Blood Oath Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Pact No.12

Blood Oath Pact No. 12 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Lux Row Distillers, Bardstown, Kentucky — the first Blood Oath Pact to use a double Italian wine cask finish, combining Montepulciano casks from Abruzzo and Sangiovese casks from Tuscany to bridge traditional Kentucky maturation with old-world Italian winemaking in a limited annual release of 51,000 bottles.

The Blood Oath series is Master Distiller John Rempe's annual pact with bourbon drinkers: one release per year, each a genuinely different approach to blending and finishing, each bottled at the series' signature 98.6 proof (a deliberate choice — the number mirrors normal body temperature, suggesting the whiskey is perfectly calibrated to complement the human palate). Rempe never discloses the origin of the bourbons used in each Pact, maintaining the mystique that has made the series one of the most anticipated limited annual releases in American whiskey.

Pact No. 12 is his most internationally influenced release to date. The blend combines three components: 9-year and 12-year ryed bourbons that provide the mature, spicy foundation, and a 7-year ryed bourbon that underwent sequential finishing — first in Montepulciano casks from Italy's Abruzzo region, then in Sangiovese casks from Tuscany. Montepulciano is a fruit-forward dry red wine grape that infuses the bourbon with deep notes of ripe black cherry, leather, and spiced cocoa. Sangiovese — the grape behind Chianti and most of Tuscany's great red wines — contributes ripe red fruit, dried herbs, and a savory, almost herbaceous edge. The two casks work sequentially, each building on what the previous laid down, creating a bourbon profile that reads as simultaneously American and Italian in character. Total allocation: 51,000 bottles. Each comes in the signature embossed glass with a burgundy and gold label in a fire-branded wooden display box.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Ripe red fruit, dried herbs, and a hint of sun-kissed tomato leaves from the Sangiovese influence. Stone fruit, caramel, and vanilla from the Kentucky maturation underneath.
• Palate: Opens with stone fruit and caramel balanced with vanilla. Cocoa, leather, and oak develop through the mid-palate — the Montepulciano casks asserting themselves with dark cherry depth and spiced cocoa richness.
• Finish: Long and pleasant with warming spice and black cherry. Ripe black cherry, leather, and spiced cocoa linger. Velvety texture at 98.6 proof that doesn't overpower.

Specs

• Distillery: Lux Row Distillers, Bardstown, Kentucky
• Master Distiller: John Rempe
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Double Italian Wine Cask Finish
• Blend: 9-year ryed bourbon + 12-year ryed bourbon + 7-year ryed bourbon (finished in Montepulciano then Sangiovese casks)
• Casks: Montepulciano (Abruzzo, Italy) → Sangiovese (Tuscany, Italy)
• Allocation: 51,000 bottles total; 1,400 reserved for future Trilogy release
• Packaging: Embossed glass, burgundy & gold label, fire-branded wooden display box
• ABV: 49.3% (98.6 Proof)
• Size: 750ml

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Frequently Asked Questions

• What does Blood Oath Pact 12 taste like? Ripe red fruit, dried herbs, and sun-kissed tomato leaves on the nose from the Sangiovese casks, with stone fruit and caramel underneath. The palate opens with stone fruit, caramel, and vanilla before cocoa, leather, and oak develop mid-palate. The finish is long with warming spice and black cherry from the Montepulciano influence.
• What makes the double Italian wine cask finish unique? Pact 12 is the first Blood Oath release to use two different Italian wine casks sequentially. The 7-year ryed bourbon was finished first in Montepulciano casks (bringing deep cherry, leather, and cocoa) and then in Sangiovese casks (adding ripe red fruit, dried herbs, and a savory edge). Each cask builds on what the previous one laid down rather than replacing it.
• Why is Blood Oath bottled at 98.6 proof? 98.6°F is normal human body temperature. John Rempe chose this proof as the series’ signature because it represents a whiskey perfectly calibrated to the human palate — strong enough to carry complexity, approachable enough not to overwhelm it.
• How limited is Pact 12? 51,000 total bottles, with 17,000 three-pack cases at retail. An additional 1,400 bottles are being held for a future Trilogy release — Lux Row’s periodic bundling of three consecutive Pacts for collectors. Previous Trilogies were released in 2018, 2021, and 2023.
• Does John Rempe reveal where the bourbons come from? No — maintaining the secrecy of the source distilleries is a deliberate tradition of the Blood Oath series. Rempe discloses the ages, the blend ratios, and the finishing casks, but never the origin of the bourbon.