Bomberger's Declaration (2020 Release)

Awesome Pennsylvania oak (Michters) bourbon.

Deep toffee sweet aroma. Smells amazing. Caramel and molasses. Wonderful flavor, high proof fire and light spice. Caramel sweetness the center with spice underneath, long sparkling tail. Proof and flavors compliment each other wonderfully.

Nose is dusty peanuts and cinnamon with plenty of oak, palate follows the none with Carmel and vanilla and chocolate. Nothing fruity or floral whatsoever, finish is baking spices and tannic oak. Finish is where this one falls short. A lot of mitchers products have a slight bitterness on the finish and this is no exception.

Nose: Rich warm spiced apple pie leads, followed with cinnamon and hints of caramel and barrel toast. Front: Bursting sugars, brown and soft, arrive first, then the proof heat with the char and deep leathery oak notes, the sugars give way to some stout creamy textures and just a slight tannin hint. Finishes with sweet cinnamon heat. There is something distinct about Michters and whatever it is, you can detect it in this dram. I like what they've done here, it's very hardy without being overpowering, certainly showing some aging process. This sample was gifted by a friend as I have yet to see the full bottle of this in person. I think it's going to be one of those unicorns if you go looking for it, but if you so happen to luck across it, at a bar or shop, you will definitely want to try and obtain. Again it has a bit of that Michters 10 year, SiB, profile though it's certainly different enough to say it's not the same. Here's to well crafted bourbon. Cheers!

Rating: 18/23 This is way richer and better than the 2019. Wood, faint orange oil, spices, semi-sweet chocolate. A bit of caramel. A mellow backing shows age, but it doesn't give me that 15 year old dustiness, so I expect it's more in the 10 year range. This isn't all that complex, but it is nicely balanced. I can contemplate this for a bit, but not very long. I considered a 17, but landed on an 18. It's very good, but I can easily get better bourbon for much cheaper. I spent a while considering buying a bottle of this and I'm so glad I didn't. Maybe the bottle I tasted from had been sitting on a shelf in a poorly air conditioned bar for over a year and suffered from that storage condition, but I suspect it's just overhyped.