Blood Oath Bourbon Pact No. 8

This makes for my 4th Blood Oath Pact. I felt that the previous release, the Sauternes Cask, was the strongest, and that each one I had (5-7) was notable improvement over the one before it. Calvados cask is an interesting choice—the first I’ve had of that kind. I’m hoping it allows this one to continue the trend. Nose: A strong apple note. Caramel (caramelized apple.) Incredibly potent toasted almond note. Vanilla, toffee, and raisin. Green Apple Jolly Rancher. White grape and white chocolate. Brown sugar. Strawberry jam. Cinnamon Applejack cereal. Torrone (Italian nougat.) Peppercorn. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: Another huge caramelized apple note. Raisin, vanilla, and toffee. Almond. Brown sugar. Raisin and strawberry jam. White grape. Vanilla frosting. Cinnamon Applejack cereal. Green Apple Jolly Rancher Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and oak. Finish: Apple, caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Raisin and grape. Brown sugar. Toasted almond. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Long finish. My notes may betray the experience I actually had. The apple and nut notes were by far the strongest components throughout. The candy sweet notes were plentiful but were mostly secondary and tertiary notes. Regardless, this was an incredibly unique whiskey. Calvados casks made for a fun experiment. 4/5. This ranks 3/4 among the Blood Oath Pacts I’ve tried. This couldn’t touch the Sauternes Cask. And the it’s definitely better than the Rum Cask. It’s about even with the Cognac Cask—I’ll give a slight preference to the latter. Factor in cost—this is $50 more expensive—and it’s a no-brainer. This still hits the mark though. A solid effort from Lux Row and a worthy addition to the Blood Oath line.

Off the nose, this is a rich spicy bourbon with a good bit of hit and a distinctly ethanol smell which betrays the actual feel of the bourbon itself. In terms of taste and mouth-feel, however, it is quite smooth. There is a very noticeable rye spice and a distinct oakiness which is only to be expected from a blend of older ryed bourbons and it’s quite pleasant when paired with the vanilla sweetness as well as subtle apple flavor from the Calvados cask finish. I am not a rye guy by any means and typically don’t lean towards high-bourbons but this is truly a stand-out. Worth a buy before it’s gone.

I really enjoy this bottle. On the nose nothing too complicated that sticks out. Light cinnamon spice with brown sugar or caramel. Palette is smooth. A bit of oak, spice like a rye, and a very subtle apple. I do with the apple was a bit more pronounced, you gotta hunt for it a bit. Finish is nice and long, slightly tannic as it goes down. Overall, quite an enjoyable, smooth and easy dram. It is however, pretty hard to find. I got lucky and was able to snag the last bottle at my store and glad I did. Packaging and bottle are quite nice and make for a sweet display piece.

Nose: apple cinnamon with some pear a hint of a sweet chocolate and butterscotch. Sweet oak as well. Pick up different things with each sniff Taste: cinnamon and butterscotch with a sweet oak and vanilla. Can taste the rye spice in the background. Hints of apple and pear. Finish: long lasting and Coates the tongue really well. Leaves you with a lingering butterscotch and vanilla Really good bottle! Watch my review here! https://youtu.be/qGCs22QsjNM

Nose is grapes, vanilla, cedar, sour cherry. Bit musty. Smells old and fantastic. Body is orange, cherry, grapes. Sugar. Some raisin. Finish is gentle, the cedar comes back. Bit of cherry on the finish. It tastes medicinal here, but it’s okay. That medicinal cherry finish is my least favorite part of an otherwise solid Blood Oath. Still great, and overall I still haven’t found a dud in the product line.

Nose: almonds, apple, rye, pear, cherry, vanilla, bell pepper, bubblegum, cinnamon, caramel, berries and oak. Sweet, smooth and fruity on the palate: apple, caramel, oak, vanilla, charcoal, grape, rye, melon, peach, black pepper, chocolate, cherry, cinnamon and bell pepper. Sweet finish.