Bomberger’s is a funny brand…it’s in many ways the most (only?) brand under the Michter’s banner that could be considered experimental.

Taking Michter’s core bourbon distillate and maturing it in casks partially made from Chinquapin oak, swapping in malted rye for unmalted rye (2023 and 2024), finishing further in a totally different cask (this release), Bomberger’s is both an historically honorific brand as well as a way for Michter’s to test the waters for new techniques.

This of course isn’t to say that Bomberger’s is the only product in which Michter’s plays with oak and barrels - after all, the toasted finishes on the ryes are some of my favorites when they are released. With Bomberger’s Precision Fine Grain, though, it feels more purposeful to integrate the French oak with the bourbon - think the difference between a chocolate-covered cherry, where they are two separate if complementary items, and a cherry-chocolate truffle, where it is a single mass with both flavors equally represented.

For further proof that Michter’s wants us to appreciate this as a new idea, one need only look at their website. In their legacy series - formerly just Bomberger’s Declaration and Shenk’s Homestead Sour Mash - the Bomberger’s Precision Fine Grain (PFG) holds its own spot. It’s not “Declaration Precision Fine Grain Edition”, a noticeable and important distinction.

Let’s get into the whiskey.

First off, that color - DAMN. I know color doesn’t mean much for flavor, but one can’t look at this bottle or the dram in the glass and not appreciate that reddish mahogany hue. If color isn’t associated with flavor, I’m willing to posit that it does add to an experience. I felt like I was going to be drinking something good, interesting, exciting. Knowing it was a bourbon - albeit one with that color - furthered that expectation. Without sniffing, drinking, or even knowing what it was, let’s say totally blind, I would think this was a sherry-finished single malt, likely oloroso if not some PX. And consciously or unconsciously, that adds to the experience.

Right off the nose, this is powerfully fragrant. You know this is French oak. If you’ve had French oak once before or enjoy oaked red wine, you’ll know it’s French oak. As I went into in my reviews of the Doc Swinson’s “French Toasted” and on Whiskey Jypsi’s Explorer release, French oak is at once wonderfully diverse and exceedingly identifiable as a flavor for whiskey.

As is usual for Michter’s, the wood is prized and given great regard. From the company:

“The Bomberger’s PFG finishing barrel is a blend of wood from various origins, including the revered Troncais, Allier, Nevers, and Vosges forests. It is constructed from wood that has been naturally air dried outdoors for a minimum of 40 months in France near the Charente River, which has a unique seasoning environment influenced by humidity, microflora creation, climate, wind direction, and elevation. After this seasoning, the staves are hand selected to construct the Bomberger’s PFG finishing barrels.”

Having never been to France, let alone near those four forests or the Charente River, I can’t say more than what I’ve tasted or read about previously. All I can say is that this tastes - feels - high quality. Air-drying for 40 months using already in-demand, limited wood is expensive (most wood is kiln-dried or air-dried for as little as 12-18 months). Michter’s is certainly no stranger to expense, given they’re one of the few companies to use new charred oak barrels that are also toasted from the very beginning.

At $140 a bottle (currently holding strong at around $300 each on secondary), it’s not a “let’s a take a chance on this” bottle, and I get that. Neither am I trying to be a Michter’s apologist. I’m simply sharing my opinion that I think this is easily worth the MSRP if you’re willing to take a risk. If you know you like French oak, it’s worth secondary. I wouldn’t go above that because I frankly think that’s ridiculous.

Long story already too long, this is a fantastic bottle. It earns a full-throated buy at 8.3/10 and, if nothing else, will look b-e-a-u-tiful when you post your pic.

Thank you to Michter’s for providing this sample free of charge. All opinions are my own.

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Bomberger’s Precision Fine Grain (2025 Release) Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Specs

Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Producer: Michter’s Distillery

Mashbill: Undisclosed Bourbon Mashbill

Proof: 100.2 (50.1% ABV)

Age: NAS

Location: Kentucky

Bomberger’s Precision Fine Grain (2025 Release) Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Price: $140

Official Website

Bomberger’s Precision Fine Grain (2025 Release) Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Tasting Notes

Eye: Garnet/mahogany, jewel-like. Syrupy rims, thick legs and large drops that fall quickly.

Nose: Potently fragrant, all the classic French oak notes blasting out: incense, white pepper, mild astringency on the nose, lightly toasted cinnamon. Slightly burnt maple syrup, dark sugar, the creme brulee tops (just the sugar, not the vanilla). Bourbon is far from lost under the French oak - it’s more like a deconstructed bourbon where each component is separated then elevated.

Palate: A flash of white pepper on the tip of my tongue, then out rolls a perfect 50/50 balance of high-corn bourbon and French oak. Cooling notes hit the back of my tongue, fragrant with a potpourri of dried fruits, like…ok, like Necco Wafers, Smarties, or similar candies were made into a liquid. Mouthfeel is as coating as I’ve had yet this year, syrupy and a touch astringent mid-palate. Dried orchard fruits a little papaya. Proof and pepper heat settle on the edges and under my tongue, medium bodied throughout.

Finish: Dry red wine, like a well-oaked, big, bold Barolo. More red fruits enter, a little fresher, the French oak allowing some not-too-sweet vanilla to enter late. Long, coating, white pepper doesn’t let go of the tongue. All in balance right to the end.

Overall: Masterful use of the French oak to elevate the bourbon without masking it. The French oak is a constant in one form or another from nose to finish, always highlighting a different part of the bourbon underneath, never dominating it or getting lost. The color alone makes this worth a try, and it follows through on flavor. The 2024 Bomberger’s was a step back for me (I enjoy Shenk’s, but it’s rare that it beats the Bomberger’s). This is two giant leaps forward, with intention fulfilled by execution and - as is the Michter’s way - the wood being a tool, a podium, and a star in its own right.

Final Rating: 8.3

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary

8 | Excellent | Exceptional

7 | Great | Well above average

6 | Very Good | Better than average

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary

4 | Has promise but needs work

1-3 | Let’s have a conversation