Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon
Spirit: Single Barrel Straight Bourbon
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Aged: NAS (at least 4 years)
Price: $65
Proof: 93
Buffalo Trace Distillery Website
About Buffalo Trace Distillery:
Throughout the challenges of floods, fires, tornadoes, and even Prohibition, the American family-owned Buffalo Trace Distillery has never compromised. A timeless dedication to respecting the past while fearlessly innovating for the future has served us well for more than two centuries. No matter the challenge, be it Mother Nature or man, the people of our Distillery have been part of the story that shaped America and the spirit industry as well.
About J.T.S. Brown:
In the winter of 1881, Albert Bacon Blanton was born into one of the first families of bourbon history. At the age of sixteen, he started work in the Distillery as an office boy and fast became a leading pioneer in the development of bourbon. From the time he was made company president in 1921 until his retirement in 1952, his Distillery expanded from 44 to 144 buildings to become the largest Distillery of its day. During that period Colonel Blanton created his very special and limited supply of bourbon – his private reserve – handpicked and stored in what now is known as the famous Warehouse H. Although Colonel Blanton died in the spring of 1959, his legacy lives. Introduced in 1984, Blanton’s namesake bourbon was the first-ever Single Barrel Bourbon sold commercially. The Single Barrel Bourbon is the first of its kind.
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Nose
(4)
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Palate
(3.5)
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Finish
(3.5)
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Heat vs. Proof
(3.5)
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Value
(4)
Notes & Review
Nose: Clean, crisp, and light nose. Notes of pink peppercorn, baked toffee, baking spice, basil, and floral sweetness.
Palate: Full body with a bold mouthfeel. Has a thin front but it ramps up towards the end of the palate. Floral and caramel sweetness, baking spice, black pepper, charred oak, and a nice and light vegetal and tanned leather note.
Finish: Simple and long finish with notes of black pepper, charred oak, and tobacco before a little floral sweetness and sweet basil creep up right at the end.
Review:
Reviewing Blanton’s is one of those “damned if I do, damned if I don’t” reviews. Half the people are going to be upset I didn’t rate it as the best thing I’ve ever had, the other people are going to be mad that I didn’t review-bomb it. So, let’s get this over with, shall we?
There’s a nice balance that we tasted, but that balance can be skewed or off since it’s a single barrel product. That means that, inherently, there’s going to be a lot of variation between bottles since there isn’t batching to offset the differences accrued between barrels. So, you never know quite what you’re going to get unless you find another bottle of that exact release.
However, I don’t hate Blanton’s. Far from it.
I think Blanton’s is a great bottle for the price at MSRP. Let me repeat, I think it’s good at MSRP. If you’re paying $100+ for a bottle, you’re getting ripped-off plain and simple. The balance between sweet, spice, and earth is nice here. There’s a pop of heat in the middle, much like the Weller line. However, the flavor doesn’t compromise here and it stays a nice and consistent full-bodied experience the whole way through.
If you can find them near retail, it’s a really good sipper. However, don’t go chasing waterfalls. Especially if those waterfalls are bottles of Blanton’s at insane prices.
User Review
( votes)
Greg Sinadinos started his spirits journey writing a whiskey periodical for Fine Tobacco NYC Magazine. He began answering review requests under a social media page he named “Whiskey Culture,” which quickly merged with Greg’s passion for connecting with others and his interest in history.
Today, Greg travels the country not just looking for great whiskey, but also exploring the history and individuals that the whiskey community is founded upon. He has authored “Whiskey History From Around The World” and is the host of “The Rickhouse” web series.
Blantons
A hard whiskey to find but worth the money. It would be my favorite unless you want to talk pappy van winkle
Did you find this review helpful? Yes (1) No
Absolutely agree. It’s definitely worth the money if you can find it at a good price! Classic bourbon profile with a very smooth palate.