2XO Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Icon Series Kiawah Blend
Updated: Jul 24
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age.
About This Spirit from the Maker
Source: Kiawah Blend - 2XO Whiskey
Kiawah Blend
Icon Series
The Kiawah Blend is the fourth release in the ICON SERIES, a series of limited time, small batch blends. Each blend is different and bears its own name and symbol, inspired by something in Dixon’s life. The Kiawah Blend is a nod to Dixon’s happy place where he goes with family and friends to relax, unwind, and recharge. The Kiawah Blend’s mouthfeel is viscous and rich, moving from initial sweetness on the front of the palate, to more savory notes on the mid-palate, and finishing with a lingering peppery spice.
Release Date: April 2024
Tasting Notes
Nose: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, Cedarwood
Taste: Vanilla, Oak, Clove, Lemon
Finish: Peppery Spice
About This Spirit from The Whisky Advocate
Source: https://whiskyadvocate.com/2xo-the-kiawah-blend
2XO The Kiawah Blend
Score 93 ● ABV: 52% ● Price: $100 ● Style: Bourbon ● Origin: Kentucky
Named for South Carolina’s Kiawah Island, a special place to blender Dixon Dedman, this has a luscious nose of gingerbread, spearmint, cigar leaf, and chai spices. The palate stays the course, introducing cola, sweet tea, raisins, maplewood, and syrupy raspberries. While the whiskey’s spiced aromas and flavors are more pronounced, apples, peaches, and fruit leather provide backbone. The finish is malty and stout-like, with roasted grains, charred oak, and dark chocolate flecked with sea salt.
—Shane English
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age.
How We Feel About the Spirit
2XO Kiawah Blend Review: A Top 20 Treasure for Our Sipping Room Collection
Written by Nancy Fae for His, Hers & the Good Life
Introduction
The inaugural year of our Sipping Room has been defined by a single quest: collect all 20 bottles from Whisky Advocate’s Top 20 of 2024. It’s been a hunt filled with serendipity, stubbornness, and more than a few “Did we already buy this?” moments. Somewhere between the airport lounges, the weekend road trips, and the triumphant shelf scans, we found ourselves in Total Wine Nashville staring at a bottle that felt like a promise.
2XO Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Icon Series Kiawah Blend — Score 93, ABV 52% —
#14 on the Top 20.
It was early in our hunt, which made us wildly overconfident. We assumed the rest of the Top 20 would fall into place just as easily. (Spoiler: they did not.) But this bottle, with its confident stance and the unmistakable Dixon Dedman touch, became one of the first anchors of our Sipping Room collection.
We haven’t opened it yet. That’s part of the ritual — letting anticipation steep. When we do, it will be in a blind tasting alongside other bourbons, a quiet challenge to see if we can discern what earned it that #14 spot.
His Take (Jeff)
There’s something about this bottle that feels like a reward for persistence. I remember scanning the shelves in Nashville, half expecting nothing, and then there it was — the Kiawah Blend, sitting like it had been waiting for us. The 52% ABV caught my eye first. Dixon Dedman doesn’t shy away from boldness, and that’s exactly what I want from a bourbon in the Icon Series.
I’m curious about how the 2XO double-barrel approach will show up in a blind tasting. I’m expecting layers — maybe a little heat, maybe a little sweetness, maybe something that surprises me. Mostly, I’m looking forward to seeing if I can pick it out from the lineup. I’ve been wrong before, but I’m getting better at trusting my palate.
This bottle feels like a milestone in our Top 20 journey. Early find, early victory, early confidence. I’m ready to see if it lives up to the hype.
Her Take (Nancy Fae)
I remember the moment we spotted it — that little spark of triumph that comes from recognizing a Top 20 label in the wild. The Kiawah Blend has a certain elegance to it, a quiet confidence that fits beautifully into the Sipping Room’s growing narrative. Score 93, ABV 52% — those numbers alone make it feel like a bottle with something to say.
What I love most is that it represents the beginning of our collection story. We were still fresh, still optimistic, still convinced the hunt would be easy. This bottle reminds me of that early excitement, the kind that makes you believe you’re about to build something special.
I’m eager for the blind tasting. I want to see if I can pick up the nuances, the craftsmanship, the signature 2XO depth. But for now, I’m content with the anticipation — the way this bottle sits on the shelf, hinting at future evenings of discovery.
Closing in the His, Hers & the Good Life Style
His (Jeff)
This bottle is a reminder that the hunt is half the fun. Finding it early made me think the Top 20 would be a breeze, but it turned out to be one of the few easy wins. I’m ready to crack it open and see if the Kiawah Blend earns its place in the lineup.
Her (Nancy Fae)
The Kiawah Blend feels like a chapter marker in our Sipping Room story. The moment when the collection began to take shape. It’s a bottle that carries both promise and nostalgia, and I’m excited to see what it reveals when we finally taste it.
The Good Life
This bottle fits into our Good Life because it represents the joy of the hunt, the thrill of discovery, and the shared adventure of building something meaningful together. It’s not just bourbon. It’s part of our story.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age.
How to Enjoy
Blind Tasting: Line it up with other bourbons of similar proof and let your palate do the work.
Neat: At 52% ABV, it deserves a slow, thoughtful pour.
With a Drop of Water: Opens up deeper layers in Dixon Dedman’s double-barrel style.
Sipping Room Ritual: Enjoy it during a quiet evening, maybe with jazz in the background and the bottle list nearby for comparison.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age.
Disclaimer: Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age. Life’s Rants promotes the responsible and legal enjoyment of premium cigars and alcohol by individuals of legal age. We do not endorse or encourage smoking or drinking among minors.
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