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It’s been a busy few months for Michter’s. The Kentucky distillery has released some notable (and excellent) new whiskeys since the start of the winter, including its 10 Year Bourbon, 20 Year Bourbon, and most recently the highly coveted (and expensive) Celebration Sour Mash. But Michter’s is back in the news now with the release of the 2026 edition of its Legacy Series, and we have the details to share.

Michter’s Legacy Series consists of two very different whiskeys: Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey and Bomberger’s Declaration Kentucky Straight Bourbon. The series is meant to honor the memory of Swiss Mennonite farmer John Shenk, who founded his Shenk’s Distillery in Pennsylvania in 1753. That distillery would eventually be known as Bomberger’s, and later—in a much more modern version—as Michter’s Distillery. It closed for good in 1990, but Joe Magliocco, who ran his family business called Chatham Imports, purchased the brand name in 1997 for a mere $245. Fast-forward to the early 2000s when Magliocco began contract distilling for the brand, and then to 2014 when phase three got underway and Michter’s began distilling its own whiskey in Shively, just outside of Louisville.

Each release of the Legacy Series differs in small but notable ways, according to Magliocco. “Each year our production team looks forward to working on these special releases of Shenk’s and Bomberger’s,” he said in a statement. “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.”

The 2026 release of Shenk’s, which is a sour mash whiskey and not a bourbon (91.2 proof), includes the use of a different type of malted barley and is aged in French oak. “In addition to this whiskey being a bit rye forward, we used caramel malted barley which offers a nice caramel bread pudding note that balances the beautiful spice,” said master distiller Dan McKee. “The cooperage we use includes some 24-month air dried French oak from the Vosges forest as well as some 60-month air dried American oak, and this helps impart a special character to this release.”

Bomberger’s, which is a bourbon (108 proof), was matured in two different types of oak to affect the flavor, according to master of maturation Andrea Wilson, specifically Chinquapin and Hungarian to add chocolate, cherry, and spice notes. “Both types of oak were naturally seasoned and air dried for three years with a custom toast and char,” she said. “It is super exciting to see how the integration of oak flavors can enhance the sophistication and depth of the tasting journey.”

Both Legacy Series whiskeys are available starting this month. Shenk’s Homestead has a suggested retail price of $110, while Bomberger’s Declaration is listed at $120. You can find these and other Michter’s whiskeys available at ReserveBar now.