47.2% ALC./VOL
DISTILLED AND BOTTLED IN KENTUCKY
47.2% ALC./VOL
DISTILLED AND BOTTLED IN KENTUCKY
The 2025 release of Bomberger’s PFG Kentucky Straight Bourbon is the result of extensive research led by Michter’s Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson in the effort to push the boundaries of wood science.
Bomberger’s PFG is made by first aging our Kentucky Straight Bourbon in a new toasted and charred American oak barrel. After full maturation, the Kentucky Straight Bourbon is removed from the first barrel and placed in a second new, custom, proprietary toasted and charred French fine grain oak barrel of the most exacting specifications. The French barrels Wilson has selected are unique to Bomberger’s PFG. The second barrel used for finishing is constructed of French fine grain oak, which has been seasoned outdoors for a minimum of 40 months. These barrels are toasted at a tightly defined temperature range for a precise period of time before they are charred to our specifications. The whiskey is then matured in these second barrels for a finishing period before being dumped into select batches for our signature filtration followed by bottling at 100.2 proof (50.1% ABV).
The barrels used to finish Bomberger’s PFG are barrels wherein the type of fine grain oak, seasoning time, seasoning location, and a precisely defined custom, proprietary toast and char have been selected to increase the depth and complexity of various whiskey characters, as well as, to accentuate the various aspects of the bourbon including its aroma, texture and finish.
The trees used for the Bomberger’s PFG finishing barrels were grown in French slow growth forests, resulting in them having special fine grain. These trees are from French forests that have been exceptionally well managed and possess ideal conditions for slow growing trees. This provides more fine grain, which yields increased opportunity for flavor extractives. French oak varies from American oak, thereby offering different delicate and nuanced flavors with a gorgeous silky texture.
The Bomberger’s PFG finishing barrel is a blend of wood from various origins including the revered Tronçais, Allier, Nevers, and Vosges forests. As contrasted with wood from these four forests, wood from the Limousin forest typically exhibits a coarser grain that does not qualify as fine grain.
The second barrel used for finishing Bomberger’s PFG is constructed from wood that has been naturally seasoned and air dried outdoors in France for a minimum of 40 months. This longer seasoning is provided to achieve more fat and texture both from the seasoning and increased presence of natural carotene. The seasoning location near the Charente River creates a unique seasoning environment influenced by the humidity, microflora creation, climate, wind direction, and elevation. After this seasoning, there occurs the process of hand selection of the wood used for construction of the Bomberger’s PFG finishing barrels.
Due to the structural makeup of French oak, the Bomberger’s PFG finishing barrel logs need to be hand split along the grain of the wood to prevent leaks. This French wood does not possess tyloses to the same extent as American white oak, which provides a natural seal allowing American oak to be quarter sawn.
A French oak barrel should not be toasted and charred in the same way as an American oak barrel because the French wood has different characteristics. Trying to toast and char French oak the same way as American oak would result in the diminishment of many beautiful attributes of the wood.
The focus is to be precise at every step of the Bomberger’s PFG production process. The result is a romantic medley of engaging aromas from confectionary to floral, a palate of beautifully integrated fruits and herbaceous notes with a full body, luxurious, creamy texture that lingers with soft spice and chocolate.
In 1753, Swiss Mennonite farmer John Shenk founded Shenk’s distillery, which was later renamed Bomberger’s Distillery in the 1800s before having its name changed once again to Michter’s Distillery in the mid-20th Century. It is this great heritage that we honor with the release of Bomberger’s Declaration and Shenk’s Homestead which comprise our Michter’s Legacy Series.