Review: Blood Oath Pact No. 9
Launched in 2015, Blood Oath is an annual, limited edition series of whiskeys created by Lux Row Master Distiller John E. Rempe.
Each Pact of Blood Oath is a unique marriage of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys from various distilleries and of varying ages and mash bills, matured in an assortment of cask types. Past releases have experimented with Calvados, Sauternes, Cognac, Caribbean Rum, Toasted Bourbon Barrels, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Port casks. The 2023 release, Blood Oath Pact 9, is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey that’s been partially finished in Oloroso Sherry casks.
To create Blood Oath Pact 9, Master Distiller John Rempe combined three Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys distilled from the same ryed (78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley) mash bill: a 16 year old bourbon, a 12 year old bourbon, and a 7 year old bourbon finished in Oloroso Sherry casks from the Sherry Triangle region in southwest Spain. Pact 9 is limited to 51,000 bottles, 1,400 of which are being held for the next Blood Oath Trilogy Pack.
Blood Oath Pact 9 is bottled at 49.3% ABV and carries a suggested retail price of $129.99 per 750 mL bottle.
Blood Oath Pact No. 9 Specifications:
- Spirit: American Whiskey.
- Classification: Bourbon Whiskey.
- Region: Kentucky.
- Age: Marriage of 7, 12, and 16 year old bourbons.
- ABV: 49.3% (98.6 Proof).
- Mash Bill: 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley.
- Cask Type: Matured in new American oak, partially finished in Oloroso Sherry casks.
- Price Paid: N/A (Sample from Lux Row Distillers).
- MSRP: $129.99 for 750 mL.
Tasting Notes:
- Color: Burnished.
- Nose: Sweet. Moderate Sherry influence. Aromas of oranges, raisins, prunes, and plums, complimented by baking spice, vanilla, oak, and a hint of sawdust. Allowing the glass to sit for 30+ minutes reveals aromas of bittersweet dark chocolate.
- Palate: Medium viscosity. Slightly oily mouthfeel. Opens with mandarin oranges, raisins, prunes, and plums, followed by cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and oak.
- Finish: Medium-long. Dry. More fruit, baking spice, vanilla, and oak. Bittersweet dark chocolate, bubble gum, and tobacco notes appear on the tail end of the finish.
Finished bourbons are hit or miss for me; usually more miss than hit. When you take something that’s naturally sweet – such as bourbon – and finish it in a sweet fortified wine cask – such as Sherry – you risk amplifying the sweetness to cloying levels.
Blood Oath Pact 9 avoids that pitfall, as the 16 and 12 year old bourbons in the blend are helping to balance the influence of the 7 year old bourbon finished in Oloroso Sherry casks. The result is a bourbon with enhanced fruit and baking spice notes, without being overtaken by the finishing casks.
Most Sherry cask finished bourbons I try end up being too sweet for my palate, but Blood Oath Pact 9 is on my short list of Sherry cask finished bourbons that I’ve actually enjoyed. If you can find a bottle at MSRP and are a fan of Sherry cask finished bourbons, Blood Oath Pact 9 is worth a buy.
Rating: B (83-86%).