Blood Oath Bourbon Pact No. 7

Caramel and maple.

Fruity esters are forward, maple syrup on the finish. As everyone has said, exceptionally smooth. I very much enjoyed this bourbon, but prefer and little sweeter and a little oakier. Glad I had an opportunity to sample it, but not worth the high price for me.

Smooth, can taste the finish

I started my Blood Oath journey at Pact 5. That one was solid, and Pact 6 was even better. Here's to hoping this one continues that upward trend. My only other experience with Sauternes cask-aging is Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or (and its replacement.) That will likely be little help in helping me assess this one, but I enjoyed that for what it's worth. Onward to Pact 7. Nose: Vanilla, toffee, brown sugar, and caramel. Ginger snaps and Nerds candy. Granny Smith Apple and white grape. Vanilla frosting and marshmallow. There's a couple different flavored Jelly Beans in there. Cinnamon, but not really spicy. More like a Cinnabon in that regard. Some plum is also detectable, representing the Sauternes cask. It's confectionary sweet, and very enjoyable. Palate: Toasted almond and walnut. Caramel and vanilla. Cocoa, black pepper, black tea, and tobacco smoke. The Granny Smith apple is again present, and now, there's a green apple Jolly Rancher quality to it. Milk chocolate. Raisin, fig, and date. Golden Teddy Grahams. A touch of sawdust. Clove, nutmeg, and oak. This has a lot of the confectionary sweetness of the nose but with some spicier and more bitter notes. Just as good in its own way. Finish: Black tea, black pepper, tobacco smoke, and cocoa. Ginger snap. Walnut and toasted almond. Clove, nutmeg, and oak. Moderate-to-long finish, leaning toward the latter. This exceeded my expectations based on my previous experiences with Blood Oath. And Sauternes-aged whiskies for that matter. Absolutely amazing. This beats everything aforementioned by a mile. It's one of my favorite bourbons. The notes were weird. When I review my tasting notes, it reads like a third grader's meal-plan. And yet, it hits every mark as an adult beverage. This is a fun whiskey. It breaks the mold in a lot of ways, and simultaneously delivers at every level. The dichotomy between the nose and the palate was incredibly interesting. And the finish served as a nice intermediary between the two and a solid cap to the experience. At $120, this hurts the wallet. yet, despite the extra $20 this ran me over Batches 5/6, this still bested both of them by a decent bit in the VFM department. This one is bullet proof from every angle. My only concern is that it set the bar too high for Batch 8. As for this one, it earned top-shelf marks. 5/5.

Fruity. Vanilla. Sweet. Delicious. My favorite so far.