Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 94 |
| Style |
Bourbon American Whiskey Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Kentucky United States |
| ABV | 50.1% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $140.00 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Reviewed | 2025-03-11 |
Bomberger's PFG (Precision Fine Grain) 2025 Review
Up until recently, Michter’s Legacy Series included two expressions: Shenk’s Sour Mash Whiskey and Bomberger’s Declaration Bourbon. Though the brand now distills and operates in Kentucky, the expressions are named in honor of its Pennsylvania roots; the old Michter’s Distillery was at different points named Shenk’s and Bomberger’s in the 18th and 19th centuries.
In early 2025, Michter’s expanded the line with a somewhat unexpected addition: Bomberger’s PFG Bourbon. In this case, “PFG” stands for Precision Fine Grain, a nod to secondary cask aging the whiskey undergoes before release.
According to the brand, Bomberger’s PFG starts out as Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, aged in a new toasted and charred American oak barrel. Michter’s is known in the whiskey industry for having an unusually low barrel entry proof for new bourbon at 103.
After an unspecified period of time, the bourbon is then transferred to new French oak barrels made to custom specifications, which include special (and unspecified) levels of both toasting and charring. Wood for the secondary barrels is sourced from areas in France including the Tronçais, Allier, Nevers, and Vosges forests. Staves are air dried outdoors for a minimum for 40 months before being hand selected for barrel construction. The whiskey then undergoes Michter’s proprietary filtration process before being bottled at 100.2 proof.
It appears Bomberger’s PFG could be an annual release going forward, though Michter’s is known to be somewhat picky about guaranteeing certain bottlings. As we’ve seen before with both 10 and 20 year expressions, if the whiskey doesn’t meet certain quality standards, Michter’s doesn’t shy away from skipping a year (or years) of release. It will also be interesting to see if Michter’s applies the PFG methodology and designation to other products moving forward — time will tell!
Let’s see how the new Bomberger’s tastes.
Bomberger's PFG: Stats and Availability
Michter’s didn’t provide an exact bottle count for PFG, but this is generally believed to be a limited, nationwide release. The MSRP is $140, though I’m already seeing it go for north of $200 in some retail locations and on the secondary market. Due to the brand’s reputation amongst fans, collectors, and even the general public, Michter’s limited release whiskeys often command markups, so this isn’t terribly surprising.
Bomberger's PFG Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
Color doesn’t factor into these reviews, but I can’t help but comment on this non-age stated whiskey’s color: a showstopping dark amber, rare for a Kentucky bourbon without an impressive year on the label. It’s fairly evident those French oak second casks have imparted some additional color. But the real proof is on the nose and palate!
On the nose, early scents waffle back and forth between traditional bourbon burnt caramel and intensely spiced potpourri. The former notes are decadently sweet but not quite cloying, heavy on brown sugar, molasses, and hot vanilla waffle cones, fresh off the press. A subsequent sniff shifts back to floral/spicy, with potent hits of cinnamon sticks and frosting, dried lavender, and sandalwood. There’s oak in both quadrants, but it’s layered and differentiable if you spend enough time with the glass — which makes sense, given both the American oak primary casks and curated French oak secondary casks.
It’s an altogether pleasant nose, and the shift between those two points on a spectrum serve to keep me interested instead of coming through as disharmony. Eventually, fruity aromas meet somewhere in the middle, with lots of tannic wood tying them together: cherrywood, red apple skins, and a little medicinal cherry. It noses slightly above proof, and it’s tough to escape the various oak elements at every turn. (Not that I’m running from them.)
Taste
It takes me a couple sips for my palate to settle, and while I found the nose a little punchier than its 100.2 proof, the first taste is relatively subdued. Slowly and surely, some telltale flavors develop. While I found the nose veered somewhat away from traditional bourbon elements — or perhaps folded on top of them — early tastes include big hits of cherry syrup, cinnamon bun, strawberry shortbread, cola, and sweetened/spiced whipping cream. Those red fruits linger both on the front and midpalates, extending well into the finish.
Floral components are more subtle and build around those earlier, central, more pronounced flavors. Rose water, lilac syrup, jasmine, and a variety of sweetened floral teas linger just behind the cherry and strawberry, almost as if they’re a progression of a single flavor, expressed in a wide degree of intensities.
Oak comes across far toward the back of the mouth, supporting those delicate flavors and surprisingly not overpowering them. For a few seconds, Bomberger’s PFG tastes like a young, fruity, floral whiskey. But instead of green oak notes or perhaps some less-desirable congeners young bourbon can still be saddled with, there’s an elegant array of tannins on the back palate — again, closer to various herbal and floral teas than leather or tobacco.
Finish
The finish is long and fruity, with a kiss of oak; charred peaches and apricots linger across the tongue, having shifted slightly away from cherry. Clove oil, white pepper, and a little burnt sage add a kick of spice at the very end.
Bomberger's PFG Rating
94/100
Recap
With Bomberger’s PFG, Michter’s has noticeably expanded its scope, releasing a new flavor profile that leans into wood and results in a more floral bourbon profile. Fans of the brand’s more traditional bourbons will likely find a lot of what they love, with new elements of aromas and flavor built atop.
Before I give a critique, I should clarify I truly enjoyed PFG, and I don’t anticipate my sample bottle will stay full for very long. I actually would have welcomed more American oak influence, and there were a few brief moments where I felt the influence of those French casks felt only a bit disproportionate.
That aside, and especially for a first release, Bomberger’s PFG is by practically all measures a big success. I’m excited for these bottles to get out into the wild (and hopefully opened). It’s a new, delicious direction for Michter’s — and the bourbon world should take note.
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