One of the nice things about narrowing down the brands you like is that satisfaction (if not enthusiasm) comes more naturally while sitting with their products. Many bourbon drinkers, particularly those who got into it around the pandemic, know what profiles they gravitate towards. Whether they reached this point through copious experimentation or not will vary from individual to individual, but this settling into comfort zones is just one reason the bourbon boom is softening. For example, I commonly find myself returning to Michter’s, particularly when craving something lower proof but with ample flavor.

I like to say that Bomberger’s is my favorite bourbon that Michter’s regularly puts out. Although their 10-Year Bourbon attracts the most fanfare, no doubt bolstered by the A (23AXXXX) barrels from 2023, I find the elevated proof and flavor profile of most Bomberger’s to be more interesting and comprehensive. The key word there is “most,” because some of the 10-Year bourbons can be stellar while Bomberger’s, in the case of the 2023 release, faltered a bit from its usual consistency. We’d see a slight correction in the 2024 iteration before 2025, when Michter’s introduced Bomberger’s Precision Fine Grain (PFG).

For better or worse, PFG attracted way more attention than other Bomberger’s releases, to the point that the standard Bomberger’s Declaration for 2025 almost flew under the radar. Michter’s didn’t disclose whether they continued using malted grains (besides barley) in this particular version of Bomberger’s, but we did learn about the range of seasoning times they used for the Chinquapin oak: 18 months, 3 years, 4 years, and 5 years. Michter’s already seasons the wood staves for their whiskey longer than the industry standard, which can fall between 3-12 months, so utilizing oak seasoned upwards of 5 years is certainly of note.

Nose: Vanilla Paste, Blackberry Tea, Tobacco, Nutmeg

Pungent, Vibrant, Woody

Palate: Custard, Vanilla Spice, Mixed Berries, Brown Butter

Full, Layered, Moderate

Finish: Toasted Sugars, Tobacco, Oak Spice, Vanilla Paste

Medium, Creamy, Rounded

This is a banger of a release from Michter’s. Although it doesn’t exceed expectations, this release of Bomberger’s delivers what I consider a quintessential modern bourbon profile in the best way. The last couple of Bomberger’s Declarations were a bit messy compared to their predecessors; this is anything but. Although the 2025 Bomberger’s Declaration may effectively live in PFG’s shadow, that doesn’t detract from the fact that this is a damn solid bourbon and contender for my favorite Declaration release to date. The experience here is cohesive, full-flavored, and scratches multiple bourbon profile itches at once. In short: it’s what I wish all Michter’s bourbons tasted like. I’ll go one step further and say that this makes a strong case for why I think Bomberger’s is a better product than Michter’s 10-Year bourbon, with or without factoring in value.

I know the team at Michter’s like to use the Legacy Series as their primary canvas for experimentation, but I hope they treat this year’s Bomberger’s Declaration as a new goal post to aspire towards with future releases. The use of heavily seasoned Chinquapin oak really does wonders for the bourbon, both in profile and ostensible maturity (take notes, Old Forester). If money and availability were of no concern, then I’d back up multiple bottles of this simply because it’s that enjoyable and easy to turn to. And anyone who knows me knows that I normally get bored when drinking the same product over and over.