Blood Oath Bourbon Pact No. 10

Following Pact 9, which I regard as a top-tier whiskey and equal to Pact 7 as my favorite in the series, we've officially entered the double digits with the Blood Oath line. I don't need to elaborate on the concept here. Instead, I'll highlight that this is the first whiskey I've encountered that explicitly states it was matured in Merlot casks. Intriguing. Let's dive in. Nose: Caramel, vanilla frosting, and milk chocolate. Toasted almond. Cranberry, fig, date, plum, raisin. Rye and pistachio. Pecan. Dried apricot. Blackberry. Sugar cookie. Sawdust. Black tea. Molasses. Orange citrus. Pipe smoke. Abundant black pepper. Clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: More creamy vanilla frosting and milk chocolate. It also has a Valentine's raspberry chocolate flavor. Toffee and apple fritter. A velvety texture. Pipe smoke. Cinnamon red hots. Hazelnut and toasted almond. Finish: Cranberry, raspberry, date, fig, and raisin. Sawdust. Toasted almond and walnut. Rye spice. Black pepper. Milk chocolate, caramel, and vanilla. Black tea and pipe smoke. Clove, nutmeg, and significant oak. A lengthy finish. Excellent work from Lux Row. I've observed that the wine cask-finished Pacts generally outperform their spirit cask counterparts—excluding the Calvados cask. This is an outstanding creation with a distinct profile and considerable impact. I paid $185 for this bottle. It's certainly more than I prefer to spend, but it's actually on the lower end for Blood Oath at this point. However, I'm happy I made the purchase. The cask selection is superb. The proof is more than adequate. And the spirit is top-notch. There's nothing to dislike here. 4.75/5.

This week has been fantastic for me. First, I got my own bottle of Maker's Mark The Heart Release, and now a new Blood Oath: Pact 10. A new Blood Oath release is always a reason to celebrate. Yes, they are highly anticipated and often sell for extremely high prices above the suggested retail, but it's worth trying to get a release at launch and pay close to the suggested price. The aroma is deep and rich with velvety sweetness. Caramel and vanilla create a luscious base for the fruity cherry notes, accompanied by a hint of smoky charred oak. What an incredible aroma on this one... I can't wait to taste it. The taste begins with a nice sweet foundation of Caramel. It's smooth and not overwhelmingly sweet. There's a slight tang of tart and sweet cherries towards the middle of the taste. As the taste progresses towards the finish, it becomes a bit drier with some tannic oak and tobacco. The finish on this release is full, long, and satisfying. That cherry flavor from the taste is quite prominent, especially after a few sips. It's tart and thick, like cherry preserves. There's a bit of the oak and tobacco experienced at the end of the taste, but the finish is predominantly sweet and fruity. WOW! I like this as much as, if not more than, Pact 9. Bitter tannins, sweet fruit, and caramel... it truly does these flavor profiles justice. Pact 10 is still available at or near the suggested price in most stores, do yourself a favor and GET A BOTTLE. It's one of the best I've had.

When I saw this at my local shop, I immediately grabbed a bottle. It has been quite some time since I've had my last pour. I remember loving it so I figured this would be no different. I acquired this around last December and am at my next to last pour. I enjoyed it so much I almost forgot to review it. The aroma was all about the usual yet always welcome brown sugar and baking spice. What makes this so unique is the flavor bomb it provides along with the ease of consumption. There are a variety of notes to behold. The first characters I received were a blend of herbal, oak, and corn/grain surrounded by undertones of leather and cinnamon. The lovely wine barreling then emerges and completes the experience in a distinguished manner. It's such sweet sorrow to reach the bottom of this great bottle, but all good things must end. I anxiously await the next entry and hope it reaches my area sooner than later.

Finally opening this bottle to try. Tried neat. On the nose it smells sweet and delicious with notes of caramel, peanut brittle, vanilla, oak, toasted marshmallow, creme brûlée, dirt, green apples, spiced pears, pepper, wood, slight cinnamon and red chili. On the palate it's smooth with a warm hugging finish. Strong spices on the palate with notes of clove, pepper, cinnamon. This s*it is delicious

The aroma is incredible, with dark fruit and powdered sugar sweetness. I could enjoy smelling this pour endlessly. The taste is equally impressive, featuring dark fruits and a wine barrel finish. The finish is mildly spicy and long-lasting. I greatly enjoyed the MWND act 11 for these same qualities, yet this expression is superior in nearly every aspect. If you can find it for $150 or less, do yourself a favor and get a bottle.

got to sample this earlier and amazing! flavors of abundant fruit and sugar upfront with a caramel aftertaste. very viscous mouthfeel. i wish i owned a bottle; this is exactly what i look for!