There is truly a lot of sourced bourbon out there awaiting the right person to get his or her hands on it for bottling. Some of it just gets slapped into bottles and tossed onto store shelves as bottom shelf specials, while others get spun up with really fancy marketing and a premium price. It is into this latter category the recently unveiled Blood Oath Bourbon falls.
Blood Oath Bourbon was conjured up by St. Louis, Missouri based Luxco, which also happens to be those behind Rebel Yell and Ezra Brooks, among other whiskey brands. Its newest offering, which got its first showing off to the drinking public over at Bourbon & Banter, is described as “a special blend of three carefully selected, top-notch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys, blended and bottled by hand.” It clocks in at 98.6 proof and was created by one John Rempe, a certified “food scientist” who is responsible for the development of a number of Luxco’s spirits and whiskies.
Now, how much would you expect such a bourbon to price? Maybe $30 to $50? Nope, try around $90. Is that too high? Perhaps. Not knowing what specific bourbons were chosen for this blend, we have to assume whatever they were is at least a partial reason for the higher price tag. What is know about them is that
this product is an exquisite union of three well-bred bourbons with various age statements and mash bills. The first, a spicy bourbon with a mash bill favoring rye, barrel aged for a subtle woodiness. The second is a smooth, wheated bourbon and the third is a full-bodied, more experienced, oaky bourbon with a rye-based mash.
All total, the bourbons in this blend range in age from 6 to 12 years. It is, not surprisingly, a “limited edition” which comes in some very slick packaging and has as part of its name “Pact No. 1.” What’s been called Pact No. 2 will come out sometime next year. In the meanwhile, should you want to get a hold of the first run of bottles, it is just starting to show up in retail now.