Liquor Review: Blanton’s Bourbon

     Sometimes you walk into a store and see something you cannot leave without.  Blanton’s Bourbon was just that something.  It’s bottle is shaped like a grenade and there is a horse on top; how could I go wrong with this stuff?

     As it turns out, I had picked up a bottle of the world’s oldest single-barrel bourbon originally introduced in 1984.  Since then, the Buffalo Trace Distillery has introduced several other products bearing the same name, these include Silver, Gold, and Special Reserve.  Unfortunately for a lot of us, none of the other Blanton’s Bourbons are available purchase in the U.S.

     Colonel Albert Bacon Blaton is this bourbon’s namesake.  The Colonel was really a self made man who started working at the distillery in 1897 as an office boy (not exactly prestigious).  However, by 1921, he had managed to work his way up to the president of the whiskey plant.  The Colonel’s guidance helped the distillery operate through some tough times, including prohibition.  As it turns out, the tragedy that was prohibition worked out better for the bourbon drinkers of today.  Immediately after it ended, the distillery wanted to quickly increase its production.  So they threw together the tin clad warehouse “H,” which it where all Blanton’s spends it time aging.  Warehouse H is special because it acts like a oven during the summer creating a more intense maturation.  The astute drinkers among us will notice that, along with the warehouse, the barrel and rick numbers have been noted on the bottle.  The alcoholics among us will simply chug the bourbon, smash the bottle, and try to fashion the stopper as a hood ornament.  If you are the latter, Rebel Yell might be more suited to your needs.  If you are the former and find a bottle you particularly enjoy, you may want to record those numbers and try to pick up another bottle from the same origin.

     Let’s move to the most important part, the stuff in the bottle.  This bourbon does a lot of things well.  It is relatively smooth.  It has a nice carmel flavor and an extremely long finish where you can really taste the barrel.  Unfortunately, it does not really excel at anything.  It seems to be the Jaguar of the whiskey world.  It is expensive, looks nice, but does not perform as well as some cheaper alternatives.  At $58 a fifth, there are definitely a number of cheaper alternatives.   Don’t get me wrong, I do like this bourbon, just not enough to justify the price.  I felt like it was a little too hot, yet too easily watered-down if I let sit for long with some ice.  Even though the taste is a little delicate, Blanton’s will still get you drunk.  At 93-proof, it is no lightweight.  I had a little cotton mouth the next morning, but nothing a little water could not fix.

     Blanton’s is a good bourbon.  Unfortunately, the only thing memorable about it is the price.  Maybe, I just got a sub-par bottle, which is a risk you take with single-barrel products.  Until someone convinces me otherwise,  this is the only bottle of Blanton’s that will find itself in my liquor collection.

Sipability - 7.5

Mixability - N/A

Drunkability - 7.0

Hangover-ability - 8.0

Bang for the Buck - 6.0

Overall - 7.5 

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