Review: Bhakta 1868 America250 Edition

Raj Bhakta wears a lot on his sleeve, including his love for America. It’s no surprise then that his eponymous spirit label is jumping on the 4th of July bandwagon to commemorate America’s 250th birthday with a special bottle. And boy is he pulling out all the stops. Bhakta 1868 America250 Edition is a mix of what Bhakta refers to as his “crown jewels,” the oldest and finest spirits in a big collection of old and fine spirits, most of which he keeps squirreled away on a defunct college campus in a small Vermont town (seriously).

Blending American whiskey and French brandy has been Bhakta’s bread and butter, and this new release continues that trend, albeit at an elevated level. Totaling just five barrels, it starts with a base (reportedly 60%) of bourbons up to 21 years old. The blend is then “anchored,” whatever that might mean, by the brand’s 1868 Armagnac, the founding vintage of the brand’s House of Vintages offerings. The other 40% of this special spirit are comprised of over 100 additional Armagnac vintages including some past award winners from 1962, 1973, and 1981. Somehow the math reportedly works out to a final spirit with an average age of over 30 years.

Each of the five barrels is unique, refined by an additional, rare Armagnac vintage and bottled at cask strength. They are named for important figures in the American Revolution. And also, for some reason, Abraham Lincoln. He is arguably a big reason America kept it together this long, so I’m fine including him in the birthday party. We received a small sample of Barrel 1 which is distinguished by a dash of 1878 Armagnac and named for the most fatherly of our Founding Fathers, George Washington. Thoughts follow.

Bhakta 1868 America250 Edition Review

The nose is refined and effusive, blooming at first with big notes of old mahogany, furniture polish, saddle leather, and damp tobacco. As it opens, brighter and sweeter notes of marmalade, lemon oil, and stewed apples soften some of the more exotic and austere elements, eventually coalescing into a silky mix of cigar box, dark vanilla bean, medjool dates, and old Persian rugs. It’s a bit brooding but impressively complex and engaging.

The palate is even more elaborate. Early notes of overcooked caramel, ripe stone fruit, and slightly bitter baking chocolate are dark and sweet but give way quickly to exotic, barrel-driven notes of sandalwood, Chinese five spice, and anise that temper that sweetness with grippy tannins and some mild astringency. The juxtaposition feels a touch disjointed – all that old bourbon and Armagnac working hard to find balance with the younger spirits in the mix. Still, it makes for a dynamic and memorable experience that finds remarkable cohesion on an impressively long, gently peppery finish of coffee bean, milk chocolate-covered citrus, rum-soaked raisin, and old oak.

In the end, the journey ends up being part of the fun. I was skeptical at first, but this is no Hogsworth. Far from it. Our Founding Fathers would be happy to sip this one. And Honest Abe, too. If he drank.

110 proof.

A / $250

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