Once again, a Michter’s product has made our “Whiskey of the Month”. We choose our whiskey of the month based upon the best whiskey we have tasted during that month and Michter’s always produces a high quality whiskey. I recall Pam Heilmann telling me that when she first opened the Michter’s Distillery in Shively, Kentucky, that she was telling Joe Magliocco about the production numbers from their first run and Joe told her he did not care how much whiskey she had made, but “Was it good whiskey?” For Joe, quality was what was important. For Michter’s, quality is much more important than quantity. It reflects in the whiskeys they are producing. I suspect that Michter’s will continue to be our whiskey of the month when they release a new whiskey.

They sent me bottles of the Bomberger’s Bourbon and the Shenk’s Sour Mash the other day and Matt and I sat down and tasted them. The Bomberger’s Bourbon was our favorite this year, but in the past it has been the Shenk’s Sour Mash. The Bomberger’s Bourbon was bottled at barrel proof of 108. This low barrel proof reflects the low barrel entry proof of 103 – a more expensive way of making whiskey but a better quality of whiskey is the result. Here are our tasting notes for the Bomberger’s Bourbon.

Bomberger’s Bourbon 2025 Release

Proof: 108

Age: No Age Statement

Nose:

  • Mike: Caramel, marshmallows, apples, cinnamon and oak wood.
  • Matt: Caramel, prunes, citrus, pralines, and oak wood.

Taste:

  • Mike: Caramel, vanilla, dried fruit, apples, cinnamon and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the apple and cinnamon are enhanced. Tasted with a pecan and chocolate and cardamom spice join the party.
  • Matt: Caramel, citrus, honey, cherries and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the caramel and cherry are enhanced. Tasted with a pecan and dates come out in the taste.

Finish:

  • Mike: Long with oak wood, cinnamon and lingering vanilla. The dried cranberry enhanced the cinnamon in the finish. The pecan made the finish very long with oak wood, chocolate and cardamom spice.
  • Matt: Long with oak wood and cherries. The dried cranberry made the finish long with oak wood, honey and citrus. The pecan made the finish long with oak, citrus and lingering caramel.

I would pair this fine Bourbon with an equally fine cigar, a Padron 1926 Serie Maduro cigar. I think the rich vanilla, caramel and dried fruit in the smoke would pair well with the caramel and fruit of the Bourbon.

Bomberger’s Bourbon 2025 Release

Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller