Review #: 30
Description: Blanton’s Single Barrel
Spirit: Bourbon
Background: A coveted bottle and example of excellent marketing, Blanton’s comes from Buffalo Trace and their “higher rye” mashbill #2 and aged in Warehouse H. While there are several different lines produced for the Blanton’s line, prior to 2020 the standard bottle was the only expression available in the United States. While the bottle is pretty, the cork heavy and has the horse, and people like to coordinate the dump dates on the label with significant dates in their lives, let’s see if the whiskey is any good to validate it. This came from Rick 7, Barrel 185.
Distillery – Buffalo Trace
Bottler – Buffalo Trace
Brand – Blanton’s
Selection – N/A
ABV – 47.5%
Age – NAS
Nose – Very classic bourbon: cornbread, vanilla, oak, a little bit of spearmint
Taste – Cream soda, vanilla, caramel, fruit jelly
Finish – Savory spices, medium heat that fades slowly with leather and light oak
Score: 7
Would I buy a bottle? Yes, but only at MSRP
Thoughts: From what I’ve been able to gather, this can be one of the most polarizing bourbons available. On one side, it’s highly sought after and I’ve seen posts of stores asking $100-$200 for it. Around me, it’s incredibly hard to find and I had to go out of state to get it. On the other hand, I get the appeal, especially for newer bourbon drinkers. It’s not super high proof so it’s more approachable but retains a high level of complexity. It offers the classic bourbon notes, with some additional distinct notes and balanced with oak. The jammy fruit note I had hear was absolutely delicious. If you can find the 375ml bottles as well, they make fantastic gifts for people. All that saying, $60 for a bottle I think is bang on, but I wouldn’t pay any more than that. There are other great options around there that you don’t need to hunt for. Now just to try some gold or SFTB.