Review: Blood Oath Bourbon Whiskey Pact 10 2024

Lux Row’s 10th edition of Blood Oath is here, this one double finished in two different wine casks. Details!

Blood Oath Pact 10 combines some of the finest rare bourbons Lux Row Master Distiller and Master Blender John Rempe could find, including two well-bred ryed bourbons and one finished bourbon each complementing the others. In honor of Blood Oath’s double-digit age milestone, Rempe achieved a double finish for this year’s special, secret blend. The first finish was perfected in Cabernet Franc barrels, imbuing rich flavors of tart raspberries and black pepper. The second finish was refined in Merlot barrels, instilling the tastes of red stone fruits with undertones of vanilla, cocoa and anise.

Red wine finishes can be divisive, but the impact they’ve had on this bourbon is impressive. The nose is aggressive and bold: dark chocolate and raisins, followed by aromatic incense flowing from the bowl of the glass. There’s a surprising florality here — maybe from the merlot? — evoking darker, red blossoms and violets. It’s dense and wood-forward, but not at all lumberyard-like — more polished wood than sawdust.

On the palate the whiskey offers an immediate punch of dark chocolate, more polished wood, and a fresher berry note — raspberries at first, then a sharper, heavily spiced raisin quality. If you’d told me this was Port barrel-aged, I’d readily believe it. More traditional bourbon trappings enter the picture with a bit of time in glass and after the fruitier notes wear off: peanut brittle, caramel sauce, and a bite of caramel corn all fill the experience as it cruises toward its finish. Here: More polished, oily wood notes, cocoa nibs, and a last-second bit of chocolate-covered cherries.

Love this stuff.

98.6 proof. 51,000 bottles produced.

A / $150 / bloodoathbourbon.com 

The post Review: Blood Oath Bourbon Whiskey Pact 10 2024 appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.