It’s round #6 for Blood Oath, Lux Row’s ultra-premium bourbon offering, a moving target which has a different composition every year.

For 2020, Blood Oath has an intriguing makeup: Three bourbons, including a 14 year old bourbon, an 8 year old bourbon, and a 7 year old bourbon that was rested in cognac casks. All of the bourbons are made with rye in the mashbill, though how much is undisclosed.

Let’s taste.

The brandy impact pops right away on the nose, sliding from raisin to cherry notes. There’s plenty of barrel influence, though, with a somewhat tough, charred note that emerges after some time in glass. The palate is big with traditional bourbon trappings — cinnamon and cloves, and some dark chocolate. There’s a hint of licorice and a lightly smoky element, making for a fairly tight body. Water helps, particularly in focusing the spotlight on that Cognac-driven, gently raisiny note, an element which is especially vivid on the finish. A touch of prune and more barrel char give the conclusion a certain sense of old-school austerity.

All told it’s a worthwhile and interesting whiskey, though not my favorite in the Blood Oath lineup.

98.6 proof. 17,000 cases produced.

B+ / $100 / bloodoathbourbon.com [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS] [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

Blood Oath Bourbon Whiskey Pact No. 6 2020

$100

8.5

Rating

8.5/10

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