Just to be clear, Blade and Bow 22 Years contains no Stitzel-Weller bourbon. The reason Blade and Bow 22 years and Stitzel-Weller are associated is because it’s a blend of 2 different whiskies that have been aging there and it’s bottled there. All of the whiskey inside the bottle was made by Buffalo Trace and Heaven Hill, who are both stellar distilleries, but since they don’t have the current pop culture cache of Stitzel-Weller the only love they get is their addresses listed on the Blade & Bow website.
Blade and Bow 22 Years Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Heaven Hill (Bernheim) & Buffalo Trace
Bottler: Diageo
Cask: New charred oak
Age: 22 years
ABV: 46%
Price: $170
Blade and Bow 22 Years Review
EYE
Stained wood
NOSE
Woody aroma layered with notes of caramel, toffee (and other dark sweets) and notes of vanilla, Bing cocktail cherries, spice, Chocolate Orange and light bit of sweetness that reminds me of Dr. Pepper. It’s really quite nice.
PALATE
Wood, Werther’s Original, spice, dried berries, brown sugar, candied citrus and a touch of acetone. The palate comes across as muted compared to the nose and while it has some nice notes I can’t help but think they overwatered it.
FINISH
Medium woody fade dusted with notes of spice, candied citrus and dried fruit.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Decent balance, medium body and an almost waxy feel.
OVERALL
Blade and Bow 22 Years carries a nice balance across the nose, finish and even the watery palate. The oak isn’t oversaturated, as can happen with these older whiskies, and there is a decent range of aromas and flavors across it as a whole. My only serious complaint about the whiskey is how weak the palate is compared to nose and finish which seems to be a common theme amongst other reviews I’ve read.
Sku gives us a well thought out hypothesis about why the Blade and Bow 22 years is so watery on the palate and it has to do with the temperament of old wheaters in regards to water. It’s a good read, you should check it out when you have a moment, and I agree with him that this should have been bottled at cask strength. Especially at this price.
SCORE: 86/100
