Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 93 |
| Style |
Bourbon American Whiskey Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Kentucky United States |
| ABV | 46% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $549.99 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Review Updated | 2023-11-06 |
Blade and Bow 22 Year Old Bourbon (2023) Review
Each September, Blade and Bow releases a bourbon that’s as eye-popping as it is mysterious: The 22 year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. And each year, there’s almost as much conversation surrounding the whiskey’s source as its flavor. Rumors abound regarding old barrels of pre-Diageo Stitzel-Weller stock. Especially with Blade and Bow’s solera aging system, it’s easy to speculate that at least some of that storied juice makes its way into these blends.
Here’s what we do know about Blade and Bow’s 22 year-old bourbon. It’s distilled in Kentucky, and aged (for at least part of its lifespan) and bottled at Stitzel-Weller Distillery near Louisville. It clocks in at an accessible 92 proof. And the suggested price of $549.99 places it among the very top tier of most expensive American whiskeys, at least at retail.
Beyond that, the actual liquid remains a bit of a mystery. Without brand confirmation, speculation regarding the inclusion of old Stitzel-Weller is little more than conjecture. For this particular release, we asked the Diageo-owned brand for any additional info on the bourbon’s mash bill, location of distillation, aging environment (warehouses and tiers, etc.), and bottle count. A representative (politely, I should say!) declined to disclose that information.
So, at least temporarily, let’s step aside from the rumor mill and assess this whiskey for what matters most: How it drinks.
Blade and Bow 22 Year Old Bourbon: Stats and Availability
Blade and Bow 22 Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is released each September to retailers in a limited number of markets: California, Texas, Georgia, Colorado, South Carolina, Illinois, Washington DC, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan. A limited quantity of bottles are also available for sale at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky.
The MSRP for this bottle is $549.99. While the already-high price may discourage some markups, the limited nature and lack of open bottle count creates more variance in pricing than almost any other annual release. While some bottles will sit on shelves for suggested retail, we’ve also seen some stores list it for well over $1,000.
Blade and Bow 22 Year Old Bourbon Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
First up on the nose is the notable aroma of caramel popcorn. It’s exceptionally light for a 22 year-old bourbon, with present but hardly overpowering notes from the oak. There’s a light caramel quality to everything on the nose, like a fresh, warm drizzle over ice cream. So far, so good!
Spend further time nosing — and I mean further, as I had my snout all the way in the glass at this point — and fruit comes to the front. I smell raisins and dates, coupled with some tiny grain notes. It’s always a little surprising when such an old whiskey maintains those characteristics through the decades of wood influence. But that’s a real boon here, helping scents transition from caramel to warm raisin bread.
Though the decision to bottle Blade and Bow 22 at a relatively low 92 proof leaves some scratching their heads, here it’s created in a vibrant nose that exhibits a scope of classic bourbon notes. And it does so without relying too much on the astringency that often comes with age.
Taste
The bourbon is light and sweet up front, like the torched top of crème brûlée. It’s remarkably sweet, almost like a spoonful of confectioner’s sugar was placed on the tongue and then dissolved away toward the mid and back palates.
Like the nose, the flavors transition to fruit toward the back of the palate, mostly raisin and blackcurrant, along with some dried and sweetened cranberries.
The mouth feel is relatively thin, and though the flavors still hit most parts of the palate with enough impact, I wish the pour had a bit more viscosity to carry them. That means sweet is really the dominant note throughout, creating an experience that’s both delicious and a bit more narrow than the nose implied.
Finish
As that sweetness fades and transitions to dark fruit, the bourbon has a mid-length finish that finally showcases the breadth of notes I wanted more of on the tongue. Light wood sugars, buttered toast, more raisins, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Interestingly, that all gives way to the distinct taste of creamy peanut butter with a small hit of rye spice. (Try sprinkling cinnamon on a peanut butter sandwich, and that might come close.)
Blade and Bow 22 Year Old Bourbon Rating
93/100
Recap
Proofing a 22 year-old bourbon at 46 percent ABV brings noteworthy restraint, though with the cost of a thinner-than-ideal mouth feel. Ultimately, that decision results in a bourbon that doesn’t fall victim to the pitfalls of a lot of highly-aged bourbons. But it also takes a somewhat safe road that leaves it a few points below what I hoped it could be.
Blade and Bow’s mysterious 22 year-old bourbon walks a fine line by exhibiting depth of age without sacrificing itself on the altar of oak. The company’s blenders have crafted a release that will please almost any drinker, and it’d be foolish to turn down a pour from a friend. At this price point, however, it might be tough to find such a generous pal.
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