If you’re a serious bourbon geek, the words “Stitzel-Weller” will quicken your pulse and set your mouth to watering. A quarter century after it closed, the Stitzel-Weller distillery in Shively, KY is still probably the most famous distillery in Kentucky, and sacred ground for American whiskey connoisseurs. Opened in 1935, the distillery produced some of the most legendary bourbons of the 20th century, including Old Fitzgerald, Pappy Van Winkle, Old Weller and Rebel Yell. It closed in 1992 — hard though it may be to believe nowadays, when being an in-the-know bourbon drinker is a sign of hip cred, the bourbon market was such in the early ‘90s that the old distillery simply wasn’t needed any longer. Since then, the warehouses have been used for aging bourbon, but the stills themselves were dismantled; today, the only operational still there produces about a barrel’s worth of booze a week, and for now, at least, it’s used for research and experimental purposes only.
So what’s the deal with Blade And Bow? The brand has only been around since 2015, but its existence is supposedly an “homage to the artful passion and renowned craftsmanship of the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery,” according to the fact sheet. The distillery and the bourbon both being owned by spirits giant Diageo may have something to do with it. The standard, no-age-statement Blade And Bow actually does contain a small amount of vintage S-W-distilled bourbon, which is parceled out using the solera method of aging. The method is much more complicated to explain than it is to understand, but with each bottling, a portion of the oldest liquid is replaced by the addition of new liquid. So every bottling will employ a smaller and smaller portion of Stitzel-Weller bourbon until at some point it stops being a meaningful component of the blend. (To be fair, Blade And Bow is aged entirely in the Stitzel-Weller rickhouses.)
If you’re looking for a taste of genuine Stitzel-Weller bourbon, you’re probably better off searching for an “old dusty” of vintage Old Fitzgerald on the secondary market or at estate sales. But Blade And Bow is a very good bourbon — light, rather fruity, and surprisingly easy to drink considering it’s bottled at 96 proof. And at $50, it’s a whole lot cheaper than old S-W bourbons, which can routinely fetch $500 and up at auction.
But it’s Blade & Bow’s other, less common expression, the 22 Year Old, that’s got the more interesting history. Obviously a 2-year-old brand is not going to have 22-year-old bourbon lying around. Which means the stuff in the bottle is purchased, or “sourced,” from other distilleries. But due to non-disclosure agreements dating back to when Diageo bought the barrels, Blade And Bow aren’t allowed to mention where the whiskeys were distilled. They are, however, permitted to divulge the addresses of said distilleries. Which they have. Turns out it’s a blend of bourbons distilled at Heaven Hill and Buffalo Trace, and aged at Stitzel-Weller. What makes it so noteworthy is that the Heaven Hill whiskey predates the 1996 warehouse fire that destroyed a big chunk of their inventory. So this is a bourbon of some historical significance.
But don’t assume the bourbon tastes great just because of its pedigree. Whiskey ages a lot faster in Kentucky than in Scotland, so while a 22 year old single malt is a perfectly reasonable proposition, a 22 year old bourbon is positively ancient. The fact that Blade And Bow 22 doesn’t taste like licking a barrel is a small miracle. Yes, you can taste the oak, but it harmonizes with the vanilla, caramel and subtle banana notes rather than overpowering them, and the spice is more cinnamon than black pepper. The first batch of Blade And Bow 22 from 2015 is virtually impossible to find now, and it seems the second release will likely follow suit. It’s history in a bottle... and it tastes great, too. Not a bad way to spend $200.