Blood Oath Bourbon Pact No. 7

My initial experience with Blood Oath started with Pact 5, which was good, and Pact 6 improved upon it. I'm hopeful this one follows the same ascending path. My sole prior encounter with Sauternes cask finishing involved Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or (and its successor). This might not offer much insight for evaluating this particular bottle, but I enjoyed that one nonetheless. Let's get to Pact 7. On the nose: Vanilla, toffee, brown sugar, and caramel notes are present. I also detect ginger snaps and a candy reminiscent of Nerds. White grape and Granny Smith apple appear, alongside vanilla frosting and marshmallow. It's like there are a few different kinds of Jelly Beans in there. There's cinnamon, but it's not sharp; it leans more towards the profile of a Cinnabon. Some plum is also noticeable, suggesting the Sauternes cask influence. The sweetness is confectionery and quite pleasing. On the palate: I'm getting toasted almond and walnut, with caramel and vanilla. Cocoa, black pepper, black tea, and tobacco smoke are also there. The Granny Smith apple makes another appearance, now with a flavor like a green apple Jolly Rancher. Milk chocolate is present, along with raisin, fig, and date. Golden Teddy Grahams are detectable, plus a hint of sawdust. Clove, nutmeg, and oak add complexity. This shares much of the sweet, confectionary character from the nose, but introduces some spicier and more bitter elements. It's equally enjoyable in its own distinct way. On the finish: Black tea, black pepper, tobacco smoke, and cocoa notes emerge. Ginger snap, walnut, and toasted almond are present. Clove, nutmeg, and oak also feature. The finish is moderately long, perhaps leaning towards the longer side. This expression surpassed my expectations, considering my previous encounters with Blood Oath and Sauternes-aged spirits. It's truly remarkable and stands head and shoulders above everything mentioned before. It ranks among my preferred bourbons. The tasting notes themselves seem unusual; when I look back at them, they read like a child's meal preferences. Yet, in practice, it functions perfectly as an adult beverage. This is an engaging whiskey that diverges from the norm in several aspects while still succeeding across the board. The contrast between the aroma and the taste was particularly fascinating. The finish acted as a pleasant bridge between the two and provided a satisfying conclusion to the experience. At $120, it's a significant expense. However, even with the additional $20 compared to Batches 5 and 6, it offers superior value for money. This bottling is flawless from every perspective. My only reservation is that it may have set an excessively high standard for Batch 8. As for this one, it has earned the highest marks. 5/5.

I strongly disagree with some previous comments! I'm not a fan of this series; they seem to be odd bourbons finished in casks to salvage mediocre spirits. Does the 7th release change my mind? Nose - The initial aroma is simply sweet, which is unusual for this line as other Blood Oath bottlings often have harsh oak notes. This one is clean and sweet, like candy, with a hint of Heaven Hill-esque oak, but not overpowering. Overall, it presents as sweet candy, classic bourbon, rich, and higher proof, with a subtle nutty oak finish. As it breathes, notes of oak, nuts, and sugarcane sweetness emerge, along with white wine undertones. With more time, white wine and sweet bourbon become more apparent. It still has a slightly alcoholic and acidic edge for its age. Despite that, I'm pleased; it's uniquely pleasant. Taste - Reluctantly, I must admit it's smooth. It opens up wonderfully sweet, subtle, and silky. It's a soft bourbon with some wine notes, though a bit watery. But then, wow, the finish arrives, and it's a powerful bourbon experience. The oak and nutty notes become intense, with the wine cask influence still present but eventually overshadowed. The final impression is heavy oak, decent white wine, and classic bourbon characteristics. At $100? That's where I'm puzzled... it's superior to many overpriced bourbons I've had. Considering the current market, I understand the pricing. Would I buy another for $100 if I could? Probably not. Will I buy the next batch? At retail, yes... these are enjoyable. Anyway, a score of 2.5. I genuinely appreciate the effort here, but it's not exceptional. It's not as good as last year's batch, but it's close and better than the rum cask release.

I sampled my first Blood Oath bourbon recently while dining with business partners at a nice steak house. It was served neat in a whiskey glass; for something in this category, I would have preferred a Glencairn. Spicy cinnamon and vanilla are very prominent on the nose, with a slightly fruity edge, more like sweet and soft peaches and pears rather than tart red fruit. The taste follows the nose with tongue-prickling cinnamon and a hint of canned peaches, possessing quite a full mouthfeel. The finish is striking. Spice and bitterness pull away from the sweetness. You get hints of dark cocoa powder that develop into rye spice at the very end. This was a halfway decent bourbon, but perhaps because I'm comparing it to the hype and prices that Blood Oath bourbons command, I wasn't all that impressed. I haven't dismissed Blood Oath though; maybe I just started with the wrong one?

The Sauternes barrel's influence is really apparent on the nose for me. Notes of caramel-dipped peach and honeydew melon alongside honey and white flowers. There's also a considerable amount of oak and pine resin. A nicely fragrant nose that highlights the Sauternes effect. Initial palate brings apple and pear, followed by sweet oak, peach cobbler, black pepper, and vanilla frosting. It's quite sweet with a pleasant viscosity, but not particularly special. The finish is primarily peach and brown sugar, with some lingering oak at the end. It also has a good length. Perhaps the most notable aspect of this finished bourbon. I really enjoyed the finish of this! Sauternes complements bourbon flavors very well. It's well-balanced and delicious.

NOSE Oaky, peanuts, dried fruit, stewed apples, baking spice, blackberry taffy, leather and a bit of citrus and candy sweetness. Warm inviting aroma that stays on the darker side with some lighter fruit and citrus pops, but most interesting is the leather. PALATE Peanut brittle, oak, baking spice, biscuity, copper, dark fruit taffy, dried orchard fruit and touches of leather, candy sweetness and pepper. The richly nutty aspect grows along with the spice as the Blood Oath Pact 7 opens. It’s a warm and lovely whiskey but the oak is oddly muted compared to the aroma. FINISH Med-long -> Oak, peanut brittle, and dark fruit fade to herbal spice

Nose: Caramel and fruit, with more fruit than anticipated. Not particularly complex beyond that. Palate: Begins sweet, then herbal notes emerge. It's somewhat dry with a dark fruit flavor. There's an almost metallic taste, which I assume is from the spice. Finish: Dry and short. Overall: It's certainly unique, but honestly, not amazing. The recent releases have been adequate, but not worth the $100 price tag. Unless they release a non-finished bourbon, I likely won't purchase another in the future. To be clear, I appreciate a well-finished bourbon, but this one doesn't impress me like some others.