A 30-Year-Old Bourbon That Actually Tastes Good? Blade and Bow Pulls It Off

Blade and Bow just announced the release of an ultra limited 30-year-old bourbon. It’s the oldest expression yet from the Diageo-owned brand based in Louisville, Kentucky. But as any aficionado of the category will warn you, American whiskey at this age isn’t necessarily a desirable thing. Even after just half that time in new charred oak barrels, whiskey can accrue an overly expressive woody character, which drowns out any nuance. This is why we rarely see bourbon aged beyond two decades. 

Fortunately, Blade and Bow 30 leveraged several secret weapons to avoid such pitfalls. I scored an exclusive first taste of the meticulously matured liquid and I can confidently say it’s a shockingly balanced whiskey that positions light and zingy citrus aromatics against a rich body, brimming with burnt sugar, baking spice and herbal earth. 

Going Behind Blade and Bow Bourbon 30-Year

This is a dynamically aged whiskey, which means that it wasn’t just left untouched for three decades. Barrels that had already surrendered significant volume to evaporation were consolidated together. According to Nicole Austin, Diageo’s director of American whiskey liquid development and capabilities, this process, however unorthodox, preserved balance and prevented the bourbon from becoming over oaked. 

“The yield of very old whiskeys can be unpredictable,” she said. “You expect a lot of over-oaked or one-dimensional barrels. But these were different. So many of them still had this lovely vanilla and fruit character, real vibrancy, and surprising depth. I wanted to celebrate that. The project began in earnest in Summer 2023, when I reviewed the inventories to identify barrels with the most exceptional potential.”

The History of Blade and Bow

Austin can’t say exactly when the initial consolidation took place, because it occurred before Diageo’s predecessor, United Distillers, assumed ownership of the legendary Stitzel-Weller Distillery. What we do know is that the casks in question had been aging since 1993. She diligently mixed and matched stock and ultimately created a blend whiskey, which would become Blade and Bow 30 Year. 

“Every decision, from consolidation to final blending, was about preserving what made these barrels so special,” adds Austin. “It reflects our core belief that great whiskey isn’t simply made in the distillery, but perfected over time through care, blending, and intention.” 

The one thing that the distillery won’t say is where the whiskey was produced. United Distillers purchase of Stitzel-Weller included an unspecified stock of barrels produced at several distilleries and were left aging in its warehouses. 

Related: It’s Official: Michter’s 20-Year Bourbon Is Back for 2025. Here’s How to Get a Bottle

What Austin will say is that unlike whiskey that was actually distilled at Stitzel-Weller—using its signature wheated bourbon recipe—this leftover stock features rye in place of wheat in its mashbill. 

At any rate, the company has been delving into this non-wheated Stitzel-aged supply with increasing regularity. In June, the brand released the inaugural bottling of Stitzel Reserve, which debuted with a 24-year expression, and more recently it sold a 34-year-old offering under the IW Harper label. In my opinion, the Blade and Bow 30 trumps them both, delivering a multilayered sophistication notoriously absent from most other extra-old bourbon. 

“My vision was to create a bourbon that captured decades of time, complexity, and nuance – something that would stand as a milestone in Blade and Bow’s portfolio,” said Austin. I think it's safe to say that she has accomplished that goal.

Blade and Bow 30-Year-Bourbon Price and Availability

As you might suspect, Blade and Bow 30-Year Bourbon won’t come cheap. The highly allocated release arrives in select markets nationwide later this month and has a suggested retail price of $1,200. You can get it sooner if you’re in Louisville. Today, 30 bottles of it goes on sale at the Stitzel-Weller visitor center. In addition to bottles you can try an individual pour for $225.