Blood Oath Pact 2 Bourbon
For Blood Oath Pact 2, blender John Rempe added a new factor to the blend: finishing. True to form, though, he didn’t do (what I think is) the easy way out - rather than finishing the end product, he instead finished just one of the three bourbons blended into the Pact.
Still without age statements, this blend is made of a younger, oaky bourbon, a wheated bourbon, and a port-finished high-rye bourbon. Note: the official website lists the third as a port-finished rye (emphasis is mine) - since the label still says “Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey” (again my emphasis) that must be a typo on the website. Otherwise they could name this a Kentucky Straight Whiskey, but not a Bourbon.
Like Blood Oath Pact 1, the star here is the blending process itself. Each bourbon plays its part, without any overpowering or being overtaken by another. Port is a fairly strong finishing cask - Rempe did well to have it contribute without letting the blend become syrupy or saccharine.
Blood Oath Pact 2 Bourbon: Specs
Classification: Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskies
Origin: Lux Row Distillers, Unknown Source
Proof: 98.6 (49.3% ABV)
Age: NAS
Location: N/A
Blood Oath Pact 2 Bourbon Price: $100
Blood Oath Pact 2 Bourbon Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Liquid gold. Thin-to-no rims, droplets all over the Glencairn.
Nose: More rye here on the nose than from Pact 1. Mellow sweetness - knowing the components, I can tell each one is there, but they are blended so well that even the nose smells well-blended.
Palate: Port is front-and-center, with a spicy oak backbone and some barrel char. Lots of caramelized stone fruit sweetness. No proof heat, it’s all oak spice. Mouthfeel is creamy, with lots of fruit salad and a bit of oak spice and char in the corners of my mouth.
Finish: Medium-length and fruity - dark stone fruits all the way. Lovely blend of oak spice and creaminess alongside mint at the very end.
Overall: Again, a well-blended, easy drinker. Having the port finish as part of the blend rather than finishing the entire blend in the casks makes a big difference. It’s sweet for sure, but there’s enough rye and oak to keep the sweetness from overtaking the rest of the flavors. I’m impressed by both Pact 1 and Pact 2, and look forward to trying the next 4!
Final Rating: 8.0
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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