Review: An empty nester’s take on Blade & Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Our guest writer sent her son to college and found the time to take on one of Stitzel-Weller's signature creations.
By Shonda C. Weathers / @gurlinterrupted
There are a number of things in this world we choose to do sober. Parenting should not be one of them. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a dedicated parent. However, as I prepared my teenage son for University and sent him off to the great unknown, I also knew that it meant I’d finally have peace and quiet inside my own home.
As a result, I knew exactly where I would spend my first summer as an empty nester. The Bourbon Trail.
One of my early stops was at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery located roughly five miles from downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It was during the tasting portion of the history tour where I was introduced to Blade & Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon.
It’s fair to say that many bourbon enthusiasts are aware of the name Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle. Growing up in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, there’s a fair bit of nostalgia when romanticizing the history surrounding the Van Winkle name. However, Stitzel-Weller Distillery, originally founded in Shively, Kentucky in 1935, is where one could say the magic started. The connection between Pappy and Maker’s Mark is a documentary tale waiting to happen, as Stitzel–Weller and Maker’s helped champion wheated bourbon over rye, and aging their spirits by at least 10 years or more, much longer than their competitors. Keep this in mind as we now discuss Blade & Bow.
Blade & Bow is a “straight bourbon whiskey”, but don’t take this as typical bougie wordplay, as the phrase “straight bourbon whiskey” is significant. This classification means it must be aged for a minimum of 2 years in new, white oak charred barrels. However, that’s not what makes this spirit such a palatable fable to share.
Stitzel-Weller stopped distilling back in 1972, so if you’re fortunate to come across a bottle of Blade & Bow, you will be sampling what remains of the Stitzel-Weller legacy due to their use of the barrels that remained from when they distilled this non-traditionally blended spirit.
It is worth noting that the current brand responsible for producing Blade & Bow is Diageo. Diageo is a massive global conglomerate in the spirits industry as they lead the market with over 200 brands under their umbrella. My hope is that the legacy of the Stitzel-Weller brand doesn’t become lost in the exploration of Blade & Bow. Blade & Bow is the last beautiful tribute in the five steps representing the process of crafting bourbon, as each bottle is accompanied by a skeleton key numbered 1 through 5. (Note: I was pleasantly impressed by B&B, as I have collected 4 of the 5 keys.)
In tasting Blade & Bow, my opinion is that it’s best suited as an entry-level sipping bourbon or for cocktails. It possesses a very floral mouthfeel that’s not aggressive to the palate. B&B is distilled using the solera system of aging, which is one of just two bourbons on the market using this process that is most often used when processing wine and scotch. It’s a brilliant concept for a distillery that hasn’t been processing and that has been potentially sitting on countless barrels of “so-so” quality aged bourbon for the past 35 years.
If you’re looking for more specific details regarding Blade & Bow, note that it will not deliver the traditional flavor experience when enjoying a tumbler of bourbon. It runs about ~$50 a bottle, medium body, 45.5% ABV with blends of fruity and spicy notes that abruptly finish with what feels a bit like woody butterscotch. The color is slightly deeper as compared to a typical wheated bourbon which makes a perfect flavor profile for a Manhattan. Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough excitement happening for me to fully commit to this as a household staple, outside of collecting that fifth key!
If you’re new to whiskey, this is an excellent entry point, and if you’re a fan of Manhattans like me, you’ll love it even more!
Appearance: 12/15 points
Nose: 20/25 Points
Palate/Taste: 28/35 Points
Finish: 20/25 points
Total Score: 80 (B-) = Not-too-bad — no major flaws, worth tasting
This was originally posted by Shonda Weathers on Medium.