Review 201
1/19/14
Blanton’s
Single Barrel: 46.5% abv
Background: Blanton’s
is a bourbon that is distilled at Buffalo Trace distillery. It is owned by
Sazerac Company and was launched in 1984. With the very popular Kentucky Derby
rooted in the traditions of many distilleries, a nifty horse figurine is placed
on every bottle of Blanton’s, with 8 different figurines available (each
representing a letter of BLANTONS). Collect them all (or don’t)! This is a high
rye bourbon, made from mash bill #2. It is advertised as the first single
barrel bourbon bottled, which really offers very little relevance to what this
tastes like or if it’s worth your time…so we’ll focus on that.
Straight
Nose: This
bourbon starts off with a blend of elegant, sweet, creamy flavors. A medley of
berries and cherries, cream and vanilla are huge right off the bat. There is
almost a sense of cheesecake in here. A nice smooth custard flavor is
noticeable. A subtle oak layers in the nose, with rye coming out more as the
whiskey opens up. Along with the rye, more apple and vinegar are showing up in
the whiskey as well. The apple is a lot like stewed apples with cinnamon. To
contrast the big sweet notes, floral notes are also present in the whisky. There
is some brown sugar and cinnamon contributing more to the whisky.
Arrival: The
arrival is spicy and rye-forward. There is honey on the arrival with a bit of
clove adding to the spicy zing. There are notes of brown sugar, cinnamon,
ginger, and nutmeg present. There is a definite oak, with some grain. The
mouth-feel starts syrupy.
Body: The
body is much busier than the arrival, with leather, rye, and wood tannins up
front. There is a cherry syrup flavor, followed by apples and cinnamon. There
is a lot of spice in the body too.
Finish: The
finish is spicy and well rounded, with plenty of rye, oak, and fruit. There is
clove, cinnamon, ginger, mint and pepper present in the finish, with some
cherry sweetness to close out the rye-driven spice. The finish also contains a
bit of the leather character from before. There is a little earthy char flavor
in the finish.
With Water
Nose: After
adding water, there is much more leather and grain flavor coming through. Along
with a slight increase in vanilla smell, a small amount of acetone can be detected
in the aroma.
Arrival: The
arrival dulls out a lot, containing just a bit of additional spiciness.
Body: The
addition of water really kills this whiskey in the body. There is not much to
speak of. The whiskey even starts to taste a little young after adding water,
getting back to the new-make taste.
Finish: The
finish is a little more well-rounded than before, with a slightly noticeable
malt flavor becoming evident. A little bit of that new make carries through
into the finish, with a residual spiciness but less presence.
Final Comments: Blanton’s
fits into a very specific niche. Although Blanton’s isn’t the end all, be all,
it is a really solid offering. If you are looking for an easy to drink Bourbon
that isn’t as sweet as some of the alternatives, then this is a great alternative.
It doesn’t have the complexity to skyrocket it into our top ranks, but it does
offer something in balance that can be hard to find in bourbons.
Why you’d buy it: You
want a nice sipping whisky.
Why you wouldn’t: You are
looking for something to sit down and think about.
Score: 8.5/10
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