This week we will continue to talk about barrel finished bourbon and Blood Oath Pact Number Six may be one of the best barrel finished products I have ever tasted. I recently sampled this product, and it was an awakening to me about what barrel finishing could accomplish.
Blood Oath Pact No. Six is a beautiful blend of three rye bourbons. Combine a fourteen-year-old, eight-year-old, and a seven-year-old bourbon and it will be delightful on its own. However, finishing this recipe in Cognac casks puts it in another dimension. The elements of this bourbon are warming and yet bold. I will be adding this to my collection.
Where did Blood Oath originate and, in a short time, attain a cult following?
John Rempe created Blood Oath after being in the beverage industry for over twenty years. His expertise in food science led him to develop soft drinks along with fruit drinks before ending up at Luxco. Luxco is a privately owned producer of liqueurs and distilled beverages and owns Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, Kentucky. Bourbon followers will recognize their brands Ezra Brooks, Old Ezra, Rebel Yell, David Nicholson, and of course, Blood Oath.
Perhaps the most exciting part of the story is that the bourbons that become Blood Oath may originate from multiple distilleries. Each pact can contain juice from various sources. When the release is sold out, you have to wait for the next version. Taking a look at the history of Blood Oath is a virtual class on blending and barrel finishing. Here is a brief overview of the series.
Pact Number One
This blend included three different bourbons. A spicy rye bourbon combined with a smooth wheat bourbon. Add to those two a well-aged Rye with wood undertones, and you get a powerful first step in Blood Oath Pact Number One.
Pact Number Two
The second pact features barrel finishing. Combine a strong Rye forward bourbon with another smooth and flavorful wheat bourbon. Add Port finishing to the third bourbon which adds a sweet, sensory, finish.
Pact Number Three
Pact three is a marriage of Kentucky Bourbon and California Cabernet. Start with floral rye finished in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels and add a traditional aged rye bourbon with flavors of vanilla and caramel.
Pact Number Four
Aging and more aging help create Pact Number Four. A twelve-year-old bourbon coupled with a ten-year-old bourbon mingled with a nine-year-old bourbon that has additional finishing in toasted barrels. Hints of chocolate and spice are easily detected.
Pact Number Five
This is a blend that will challenge your ideas about flavor. A deep thirteen-year-old bourbon and a sweet wheat bourbon combined with an eight-year-old bourbon finished in Caribbean Rum Barrels. Not only do you get pepper, vanilla, and honey, but citrus and island spice.
It has taken me a while to venture into barrel finished spirits. However, I have started to appreciate the variations in flavor and finish and thoroughly enjoyed Blood Oath Number Six. For those of you who have never visited Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, make it part of your next visit. Lux Row features good people along with an educational experience. You can find out more at this link.