Nose - toffee, vanilla cream, apple, mint, cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, tobacco, clove, black pepper, orange zest, milk chocolate, marshmallow, walnut, rich oak, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - caramel, vanilla, clove, allspice, chili pepper, cocoa, mint, anise, raisin, tannic oak, ginger, floral notes, leather, tobacco, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with caramel, orange zest, raisin, and baking spice flavors. This is my first of the Blood Oath releases. I’m really not sure what to expect. I know it’s pricy stuff, so my expectations are pretty high. The nose is rich and spicy. Standard bourbon notes are in the mix with a double dose of clove, mint, and anise, no doubt from the significant rye component. The cognac influence makes itself more known on the plate, with some jammy raisin and floral qualities. Otherwise, it’s similarly rich and spicy with strong baking spices carrying through the finish, along with caramel and a citrusy zing. Overall, this is tasty bourbon. It’s really rich, but actually comes off as younger than I know it is. I’m guessing the rye spice and citrus are fooling me into registering this as bright. It could also be the dilution. I agree with others that it seems a bit underproofed as well. I’d say this probably isn’t worth the price of a bottle, but it’s a solid sipper nonetheless. Big thanks to @pkingmartin for the sample!