Blanton's. This is one of the most sought-out bourbons today. In fact, it's so popular in some places that it has reached myth status (kind of like the Lochness monster) because no-one has ever seen a bottle. That was the case for me for the last 2 years. My ABC store gets these in every so often, but by the time I could get to the store, the bottles would be gone. We're talking in a matter of hours. I had one store clerk tell me they literally have people who show up at delivery time and will buy the entire shipment of Blanton's. Ridiculous.
Well, that all changed for me about 3 weeks ago. I walked into my local store to see what they had on hand and was stunned when I saw 5 bottles of the elixir sitting on the top shelf. Eureka! Of course, I bought a bottle. $60. Ouch, but I suppose it could have been worse. I have heard some private stores selling these for almost double the price.
OK, let's get right to it. Does Blanton's live up to the hype and is it worth the price?
First of all, I would be remiss to not talk about the bottle. It's probably the coolest bottle you will ever come across. Round and multi-faceted with a simple, yet sophisticated label. The stopper is also unique - it's your standard cork but with a jockey and horse monopoly-like figure on the top. In case you are wondering, there are 8 different Blanton's cork stoppers and yes, there is a "thing" to collect all 8 if you can find them. Or you can go to Buffalo Trace or Ebay and buy a set of stoppers. But that's kind of lame, right? I digress.
As you may (or may not know) Blanton's is supposedly the first ever single barrel bourbon, meaning the bourbon in the bottle comes from a single cask. It also comes form a specific location in Warehouse H at Buffalo Trace. From what I know, the bourbon is aged 6-8 years. The mashbill has not been publicly revealed but I understand it is likely mashbill #2 which is one of their rye mashbills. It is bottled at 92 proof.
So, the history, mystique, and bottle are all cool. So, is it worth the $60 price tag? My opinion...... No.
This is where the excitement ended for me. The nose of this bourbon is very plain. Yes, there is corn, vanilla, oak. But there wasn't as much sweetness as I anticipated. When I pay $60, I expect to be wowed. I wasn't.
The taste unfortunately wasn't much better. Now, first of all let me say this. This is a good bourbon. It is very smooth. Very smooth. It also has a good chew. But flavors are very muted. Very underwhelming for a $60 bottle. I decided to shelf it for a week and give it another go to see if it got better with some air. Unfortunately, it didn't. Again, smooth. It tastes like bourbon, but it isn't memorable.
I was bummed, guys and gals. I really had high expectations for this one. I like it about the same as Buffalo Trace. Weller 107, 4 Roses SB, and Henry McKenna 10 yr are superior....and cheaper, some are half the price. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is the same price as Blanton's and blows it out of the water.
Now, one thing to remember about bourbon, especially single barrel bourbons, is each batch is different. Sometimes very different. You get good bottles, very good bottles, and sometimes you get a bad bottle. With bourbon you pretty much can only control the recipe. Everything else is hands off - the wood, weather, etc. So, maybe I got a bad batch. I'm willing to concede that, because everyone raves about Blanton's. I also believe, however, that a good chunk of that $60 you are paying is for that bottle and stopper. Put the bourbon in a regular bottle and I don't think it gets the same hype. Will I buy another bottle? I don't know. Maybe. It's hard to drop $60 when your first experience was a dud. But then again, maybe my second bottle will be a honey bottle. You never know.
I do know this... When I finish this bottle, I'm going to keep it and refill it with Evan Williams White label just to screw with people.
Well, that all changed for me about 3 weeks ago. I walked into my local store to see what they had on hand and was stunned when I saw 5 bottles of the elixir sitting on the top shelf. Eureka! Of course, I bought a bottle. $60. Ouch, but I suppose it could have been worse. I have heard some private stores selling these for almost double the price.
OK, let's get right to it. Does Blanton's live up to the hype and is it worth the price?
First of all, I would be remiss to not talk about the bottle. It's probably the coolest bottle you will ever come across. Round and multi-faceted with a simple, yet sophisticated label. The stopper is also unique - it's your standard cork but with a jockey and horse monopoly-like figure on the top. In case you are wondering, there are 8 different Blanton's cork stoppers and yes, there is a "thing" to collect all 8 if you can find them. Or you can go to Buffalo Trace or Ebay and buy a set of stoppers. But that's kind of lame, right? I digress.
As you may (or may not know) Blanton's is supposedly the first ever single barrel bourbon, meaning the bourbon in the bottle comes from a single cask. It also comes form a specific location in Warehouse H at Buffalo Trace. From what I know, the bourbon is aged 6-8 years. The mashbill has not been publicly revealed but I understand it is likely mashbill #2 which is one of their rye mashbills. It is bottled at 92 proof.
So, the history, mystique, and bottle are all cool. So, is it worth the $60 price tag? My opinion...... No.
This is where the excitement ended for me. The nose of this bourbon is very plain. Yes, there is corn, vanilla, oak. But there wasn't as much sweetness as I anticipated. When I pay $60, I expect to be wowed. I wasn't.
The taste unfortunately wasn't much better. Now, first of all let me say this. This is a good bourbon. It is very smooth. Very smooth. It also has a good chew. But flavors are very muted. Very underwhelming for a $60 bottle. I decided to shelf it for a week and give it another go to see if it got better with some air. Unfortunately, it didn't. Again, smooth. It tastes like bourbon, but it isn't memorable.
I was bummed, guys and gals. I really had high expectations for this one. I like it about the same as Buffalo Trace. Weller 107, 4 Roses SB, and Henry McKenna 10 yr are superior....and cheaper, some are half the price. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is the same price as Blanton's and blows it out of the water.
Now, one thing to remember about bourbon, especially single barrel bourbons, is each batch is different. Sometimes very different. You get good bottles, very good bottles, and sometimes you get a bad bottle. With bourbon you pretty much can only control the recipe. Everything else is hands off - the wood, weather, etc. So, maybe I got a bad batch. I'm willing to concede that, because everyone raves about Blanton's. I also believe, however, that a good chunk of that $60 you are paying is for that bottle and stopper. Put the bourbon in a regular bottle and I don't think it gets the same hype. Will I buy another bottle? I don't know. Maybe. It's hard to drop $60 when your first experience was a dud. But then again, maybe my second bottle will be a honey bottle. You never know.
I do know this... When I finish this bottle, I'm going to keep it and refill it with Evan Williams White label just to screw with people.
Comment