I happened to find this bottle sitting on the shelf of a big box liquor store while I was out of town. The Kiawah Blend was a limited release from April 2024, the fourth in 2XO’s Icon Series. Given that, I feel pretty lucky to have found one. Sometimes it pays to see what is sitting on somebody else’s shelves.
I have already reviewed 2XO French Oak, The Sneakerhead Blend, and Gem of Kentucky Barrel #161, so regular readers know I am a fan of Dixon Dedman’s work. Finding an earlier limited release that I had missed was a pretty easy excuse to buy another bottle.
The name is a nod to Kiawah Island in South Carolina, where Dixon vacationed with his family as a child and later began taking his own children, according to the release announcement. The bourbon itself is Kentucky straight bourbon, bottled at 104 proof, with an original suggested retail price of $99.99, as reported by Bottle Raiders.
2XO stands for Two Times Oak, and this blend uses two bourbon mashbills, one containing 35% rye and the other 18% rye, according to the launch coverage. The higher rye bourbon makes up 60% of the blend and spends an additional nine months to a year in new charred oak barrels, using both number 3 and number 4 char levels, per that same release announcement. That is a substantial second dose of new oak, and tasting this bourbon, I would say it definitely left its mark.
The color is a very deep amber with some subtle hints of mahogany. On the swirl is a big thick film and thick legs, which I am definitely happy to see.
On the nose, caramel and oak lead, with some hints of spice and citrus. A very traditional bourbon nose, but the oak makes its presence known right away.
On the palate, caramel and baking spice are dominant, with hints of vanilla, citrus, dark fruit, cardamom, bitters, and a whole lot of oak. There is quite a bit going on here, but the oak is certainly not just hanging out in the background. The secondary maturation really left its mark on this bourbon, and the caramel, fruit, and spice give me plenty to pay attention to alongside all that wood.
On the finish, cardamom, clove, and oak really linger, with some hints of bitters complementing the finish. The spice and oak carry through from the palate rather than disappearing after the sip. This is very much an oak-forward bourbon from nose to finish.
The amount of oak on this really reminds me of the Kentucky Owl releases before the brand was sold to Stoli. That is a comparison I mean as a compliment; Dixon Dedman, 2XO’s master blender, was one of the founders of Kentucky Owl, and for whatever reason they didn’t have him sign a non-compete. There is something about the combination of caramel, layered spice, bitters, and all that oak that takes me right back to what I enjoyed about those bourbons. Kentucky Owl was a label; Dedman’s bourbon remains Dedman’s bourbon.
If your preference is for a sweeter bourbon with the oak kept well in the background, this may not be your bottle. But if, like me, you enjoyed that older Kentucky Owl profile, there is a lot to appreciate here. I am glad I stopped in that store, and even happier that this particular bottle was still sitting on the shelf.