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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     This is truly a sad day.  Anheuser-Busch has announced that beer prices are going up.  Apparently, the cost of commodities such as hops and barley have risen recently and the company has decided to pass that increase right along to the consumer.  Great!  This increase will, of course, allow them to sustain their profits from Budweiser, Bud Light and Michelob.  The company is also announcing that they will be boosting advertising spending by double digits in 2008.  While this increase in price might lead to more sober fans at NASCAR events, at least we will hear a few more “Real Men of Genius” commercials.  With both announcements coming at the same time, one can only wonder if this is just a company struggling with inflation, or corporate greed at work. 

     The news of the beer price increase must have hit this guy pretty hard.  In Dublin, Ireland, he stole 180 kegs of Budweiser, 180 kegs of Guinness, and 90 kegs of Carlsberg lager.  Exactly what super sleuth skills did he use to obtain all this brew?  He simply drove a truck into the Guinness brewery, hooked it to a trailer, and drove out with his new-found refreshment.  Now, the staff at BoozeBasher does not condone this sort of activity.  However, should one of our readers find themselves with 180 kegs of Guinness and nowhere to store it, we will be glad to help.

     In the end, I doubt the price increases will have much effect on today’s beer drinkers.  The brewers have us stuck between an empty wallet, and an empty beer mug.  Somebody pass me a beer.

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     Looking at a bottle of Royale Chambord, you know one thing, this stuff is fancy.  Just look at it.  Sitting there all high and mighty with its gold color plastic lining and little gold crown, this definitely has to be the most stuck up bottle of the liqueur world.  So with all this outer glory, let’s see if the raspberry liquid inside is really all it’s made up to be.

     Royale Chambord is a black raspberry flavored liqueur imported from France.  Black raspberries, or framboises noires as they are known in France, are infused with a fine cognac that has been mellowed and aged at least four years in oak barrels.  After this basic infusion, red raspberry, currants, and blackberry extracts are added.  Closer to the end of the liqueur-making process, spices such as mace, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and vanilla are added along with several other herbs.  Acacia honey is also added before the entire mixture is then aged in barrels.  All this gives Chambord its dark purple color and makes a very unique raspberry-flavored liqueur.

     Chambord’s flavor really makes you think you’re drinking watered-down cough syrup.  I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing.  The raspberry taste is really strong but not overpowering.  Shaken with ice, this liqueur isn’t too bad, but I have no idea why anyone would want to drink this alone.  For Chambord’s bottle to have such a bold crown, it is really weak.  So solo sipping of this one is really just a waste.  Why drink this spirit alone when it mixes so well?  There  aren’t many shots or cocktails mixed with Chambord that don’t taste delicious.  The raspberry flavor mixes so effortlessly that you will want to experiement to discover new magical cocktails or shots that you can create.  As you may expect from most fruity liquor blends, women will love it.  It’s a fact.  I think I saw it written in a science book somewhere.  You will surely be able to find something delicious to make with Chambord.  Personally, I enjoy one shot of Chambord to three shots of my favorite vodka or whatever vodka is in the bottle that is next to me when I awaken.

     Most Liqueurs are known for their flavor, not their strength, and Chambord is no different.  It is merely 33-proof.  You can drink it all day and probably not catch a buzz.  I guess coming from someone who drinks Everclear 151 like most people drink coffee, that comment doesn’t mean that much.  Even if you are a causal drinker, you won’t be getting wasted off this one alone.  But on the positive side, no drunk means no hangover.  Any morning where you can awwaken and stand straight up without collapsing from the pain of a massive headache is a good one.

     Chambord is a bit pricey at $25 for a 375ml bottle.  I’m not sure if Chambord is really worth that price unless you have some weird love of fancy bottles.  But if you see it on sale, which does seem to happen often, making the price $5 less, then you might want to grab a bottle.  As a added bonus, you can buy a big gold chain to hang the bottle from, full or empty, and have so much bling that it would bring shame upon any rapper.  Hmm…jewelry that holds liquor.  Now that sounds like a good idea.

Sipability - 8.0

Mixability - 8.5

Drunkability - 1.5

Hangover-ability - 9.0

Bang for the Buck - 6.0

Chick-appeal - 7.0

Overall - 7.0 

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