Review #76 - Blood Oath Pact No. 7

Sauternes Cask Mini-Series: Part 2 of 3

Our next Sauternes aged whisky is Blood Oath's Pact No. 7; it's comprised of 3 bourbons:

• a 14 year old ryed bourbon,

• an 8 year old ryed bourbon, and

• an 8 year old ryed bourbon, finished in sauternes casks

Released in 2021, this bourbon should show of plenty of oak notes with its plentiful aging, but to balance that spice, the French wine casks could add some sweeter flavors.

Blood Oath Pact No. 7

USA - Bourbon

Current Locally Available Price: USD 400 (2023)

Age Statement: 8 Years

Strength: 49.3% ABV

Cask Makeup: New charred oak and ex-sauternes casks

Details: A blend of a 14 year old bourbon and two eight year old bourbons

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 60% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: We get both sweeter oak and dry oak, and plenty of them; black pepper spice comes through, along with sweetness from caramel and maple syrup. There's a bit of fruit as well - orange citrus and some cherries.

Palate: The spice comes forward even more on the palate - black pepper, rich oak, a bit of astringency, too. With time, that oak becomes a bit sweeter, with notes of molasses and maple syrup. It's oily and viscous, with a thick mouthfeel.

Finish: The finish is medium length, and the experience turns back toward sweet with still more syrup and molasses. Then, as it dies away at least, the oak bites once more with some mild astringency.

Final Note: This is a tasty bourbon - great for deep, dark oak notes and some complex syrupy sugars. The sauternes influence was pretty mild, but there was some sweetness in there to balance out the spice. The elephant in the room here is the price - when we tasted it, it was available for about $250. Now, it's more like $400 to get it online. We wouldn't consider this purchase for even a moment.

Average Rating: 7.0 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 4.45