Unlike many other annual releases Blood Oath Bourbon Whiskey releases from Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, Kentucky vary from year to year. Sometimes it’s a combination of two to three whiskies of various ages or mash bills and sometimes it’s a unique finish applied as the bourbon rests inside another barrel. Now on its fifth release, this one combines many of those characteristics.
Blood Oath Pact No. 5 Blends 8, 11 and 13 Year Old Bourbons of Various Mash Bills
Pact No. 5 starts with an eight-year-old ryed bourbon rested in used dark Caribbean rum barrels for six months to add a touch of warm island spice. Once this bourbon picked up some of the rum notes, Rempe combined it with an 11-year-old silky wheated bourbon and an extra-aged, peppery 13-year-old rye bourbon. Rempe says the result is a well-balanced, spicy, sweet, lingering bourbon with complex flavor notes.
“When selecting these bourbons, I knew the dark rum sweet notes would be a perfect complement for these well-aged bourbons, and the result is extremely satisfying,” says Rempe. “On the nose, Pact No. 5 comes right off with dark fruit notes, brown sugar and a touch of orange zest, followed by sugar cane and dark chocolate notes and a little heat once you sip it. This one offers a lingering finish, accented by notes of honey.”
Blood Oath Pact No. 5 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in Caribbean Rum Casks is a limited release, with only 15,000 cases (3-packs.) This year’s release returns to its original fire-branded wooden display box. Like its predecessors, the bottle is topped with a custom, eco-friendly natural cork, sealed and hand-labeled with certificate-style paper stock, including Rempe’s signature, and bottled at 98.6° proof (49.3 ABV). Blood Oath Pact No. 5 is available globally in 750ml bottles, with a suggested retail price of $99.99.
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How does Blood Oath Pact No. 5 Compare to No. 1 through No. 4?
Lux Row Distillers Head Distiller John Rempe.
Here are Rempe’s thoughts on all all five releases.
Pact No. 1 was my first release, and for that one, I didn’t do a barrel finish. I had three outstanding Kentucky bourbons we blended together to form a balanced, delicious end result.
Pact No. 2 was when I started to get more creative. We finished it in port barrels, which gave the bourbon fruity and herbal notes.
For Pact No. 3, we partnered with Swanson Vineyards in Napa Valley and aged the blend in some of their Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. It gave the bourbon a subtle, fruity, Cabernet-wine quality, with an earthy, French oak note.
Pact No. 4 had a toasted oak finish. We got creative with that one. We used barrels from our Lux Row sibling brand, Rebel Yell 10-Year Single Barrel. We sent them to a cooperage where they disassembled the barrels, scraped off the char, reassembled them, and put a deep toast on the inside. It brought out strong dark chocolate and caramel notes. It’s an incredible bourbon.
Pact No. 5 is my favorite. It’s three bourbons, one of which I finished for six months in these Caribbean rum casks. It brought out all sorts of flavors, from dark fruit to molasses to prune and plum.
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Blood Oath Pact No. 5 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
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