Blade and Bow 22 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon

This year’s Blade and Bow 22 Year honors the 83rd anniversary of the opening of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. While no source distillery information is release for this year’s bottle, past releases have been a blend of bourbon from Buffalo Trace and the Bernheim Distillery (now Heaven Hill), and one can assume that this is the same stock that is use before. Diageo states that the bourbon was most recently aged and bottled at Stitzel-Weller, however no time frame was given and it’s possible that this was likely aged outside of the Stitzel-Weller facility for the majority of its life. The bourbon will only be re-released in Kentucky, New York, Illinois, California, Texas, Colorado, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Washington, D.C., Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Oregon, and the Stitzel-Weller Distillery.

NOSE Blade and Bow 22 Year

The age is apparent from the moment I bring the glass to my nose. Age oak, clove, cinnamon, and leather are present. Digging in deeper hints of orange cake, baking spices, and nutmeg appear. The scents all blend together quite nicely and provide a complex experience that begs for additional nosings.
palate

Sweet on the tongue, the palate starts off with a dose of orange Jello, brown sugar, caramel, and a hint of vanilla. Beneath the sweeter flavor notes are subtle hints of the higher age, predominantly leather and a dash of white pepper. The mouthfeel is thin for such an old bourbon. The palate isn’t bad per say, it just surprises you with a more youthful sip than expect, especially considering the way the nose tees up this bourbon.
finish

The time spent in the barrel shines through in the finish. Oak, leather, a hint of tobacco, and cigar box intertwine right from the start. That said, none of the flavors are overpowering or overdone which is pleasantly surprising to see for a bourbon this old. What is somewhat disappointing though is the finish lingers for only a short while with just the oak and cigar box remaining.

uniqueness

From a flavor prospective, Blade and Bow 22 Year is nothing like its younger sibling which shares its name. While the standard no age statement (NAS) Blade and Bow is light and youthful with more fruit notes coming through, Blade and Bow 22 Year delivers a deeper overall experience, which should expect considering it’s been resting in the barrel for 22 years and is source from a different distillery.

For such an old bourbon it delivers a surprisingly drinkable experience. The expect oak notes are present, however they don’t overpower and instead only help to enhance the experience. While this was unexpect to find, the palate throws a hiccup into the experience. I can’t remember another 20 year-plus bourbon that delivers an appropriate nose and finish with such a thin sweet tasting palate.