BOTTLE DETAILS
- DISTILLER: A lot
of help from Stitzel-Weller, produced by Diageo.
- MASH BILL:
Undisclosed
- AGE: NAS (no
age statement) but since it is labeled “straight” that makes it at least 4yrs
old. Online research suggests the youngest whiskey is 6 years mingled with
Bourbons over 20 years old. Blade and Bow is blended using the Solera
method, which involves rotating barrels and blending them from youngest, then
refilling the oldest barrels as a portion of each barrel is dumped and used for
bottling.
- YEAR: 2017
- PROOF: 91
(45.5% ABV)
- MSRP: $49.99
- NOSE: Pear
and Apple | Very Light Oak |
Vanilla
TASTE:
Pear |
Smooth Cocoa | Smoky Oak
FINISH: The
finish on this whiskey is very long, starting with a peppery, spicy quality
that just continues to build. The oak remains. If you’re looking for burn, this
will disappoint. It is exceptionally smooth.
SHARE WITH: I’d
recommend sharing this with folks who romanticize over the notion of drinking
something distilled by the old Stitzel-Weller Distillery. This is also an
excellent choice for people who enjoy very smooth, sipping whiskey.
WORTH THE PRICE: At
$49.99 this sits at an interesting price point. There’s a lot of excellent and
a lot of overpriced whiskeys out there for about $50. My gut instinct tells me
this is a smidge steep for what it is. You’re paying for Stitzel-Weller
history. If this were priced in the higher-$30s to lower $40s, I’d cheerfully
hand them my money.
BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Grab a
pour at a Bar if you see it. You’ll want to taste this for yourself. Saying
that I would be happy to have a Bottle of this in my collection.
OVERALL: One of
the qualities I like to observe with my whiskeys is the appearance. The bright
amber is pleasant to look at, but an even more attractive quality is what kind
of legs get left on the glass after a good swirl. At first, Blade and Bow left
nothing… and I mean nothing. I had to hold it up to the light to discover that
the whiskey did indeed cling to my glass, it was just taking forever to build
legs. Then, they came down long and luscious. That’s something I just love to
see.
This is the second time
I’ve tried Blade and Bow, with the first experience being at Distill America in
Madison in February 2017. I was impressed with it both times and am happy
Diageo has taken steps to keep the Stitzel-Weller history alive and available
for an average whiskey fan. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy-to-Understand
Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages
you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.
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