins. The barrel influence sticks around with notes of oak and leather while a semi-burnt layer of caramel still coats my tongue. The malted rye notes that I found on the palate seem to disappear, which I’m fine with. If any fruit remains, it’s slightly sweetened stone fruit that leans more towards black cherry. Interesting.
Mouthfeel
The mouthfeel is watery and weak.
The Burn
4 out of 5. This means that the burn from the alcohol is a bit lower (5% to 9%) than what I would expect it to be. I would guess this to be around 100 proof, not 108 proof.
Tasting Summary
The nose is light and perhaps promising. But on the first sip, a watery-sweetness, bitterness, and astringency hit the palate as a chaotic mess. Caramel, charred lemon, baking spices, and a tannic dryness. It seems very unbalanced as if the flavors are fighting for attention and do not work in harmony. I’m very disappointed in this purchase!
I came back to this pour multiple times over 3 weeks hoping that it would improve, that perhaps my palate was off one day, or maybe it would open with more oxygen. Nope! I enjoyed the 2023 Bomberger’s, but my bottle of the 2024 is not something to enjoy neat.
My Rating
The higher the score the better the whiskey is in my opinion. For reference, my best rated bottle so far is the George T. Stagg 2022 (138.7p) with a score of 9.7.
| Score Type | Score | Examples |
| Likability Score | 6.3 | 1.0 – 10.0 |
| Availability Score | 3 | 1-Rare, 2-Hard to Find, 3-A Little Hunting, 4-Easy to Find |
My Tasting Notes
A blank version of this tasting notes wheel is available in both a color and a black & white version in the member’s area.
Notes and History
In 1753, John Shenk founded Shenk’s distillery in Pennsylvania. Around 1860 Abraham Bomberger purchased the distillery and it was renamed Bomberger’s Distillery. The distillery closed during Prohibition in 1919 and reopened in 1934. Louis Forman purchased the distillery in 1942, and with master distiller Charles Everett Beam, they created a premium old-fashioned pot-still mash whiskey in 1951 that they named “Michter’s Original Sour Mash Whiskey”. The name “Michter’s was chosen to name the brand after Forman’s two sons, Michael and Peter. (I had always wondered how such a strange name as “Michter’s” was chosen/created!)
Michter’s gained prominence as a top-selling whiskey in the 1970s and 1980s before the “Bourbon Dark Ages” took its toll and they declared bankruptcy in 1989. The distillery was revived again in 1997.
In 2019, Michter’s Distillery marked a significant milestone with the opening of its own distilling facilities in downtown Louisville, located within the historic Fort Nelson building, which dates back to 1890. This extensive renovation not only preserved the architectural integrity of the structure but also revitalized it as a hub for bourbon production.
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