Review #759 - Bomberger's Declaration Kentucky Straight Bourbon (2023)
Along with Shenk's Homestead Sour Mash Whiskey, this Bomberger's Declaration Kentucky Straight Bourbon is an annual limited release from the Michter's distillery. This bourbon does not carry an age statement, and we don't get a whole lot of other information, either; we just know that it's matured in a combination of traditional American white oak barrels and Chinquapin oak barrels, and it contains some malted rye in the mashbill.
This is bottled at a strength of 54% ABV (108 proof), so there should at least be a decent amount of flavor in this bourbon; today, we're looking at the 2023 edition of Bomberger's.
Bomberger's Declaration Kentucky Straight Bourbon (2023)
USA - Bourbon
Price: USD 115 (2026)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 54% ABV
Cask Makeup: New American white oak and Chinquapin oak
Details: Bottled 2023
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 18 months; bottle at 50% fill level, and tasted 3 times from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Dry and dusty with strong oak notes - leather, a bit of tobacco, then some rye spice and herbs. Dried grass, creamy grain, and there are baking notes of vanilla and brown sugar; hints of caramel, toast, and tart orange can be found, too.
Palate: Peppery, tannic oak; a bit sharp to start, but we also get some fruits like orange rind, a hint of cherry, maybe even plum. Brown sugar, hints of grain, and cinnamon bring back some classic bourbon flavors, and we also get Demerara sugar and subtle nutty notes. The mouthfeel has a medium thickness.
Finish: Oak and brown sugar, lots of leather and cinnamon, and a bit of dark medicinal cherry. It's a bit tannic again, somewhat dry, but we also get hints of sweetness from candied pecan and apples. Light cotton notes linger in the aftertaste; it's a medium-long finish.
Final Note: This is a solid bourbon from Michter's, one that displays a lot of classic bourbon flavors like oak, baking spice, and a hint of fruit. That fruity side was quite subtle except for one of our tasting sessions, when the cherry notes really popped; in the finish, this became quite dry and tannic, although we still had a bit of brown sugar to balance it all. Nice stuff, one we'd happily sip.
Alas, due to the price (we generally see $115 to $150), it may not be a bourbon that we seek out on a regular basis. Value is a little below average due to the high price and some typical bourbon flavors.
Our Rating: 7.1 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.86
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
