Bhakta 1928 Calvados & Armagnac & Straight Rye Whiskey 750ml

BHAKTA 1928 is unlike anything else on the American whiskey shelf: a deliberate union of straight rye with some of the oldest drinkable spirits of France. Named for the most ancient component in the bottle, a 1928-vintage Armagnac, it collapses nearly a century of cellar time into a single pour.

The blend is built on 60% straight rye whiskey distilled in 2018, chosen for its bold spice backbone. Into that base go 30% XO Calvados, the apple brandy of Normandy, and 10% vintage Armagnac spanning legendary years including 1941, 1962, 1973, and the namesake 1928. It is a category-bending recipe no conventional whiskey could attempt, and that freedom is precisely the point.

Each element plays a distinct role. Rye supplies pepper and rye-bread snap, Calvados layers in bruised apple and honey, and the antique Armagnacs contribute polished leather, fig, and rancio depth that no young barrel can imitate. Bottled at an even 100 proof, the blend holds its shape neat while carrying enough weight for serious cocktails.

On the palate, expect baked apple and toffee up front, rye spice through the middle, and a long, antique finish of dried fruit, walnut, and old oak. It is a natural pour for brandy lovers curious about rye, and for whiskey drinkers ready to taste what pre-war French vintages bring to American grain. Few bottles at any level offer liquid history this literal.

• Size: 750ml
• Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
• Class: Blend of straight rye whiskey with Calvados and Armagnac
• Origin: American rye with French Calvados and Armagnac; assembled in Vermont
• Producer: BHAKTA Spirits
• Style/Class: Category-bending whiskey and brandy blend
• Composition: 60% straight rye (distilled 2018), 30% XO Calvados, 10% vintage Armagnac
• Cask/Aging: Armagnac vintages reaching back to 1928, including 1941, 1962, and 1973
• Tasting Notes: Baked apple, toffee, rye spice, fig, leather, walnut, old oak