Distiller: Buffalo Trace Distilling

Release: 2019

Bourbon: Blanton’s

Region: Frankfort, Kentucky

Price: $60.00

Proof: 93.0

Age:  6-8 years

The Barrel Cellar Score:  88 Points

Review Date: 02/15/2020

About the Bourbon: Blanton’s has perhaps become the most recognizable Bourbon on the market thanks to the iconic racing horse on the cork and the fantastic bourbon in the bottle. Named after Colonel Blanton, a bourbon pioneer, Blanton’s bourbon was the first commercially produced single barrel bourbon, and it is aged to this day in warehouse H the same warehouse in which the Colonel aged his first barrels.

I enjoyed the whiskey for this review using a set of  Prestige diamond whiskey glasses.

Color: Maple syrup with a slight copper hue.

Nose:  Right out of the bottle I noticed notes of tea leaves and dried fruits. After letting the pour rest for about 20 minutes it started to open up with touches of vanilla and cherry syrup.  One note I found significant was the lack of any ethanol on the nose.

Taste: Toasted oats, orange citrus, mint, leather and a touch of honey. The bourbon is full bodied and quite smooth, most of the nice flavor notes fade rather quickly mid-palate, with a little spice at the end.  Drop a couple of cubes in and notes of vanilla cream and some really nice earthy notes emerge.

Finish: Medium to short finish. Black pepper, honey, and leather.

Assessment: The strength of Blanton’s lies in its body and the smooth texture from beginning to end.  The tea leaves on the nose are a nice surprise, and the flavor notes up front are also nice.  The balance in body and texture keeps the heat spice on the finish restrained.  Also, there is a fantastic creaminess that makes me understand why Blanton’s receives the praise and reputation it does.  

The Barrel Cellar gives Blanton’s Bourbon 88 points.  It is a very good bottle of bourbon. I’m happy to keep a bottle on my shelf at the current MSRP of $60, but I pine for the days when I could easily find a bottle priced around $45.