Bhakta 2005 Bourbon — 19 Year Old Triple-Finished Whiskey 750ml

This was the very first whiskey Raj Peter Bhakta acquired after leaving WhistlePig, the brand he originally founded — and nearly two decades later, it's become BHAKTA Spirits' single most exclusive release to date. BHAKTA 2005 Bourbon spent its 19 years and 3 months of maturation on a genuinely elaborate journey: distilled in Tennessee's Smoky Mountains, transported to age further amid the plains of Indiana, shipped across the Atlantic to mature in seasoned oak at the revitalized Merlin plant in East Kilbride, near Glasgow, Scotland, and finally brought home to complete its aging at the BHAKTA-GRISWOLD Spirits Library on the brand's own historic Vermont campus — three distinct casks, four unique climates, two continents. The whiskey's final chapter came in a single, specific 1975 Armagnac cask drawn from Bhakta's own celebrated Armagnac holdings, the same historic estate in Condom, France, where his cellars house vintages dating back to 1868.

Bhakta's own team leans hard into the theatrical with this one — the release is dubbed "The Elijah Prophecy," a name tied directly to founder Raj Bhakta's account of tasting the whiskey on the day his fifth child, Elijah, was born: "the prophecy came as I tasted this very nectar on the fifth day of the fifth month in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four... a vision that these bottles shall resound through time for their magnificence and bless those who hold them with good fortune." Every one of the 555 bottles arrives in a handcrafted wooden box, crowned with a gilded bottle topper depicting Bhakta himself astride an elephant. "Nineteen year-old bourbons are normally no good," Bhakta himself admits, "like the ones many collectors currently chase. But none have ever tasted quite like this."

Robb Report's independent review offers a genuinely useful, more grounded counterpoint to that showmanship. The reviewer confirms the mash bill — 84% corn, 8% rye, 8% malted barley — "so, while the distillery is not disclosed, it's most certainly Dickel," and notes honestly that "that whiskey's signature grainy pencil eraser note comes through on the palate, which again is not for everyone." Their broader assessment, though, lands genuinely positive: "there are notes of stewed fruits and oak on the palate, along with caramel, dusty leather, fig, apple fruit leather, black pepper, and some Red Hots. This is a tasty and complex sipper that has been on quite a journey and is better off for it." They're equally candid about the risk that comes with a whiskey this old: "aged for 19 years and three months, which Bhakta himself admits is pretty old for a bourbon, possibly teetering on the edge of drinkable... for some people those are going to be overly oaky (and this one might be too)." The official tasting notes describe a ruby red aspect, with toasted almond, chamomile, and molasses on the nose, developing into Seville orange, baking spices, and stewed pears on the palate, closing long, semi-dry, and evolving with charred oak, blood orange, well-aged leather, and heirloom tobacco. This is a genuine collector's object as much as a whiskey — theatrical, unapologetic, and built on a production story no other bottle can replicate.

Origins & Craftsmanship

BHAKTA 2005 Bourbon is produced by BHAKTA Spirits, headquartered on the former campus of Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont, founded by Raj Peter Bhakta following his departure from WhistlePig, the whiskey brand he originally founded. This 2005-vintage bourbon was the first whiskey Bhakta acquired for his new venture, and stands as the company's fifth-ever whiskey vintage release, positioned as its most exclusive offering to date.

Distilled in Tennessee from a mash bill of 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley — a recipe and production process that strongly, though not officially, points to George Dickel as the source — the whiskey undertook an unusually elaborate maturation journey across three distinct casks and four climates: Tennessee's Smoky Mountains, the plains of Indiana, seasoned oak barrels at the revitalized Merlin plant in East Kilbride near Glasgow, Scotland, and a final stage at the BHAKTA-GRISWOLD Spirits Library on the brand's historic Vermont campus. The whiskey's final finish took place in a single, specific 1975 Armagnac cask, sourced from Bhakta's own historic Armagnac estate in Condom, France. Bottled at cask strength — 53.7% ABV / 107.4 proof — after 19 years and 3 months of total maturation, limited to just 555 bottles worldwide, each presented in a handcrafted wooden box topped with a gilded bottle ornament depicting founder Raj Peter Bhakta.

Critics Reviews

Robb Report (extended independent review):
"Bhakta 2005 Bourbon was aged for 19 years and three months, which Bhakta himself admits is pretty old for a bourbon, possibly teetering on the edge of drinkable. That being said, there are some pretty good 20-year-old bourbons out there from brands like Michter's and Pappy Van Winkle, although for some people those are going to be overly oaky (and this one might be too). It was made from a mashbill of 84 percent corn, eight percent rye, and eight percent malted barley in Tennessee — so, while the distillery is not disclosed, it's most certainly Dickel, and that whiskey's signature grainy pencil eraser note comes through on the palate, which again is not for everyone. There are notes of stewed fruits and oak on the palate, along with caramel, dusty leather, fig, apple fruit leather, black pepper, and some Red Hots. This is a tasty and complex sipper that has been on quite a journey and is better off for it."

Raj Peter Bhakta, Founder, BHAKTA Spirits:
"Nineteen year-old bourbons are normally no good — like the ones many collectors currently chase. But none have ever tasted quite like this."

BHAKTA Spirits (official tasting notes):
"Aspect: Ruby Red. Nose: Toasted almond, Moroccan chamomile, and antebellum molasses. Palate: Seville orange, baking spices, stewed pears, and layered oak spice. Finish: Long, semi-dry, and evolving, showing charred oak, blood orange, well-aged leather, and heirloom tobacco."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Ruby red in color. Toasted almond leads, joined by chamomile and antebellum molasses.

Palate
Seville orange, baking spices, and stewed pears carry the entry, with layered oak spice building depth. Stewed fruits, caramel, dusty leather, fig, apple fruit leather, black pepper, and Red Hots-style cinnamon spice add further complexity, alongside a grainy note some tasters identify as characteristic of Tennessee whiskey production.

Finish
Long, semi-dry, and evolving, closing with charred oak, blood orange, well-aged leather, and heirloom tobacco — a finish that reflects nearly two decades of maturation across highly varied climates and cask types.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Dark chocolate and dried fig
• Aged cheeses
• Rich, spiced desserts
• Roasted nuts

Serving Note

Best enjoyed neat in a Glencairn glass to appreciate the whiskey's full complexity — given its considerable age and cask-strength proof, a few drops of water may help some drinkers if the oak character feels overly pronounced.