Category: Pact 7

Next up in the “Josh is getting caught up” series is the Blood Oath Pact 7. I always look forward to the Blood Oath releases, whether I like them or not, they’re always interesting and something a bit different than everything else on the market. They’re a fun look into a growing aspect of bourbon/America whiskey: blending and finishing.

This particular release is a blend of a 14-year-old bourbon, 8-year-old bourbon and an 8-year-old bourbon finished in sauternes casks. Sauternes… I wasn’t expecting that. It’s something I would imagine a bourbon would just run right over. But then I’ve been surprised by these things before. So let’s get to drinkin’ and see how this one nets out.

Blood Oath Pact 7 – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Region: Kentucky, USA

Distiller: Undisclosed (very likely Heaven Hill)
Blender: Luxco
Mash Bill: 51%+ Corn + Rye + Malted Barley (78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley if it’s Heaven Hill)
Cask: New Charred Oak, ex-Sauternes
Age: 8 Years
ABV: 49.3%

Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Batch: 7

Price: $100*

Tasting Notes

EYE
Coppery caramel

NOSE
Oaky, peanuts, dried df, 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

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Good balance, med-full body, and a warm and velvety feel.

Blood Oath Pact 7 – Overall Thoughts and Score

Only Pact 2 beats this one, it’s the second-best Blood Oath done yet. The unique leathery aspect is intriguing and tasty with a nice candy sweetness. It almost reaches a 4/5, but there’s something that just doesn’t push it over the line for me. It’s almost like it’s holding back. Which is a weird thing to say about whiskey, since it’s not sentient, but it has this feeling of not quite opening up.

Setting that quibble aside, I’d drink this any day. The spice builds as it opens and takes on a slight baked-goods quality, but peanut and oak stay heavy. The candy sweetness, presumably from the Sauternes casks, sticks to the background and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not. Maybe the Blood Oath Pact 7 needs more of that to pull it forward? It’s had to say, but what isn’t hard to say is that I’m enjoying this.

SCORE: 3.5/5

*Disclosure: The sample for this whiskey review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.

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