Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Proof: 93
Age: NAS
Mashbill: Undisclosed
BACKGROUND: Blanton's was first released by Buffalo Trace in 1984 under the guidance of then master distiller Elmer T. Lee. Blanton's was as the first modern bourbon brand marketed as a single barrel bourbon. Every bottle of Blanton's is produced from a single barrel. Every barrel of Blanton's is dumped by hand without using machines. Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon is typically aged for 6 to 8 years and is aged in Warehouse H at Buffalo Trace. Warehouse H is the only metal-cladded warehouse at Buffalo Trace and was commissioned for construction by Albert B. Blanton shortly after the end of the Prohibition era. Being a metal-cladded warehouse, Warehouse H transfers heat quicker than brick warehouses which allows for more rapid aging.
NOSE: The nose on Blanton's is very citrus forward. Following the citrus you smell some vanilla, oak, and cinnamon. There is a slight ethanol burn with this one but not too strong. The nose is a little bit on the lighter side but that's not to say it's not good. (22/25)
PALATE: Really smooth and dominated by more citrus, caramel and oak. There is some oak spice rather than a rye spice taste which we describe as being a sweeter spice. Blanton's does have a full mouthfeel and is very balanced. It does have a slight kick to it which is nice being it has a lower proof. (36/40)
FINISH: We feel as though Blanton's has a slightly shorter finish that disappointed us but it has some cracked pepper, oak, and some burnt caramel. It left our mouth a little tingly which made us crave another sip. (21/25)
VALUE: Blanton’s carries an SRP of $55, however, you will be hard pressed to find it at that price. We see Blanton's regularly priced north of $100 which is way too much. We think this is a good buy if you can get it for $75 or less. (8/10)
Overall: 87/100
FINAL THOUGHTS: Blanton's is one of those whiskeys that has a passionate following and crazy allure. It is really tasty, has some unique citrusy/sweet notes and a great buy at SRP. We really enjoy ourselves a glass of Blanton's every now and then, however, there are so many whiskeys regularly available on the shelf that are just as good if not better so don't get down if you can't find yourself a bottle.
Similar & Slightly Better Whiskey: Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond
Similar & Equal Whiskey: 1792 Single Barrel
Similar & Slightly Worse Whiskey: Jefferson's Ocean Voyage 20
Tell us what you think and give us some feedback!
Scoring Legend:
96-100: The perfect dram, juice of the gods
90-95: Bear perfect, truly incredible whiskey
85-89: Amazing whiskey, will always try to keep a backup bottle of this
80-84: Very good, some minor flaws here or there
75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink, Will try and keep a bottle on the shelf
70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get this
60-69: Decent, would offer this up to non whiskey drinkers
50-59: Not my cup of tea
