Distillery: Undisclosed (Sourced)
Proof: 98.6
Age: Blend of 14 Year, 8 Year, and 7 Year Kentucky Straight Rye-Based Bourbons
Mashbill: Undisclosed
BACKGROUND: Blood Oath Pact 6 is the 2020 release of Lux Row Distillers's Blood Oath line. The Blood Oath line is a representation of and creation by John Rempe. Blood Oath is a blend of 3 rye-based Kentucky bourbon whiskeys that are sourced from undisclosed distilleries. The Blood Oath series is always unique and the last 3 have been finished in some special cask. Pact 4 (2018) was our favorite and finished in toasted barrels, Pact 5 (2019) was finished in Caribbean Rum Casks. Pact 6 is a unique blend of whiskeys that combines the oldest bourbon Rempe has used, a 14 year old bourbon, an 8 year old bourbon and, most importantly, a 7 year old bourbon that was finished in cognac barrels. The Blood Oath releases are always 98.6 proof, which is the temperature of blood.
NOSE: This nose is really, really enjoyable. The nose has some really nice aged oak and leather that is complemented by wonderful sweet notes of caramelized brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, and fresh cremé brûlée. This nose is right up our ally by hinting at age and then teasing with some rich sweetness.(22/25)
PALATE: As soon as the whiskey hit my tongue it coated it in its entirety. The whiskey starts off with rich buttery notes accompanied by caramel, nutmeg, and some bold dark fruit (think plums). The star of the palate however is bold caramelized brown sugar. There is some baking rye spice underlying this whiskey that adds a sharpness to the palate. Blood Oath Pact 6 has a nice full mouthfeel and drinks like a higher proof whiskey which is great. (35/40)
FINISH: The finish on this whiskey is dominated by rye spice that drifted away like a summer beach sunset. As the finish lingered on there were some very enjoyable sweet cherry and raisin notes. Blood Oath Pact 6 has a nice long finish that left me wanting another sip. (23/25)
VALUE: The Blood Oath releases carry an SRP of $100 which is slightly high but not unreasonable when accounting for the cost of the cognac barrels. Secondary markets have driven up the cost of many of the Blood Oath releases and we predict it will happen to Pact 6 as well as it is a one time release. We think Blood Oath should be priced at $75 but we would pay SRP for this. (7/10)
Overall: 87/100
FINAL THOUGHTS: Blood Oath Pact 6 is a unique and elegant bourbon. The cognac finish is tasteful and adds an element not regularly found in bourbons. A cognac or rum finished bourbon is much less common that wine finished bourbons and that adds an extra allure to these. Blood Oath Pact 6 was an enjoyable whiskey that was smooth, mature, balanced, and tasty. It is great for anyone who is new to the whiskey world or if you have an experienced palate. Blood Oath comes in a fancy box that is pretty cool to show off too. John Rempe always has unique expressions that are very enjoyable to try and this one is no different. Although this isn't quite as tasty as Pact 4, our personal favorite, it still is delicious.
Similar & Slightly Better Whiskey: Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend (2020)
Similar & Equal Whiskey: Parker's Heritage 5th Edition (2011)
Similar & Slightly Worse Whiskey: Belle Meade XO
Tell us what you think and give us some feedback!
Scoring Legend:
96-100: The perfect dram, juice of the gods
90-95: Near perfect, truly incredible whiskey
85-89: Amazing whiskey, will always try to keep a backup bottle of this
80-84: Very good, some minor flaws here or there
75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink, Will try and keep a bottle on the shelf
70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get this
60-69: Decent, would offer this up to non whiskey drinkers
50-59: Not my cup of tea
