2026 Michter’s Shenk’s and Bomberger’s Release: What You Need to Know

LOUISVILLE, KY (March 24, 2026) — Michter’s Distillery has officially announced the April return of its highly anticipated Legacy Series, featuring the 2026 Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey and the 2026 Bomberger’s Declaration Kentucky Straight Bourbon. These limited-quantity releases pay homage to the distillery’s 18th-century roots, originally founded by John Shenk in 1753.

This year’s releases highlight Michter’s commitment to wood science and experimental maturation. The 2026 Shenk’s Homestead features rye-forward profiles aged in a combination of 24-month air-dried French oak from the Vosges forest and 60-month air-dried American oak. Meanwhile, the 2026 Bomberger’s Declaration continues its signature use of Chinquapin oak, this year supplemented with toasted and charred Hungarian oak.

“Each year our production team looks forward to working on these special releases of Shenk’s and Bomberger’s,” commented Michter’s President Joseph J. Magliocco. “They really highlight the creativity of our distillers. While there is a commonality in each of these whiskeys from year to year, every release is a bit different because of experimentation done at the distillery.”

Master Distiller Dan McKee noted that the 2026 Shenk’s utilizes caramel malted barley to offer a “caramel bread pudding note,” while Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson highlighted the “rich chocolate decadence” found in this year’s Bomberger’s.

Shenk’s Homestead (91.2 proof) will be available at an SRP of $110, while Bomberger’s Declaration (108 proof) carries an SRP of $120.

For more information, visit michters.com.

Listen to Bourbon Lens on your favorite podcast app or stream on Spotify. If you’d like to support Bourbon Lens, join our Patreon, sign up for our “Weekly Pour” Newsletter, and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.