Blanton’s Original Single Barrel 3-4-2019 Review
Blanton’s Single Barrel Original: Specs
Classification: Bourbon
Origin: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Mashbill: Buffalo Trace Mashbill #2 (High-Rye)
Proof: 93 (46.5% ABV)
Dump Date: 3-4-2019, Rick 1 in Warehouse H
Location: Bottle 201, Barrel 133
Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Price: $60 (MSRP)
Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Bourbon: Tasting Notes
Eye: Dark caramel, long thick legs and a thin-medium rim.
Nose: Caramel-covered fruits. To me, this competes with Elijah Craig for defining what a bourbon should smell like. It’s like you mix a fruity Four Roses recipe, the caramel and vanilla from Heaven Hill, and a hint of the nutty richness from Jim Beam.
Palate: Vanilla and caramel coat the tongue with the tiniest whiff of alcohol heat and white pepper. Some red grape sweetness develops after a few sips carried by a coating, medium-bodied mouthfeel. Berries and stone fruits abound here. The nuttiness is the only note that doesn’t carry from the nose.
Finish: Medium-length, fruity and evaporative.
Overall: There’s a reason Blanton’s is my favorite. Banton’s Straight from the Barrel is my top-rated whiskey, and each of the Blanton’s and other mashbill 2 products from Buffalo Trace rate at least 89 or higher on a 100-point scale for me. But Blanton’s Original is the one that started it all in 1984, and the one I could as my house bourbon if I can keep my stocks up (that is, if I don’t drink it before I get to share!).
Final Rating: 7.9
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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