Category: Sourced

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

Bomberger’s Declaration
(Credit: Richard Thomas)

A short history lesson is necessary to explain Bomberger’s Declaration. The 1980s and 1990s were a decidedly mixed period for the American Whiskey industry. On the one hand, the seeds of its future revival were being sewn with the creation of premium expressions, like Blanton’s and Elijah Craig. Maker’s Mark was making a marketing push, positioning itself as a luxury and sought-after export item.

But sadly, the other hand holds the closure of the few hold out distilleries that remained outside of Kentucky. One of these was Bomberger’s, in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The main brand made there had been Michter’s, and the rights to that brand were acquired by Chatham Imports, which began reviving Michter’s whiskeys in 2004. To make this part crystal clear, Michter’s as we know it today does not and has never owned the Bomberger’s Distillery. They preferred instead to set up shop in Kentucky, for the very practical reason that Kentucky is the center of “Big Whiskey.” As a result of that, they were not the only company to release a whiskey labeled “Bomberger’s,” although they might be the only company doing so at present.

Confused? Then let us focus squarely on this expression from here, Bomberger’s Declaration, so named to honor the company’s legacy at the aforementioned distillery. The kicker for this expression is that part of the stock used is matured in Chinquapin oak (sometimes spelled “Chinkapin”), the staves of which were air dried for three years before being fashioned into barrels. This species is a cousin of the better known (and more widely used) white oak, and is noted for imparting toffee notes.

Bomberger’s Declaration is bottled at 108 proof and released in a discrete batch annually. Given that Michter’s uses the low entry proof of 103 for its whiskeys, bottling at 108 is awfully close to what I expect their average cask strength would be.

The Bourbon
My pour of Bomberger’s had a deep red amber cast, once in the glass. No water was needed at all for this one at 108 proof.

I thought the scent was a cross between a vanilla wafer and a ginger cookie, but only if both had bits of dried peaches baked into them. The flavor follows much in the same vein, but brings a current of old leather to the whiskey, giving it a generally hoary character that offsets its otherwise cookie-like aspects. The finish adds a whole other layer to the whiskey, because as the leathery, woody note becomes the thing that lingers, it develops a nutty character.

The Price
Officially, this item goes for $170 per bottle.

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B

Kentucky Owl Takumi
(Credit: Richard Thomas)

Kentucky Owl released their St. Patrick’s Edition earlier this year, I rolled my eyes so hard the thud on the floor was audible in Louisville, Cincinnati and Bowling Green. Kentucky Bourbon for an Irish holiday stretches things a bit far for even a casual drinker, I should think. For those of us who have spent years beating the drum of the Irish single malt whiskey revival and celebrated their explosion of distillery construction … well, at the time, I felt it best to stay quiet.

But here I am writing about the next Kentucky Owl release, and I bring it up because I am relieved to say it is not nearly as odious a concept. Kentucky Owl Master Blender John Rhea and Nagahama Distillery Master Blender Yusuke Yahisa. My initial reaction to Takumi, before reading anything about it, was that it must have been finished in Mizunara casks. Alas, that is not the case. Instead, it’s a collaborative effort. Rhea sent Yahisa samples of bourbon (4 to 6 and 13 years old; no wheated bourbon) to work with, and Yahisa fashioned these into a blending recipe at 100 proof.

So, rather than fall into the tiny class of American whiskeys finished in Mizunara wood, it instead falls into the also tiny class of American whiskeys fashioned by master blenders from other countries. It’s still a worthy idea, all the more so against the backdrop of a bourbon elbowing into St. Patrick’s Day.

The Bourbon

This middle amber pour has a crisp nose, one that raises up the caramel with notes of sandalwood. The palate flows out of that to become fruity and spicy in fairly equal measures, but spicy in a decidedly herbaceous, minty way. The finish goes down peppery and a bit hot.

The Price
Kentucky Owl Takumi Bourbon is priced at $150 per bottle.