Pact No. 8 is the 2022 release in Lux Row's annual Blood Oath series, and it is the one that went furthest afield for its finishing wood. John Rempe built it from three well aged Kentucky straight bourbons, all on ryed mashbills. The first is a bold fourteen year old, all cooked oak and leather with hints of chocolate. The second is an eleven year old that fills the palate with a sweet and spicy wave of vanilla and cinnamon. The third is an eight year old, and it is the only component given a secondary maturation, finished in Calvados casks. Calvados is apple brandy from Normandy, distilled from apples and sometimes pears and aged in oak, and casks that held it do something no wine or fortified wine barrel can: they bring an orchard fruit character, ripe apple and pear, that reads as fresh rather than sweet. Set against fourteen year old bourbon oak, that contrast is what makes the release work. The label puts it plainly, describing the eight year old as delivering notes of ripe pear and crisp apple reminiscent of the oak barrel's previous life. What lands in the glass is a bourbon with real age behind it and an unexpected brightness through the middle, moving from cooked oak and chocolate into vanilla and cinnamon before the orchard fruit arrives. Bottled at 49.3 percent alcohol by volume, the 98.6 proof every Pact shares as a nod to body temperature, and carrying Rempe's signature. It ships in the series wooden display box. Only Rempe knows the full blending recipe, and per the label this Pact will never again be made.
ABV / Proof
| ABV |
49.3% |
| Proof |
98.6 |
| Size |
750ml |
| Country |
United States |
| Region |
Kentucky |
| Producer |
Lux Row Distillers, Bardstown, Kentucky |
| Master Distiller |
John Rempe |
| Category |
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey |
| Expression |
Blood Oath Pact No. 8 |
| Release Year |
2022 (MMXXII) |
| Age |
Blend of 14 year, 11 year and 8 year ryed bourbons |
| Finish |
Calvados casks, applied to the 8 year component only |
| Label Colour |
Green |
| Packaging |
Wooden display box |
Tasting Notes
Color: Warm golden amber.
Nose: Cooked oak and leather lead, with chocolate behind and a clear orchard fruit lift of ripe pear and crisp apple.
Palate: Sweet and spicy. Vanilla and cinnamon fill the middle over a base of aged oak, with apple and pear brightness cutting through.
Finish: Long and warming, closing on oak, baking spice and lingering orchard fruit.
FAQ
Q: What is a Calvados cask?
A: A cask that held Calvados, the apple brandy of Normandy in northern France, distilled from apples and sometimes pears. It contributes fresh orchard fruit character rather than the sweetness of a wine cask.
Q: Is the whole blend finished in Calvados?
A: No. Only the eight year old component is finished in Calvados casks. The fourteen and eleven year old bourbons are unfinished.
Q: Will Pact No. 8 be made again?
A: No. Every Blood Oath Pact is a one time blend released once and never repeated.
Q: Does it come with the wooden box?
A: Pact No. 8 ships in the series wooden display box. Confirm the box is included, as it affects value on a discontinued release.
Q: Why 98.6 proof?
A: Every Blood Oath Pact is bottled at 98.6 proof, a reference to human body temperature.
Q: Where can I buy Blood Oath Pact No. 8 online?
A: Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.
