Blade and Bow, Stitzel-Weller Distillery: review

45.5% alcohol/Vol, 91 Proof, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Coming from Diageo Brand and still carrying the Stitzel-Weller Distillery which is long since closed, this bottle was calling to me from the shelf.  I found this one while on vacation in Savanah, it was sitting on the shelf for $45.  I’d always been curious of what a bourbon tasted like that used the solera-style system to incorporate the older whiskeys from the Stitzel-Weller stores.  I also love the story of the name, blade and bow, coming from the anatomy of the keys.  The five keys coming from Stitzel-Weller as the 5 steps in crafting bourbon.  I’m also a sucker for trying to collect all five keys that adorn the bottles, similar to collecting the Blanton’s cork stoppers.

Appearance:

The coloring is golden amber with a hint of copper and quick legs running down the glass.

Nose:

The initial nose is tobacco and cedar followed by underlying tones of apricot, crème brulee, and bananas foster.

Taste:

The taste is butter, vanilla, snickerdoodle, with spice and wood, it’s really smooth and very complex.  After sipping on it for a while I found some coconut, cherry, nuttiness and oak notes similar to a coconut cherry almond bar that had been fresh baked like a dump cake.  The finish is brown sugar and smoke with a little dry oaky bitterness, like a dry rub crust on some smoked ribs.  I think this would be the perfect pour for a backyard BBQ.

Rating: 🥃🥃🥃1/2