Blood Oath · Release Guide
Blood Oath.
A year-by-year cheat sheet for each Blood Oath release
Every Blood Oath release is a pact. That's what John Rempe, the master distiller at Lux Row, calls each annual edition, and the conceit holds up: every Pact is three bourbons of his own choosing, blended at different ages and different mash bills, often finished in a barrel that has no business in a bourbon program. Caribbean rum casks. Cabernet Sauvignon casks. Tokaji. Sauternes. Each Pact is numbered, released once a year, and never made again the same way.
For collectors and enthusiasts, that's where the chase starts. A Pact built around a rum finish doesn't drink like a Pact built around a wine finish; a younger blend pulls in a different direction than one with a fifteen-year bourbon in the mix. Below is the working reference we keep at Cana, every Blood Oath release in order, with proof, the ages and mash bills in the blend, the finish where applicable, and the production notes that explain what John was actually putting his name on that year.
No. 01 — The Releases
Twelve years of Blood Oath, by the numbers.
| Release Year | Pact | Proof | Blend Components | Cask Finish | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View releaseRELEASE2015 | PACTPact 1 | PROOF98.6 | BLEND COMPONETS12-yr ryed bourbon + 7-yr ryed bourbon + 6-yr wheated bourbon | CASK FINISHNone (no finish) | NOTESInaugural release from Lux Row Master Distiller John Rempe. Original 3-bourbon blend with no cask finish. MSRP ~$90. Widely considered one of the best Pacts. | |
|
Notes Inaugural release from Lux Row Master Distiller John Rempe. Original 3-bourbon blend with no cask finish. MSRP ~$90. Widely considered one of the best Pacts. |
||||||
| View releaseRELEASE2016 | PACTPact 2 | PROOF98.6 | BLEND COMPONETSTwo 11-yr ryed bourbons + 7-yr ryed bourbon | CASK FINISHPort casks (on the 7-yr component) | NOTESFirst Pact to feature a cask finish. Port-finished component is dominant in the blend. Released in port-themed packaging. | |
|
Notes First Pact to feature a cask finish. Port-finished component is dominant in the blend. Released in port-themed packaging. |
||||||
| View releaseRELEASE2017 | PACTPact 3 | PROOF98.6 | BLEND COMPONETS12-yr ryed bourbon + 7-yr ryed bourbon | CASK FINISHCabernet Sauvignon casks (Swanson Vineyards) on the 7-yr component | NOTESOnly 2-bourbon blend in the series. Strong wine-cask influence. Frequently ranked top 3 of all Pacts. | |
|
Notes Only 2-bourbon blend in the series. Strong wine-cask influence. Frequently ranked top 3 of all Pacts. |
||||||
| View releaseRELEASE2018 | PACTPact 4 | PROOF98.6 | BLEND COMPONETS12-yr ryed bourbon + 10-yr ryed bourbon + 9-yr ryed bourbon | CASK FINISHToasted oak barrels (on the 9-yr component) | NOTESFirst all-traditional finish — used toasted barrels rather than wine/spirit casks. Same year as the first Trilogy Pack (Pacts 1, 2, 3). | |
|
Notes First all-traditional finish — used toasted barrels rather than wine/spirit casks. Same year as the first Trilogy Pack (Pacts 1, 2, 3). |
||||||
| View releaseRELEASE2019 | PACTPact 5 | PROOF98.6 | BLEND COMPONETS13-yr ryed bourbon + 11-yr wheated bourbon + 8-yr ryed bourbon | CASK FINISHCaribbean rum barrels (on the 8-yr component) | NOTESFirst wheated bourbon used since Pact 1. Rum-finished component imparts orange, brown sugar, and island spice. | |
|
Notes First wheated bourbon used since Pact 1. Rum-finished component imparts orange, brown sugar, and island spice. |
||||||
| View releaseRELEASE2020 | PACTPact 6 | PROOF98.6 | BLEND COMPONETS14-yr ryed bourbon + 8-yr ryed bourbon + 7-yr ryed bourbon | CASK FINISHCognac casks (on the 7-yr component) | NOTESFirst Pact with a 14-year-old component. Cognac finish doubles down on fruity, caramel notes. | |
|
Notes First Pact with a 14-year-old component. Cognac finish doubles down on fruity, caramel notes. |
||||||
| View releaseRELEASE2021 | PACTPact 7 | PROOF98.6 | BLEND COMPONETS14-yr ryed bourbon + two 8-yr ryed bourbons | CASK FINISHSauternes wine casks (Bordeaux, France) on one 8-yr component | NOTESBelieved to use Heaven Hill bourbon for the first time confirmed. Same year as the second Trilogy Pack (Pacts 4, 5, 6). Highly regarded — fan favorite. | |
|
Notes Believed to use Heaven Hill bourbon for the first time confirmed. Same year as the second Trilogy Pack (Pacts 4, 5, 6). Highly regarded — fan favorite. |
||||||
| View releaseRELEASE2022 | PACTPact 8 | PROOF98.6 | BLEND COMPONETS14-yr ryed bourbon + 11-yr ryed bourbon + 8-yr ryed bourbon | CASK FINISHCalvados casks (Normandy, France apple/pear brandy) on the 8-yr component | NOTESReleased April 2022, MSRP $120. First apple-brandy finish. 17,000 cases (51,000 bottles), 1,400 held back for future Trilogy. | |
|
Notes Released April 2022, MSRP $120. First apple-brandy finish. 17,000 cases (51,000 bottles), 1,400 held back for future Trilogy. |
||||||
| View releaseRELEASE2023 | PACTPact 9 | PROOF98.6 | BLEND COMPONETS16-yr ryed bourbon + 12-yr ryed bourbon + 7-yr ryed bourbon | CASK FINISHOloroso Sherry casks (Sherry Triangle, southwest Spain) on the 7-yr component | NOTESFeatures the oldest bourbon component in the series to date — a 16-year-old ryed bourbon. Same year as the third Trilogy Pack (Pacts 7, 8, 9). | |
|
Notes Features the oldest bourbon component in the series to date — a 16-year-old ryed bourbon. Same year as the third Trilogy Pack (Pacts 7, 8, 9). |
||||||
| View releaseRELEASE2024 | PACTPact 10 | PROOF98.6 | BLEND COMPONETSTwo ryed bourbons + one finished bourbon (ages undisclosed) | CASK FINISHDouble finish: Cabernet Franc casks, then Merlot casks | NOTESReleased April 2024 to mark a decade of Blood Oath. First-ever DOUBLE cask finish in the series. 17,000 cases, MSRP $129.99. Lux Row stopped publishing exact age statements starting with this release. | |
|
Notes Released April 2024 to mark a decade of Blood Oath. First-ever DOUBLE cask finish in the series. 17,000 cases, MSRP $129.99. Lux Row stopped publishing exact age statements starting with this release. |
||||||
| View releaseRELEASE2025 | PACTPact 11 | PROOF98.6 | BLEND COMPONETS14-yr ryed bourbon + 10-yr wheated bourbon + 7-yr finished ryed bourbon | CASK FINISHAñejo Tequila casks (Jalisco, Mexico) on the 7-yr component | NOTESFirst-ever tequila cask finish in the series. Return of a wheated bourbon component (last seen in Pact 5). | |
|
Notes First-ever tequila cask finish in the series. Return of a wheated bourbon component (last seen in Pact 5). |
||||||
| View releaseRELEASE2026 | PACTPact 12 | PROOF98.6 | BLEND COMPONETS12-yr ryed bourbon + 9-yr ryed bourbon + 7-yr finished ryed bourbon | CASK FINISHDouble finish: Montepulciano casks, then Sangiovese casks (Italy) | NOTESAnnounced March 2026, retail in June. Second double-cask finish (after Pact 10) and first all-Italian-wine cask program. 17,000 cases, MSRP $129.99. 51,000 total bottles with 1,400 held for future Trilogy. | |
|
Notes Announced March 2026, retail in June. Second double-cask finish (after Pact 10) and first all-Italian-wine cask program. 17,000 cases, MSRP $129.99. 51,000 total bottles with 1,400 held for future Trilogy. |
||||||
How to read this table
Proof is bottle proof, uncut and unfiltered. Age is years and months from the day it entered the barrel to the day it was bottled. Warehouse is the rickhouse letter where the barrels matured — multiple letters mean a release was a blend of barrels from more than one rickhouse. Floor is the floor (or floors) those barrels rested on. Higher floors run hotter and yield more aggressive evaporation; lower floors are cooler and slower.
· · ·
From the Cana Cellar
Hunting a specific pact?
Two decades of whiskey hunting. Shipped fast, packed with care.
Browse Blood Oath