Blanton's Bourbon

About

Blanton's has a fair claim to starting a whole category. When it launched in 1984, it was the first bourbon sold as a single barrel, meaning each bottle came from one hand-selected barrel rather than a blend of many. That idea, credited to Buffalo Trace master distiller Elmer T. Lee and named for Colonel Albert B. Blanton, is now standard practice across the industry. Blanton's is still made at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. Because every bottle comes from a single barrel, no two are exactly alike. That variation is part of the appeal, and it's a big reason Blanton's has stayed in demand for decades without an age statement to lean on. What makes Blanton's a single barrel bourbon? Most bourbon is batched, with whiskey from many barrels blended together to keep the flavor consistent from bottle to bottle. Blanton's takes the opposite approach. Each bottle is drawn from one barrel, pulled from the center-cut sections of the distillery's Warehouse H, so what you taste reflects that specific barrel rather than an averaged-out house style. The tradeoff is small differences from bottle to bottle, which is exactly what a lot of drinkers are after in a single barrel bourbon . What does Blanton's taste like? Blanton's tends to read as sweet and balanced rather than heavy. The nose leans toward caramel, vanilla, and honey, with a little orange peel and the clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon baking spice that comes from its rye content. The palate follows with more caramel and vanilla, toasted oak, and a touch of dried fruit, before a medium finish of oak and gentle spice. At 93 proof, the Original sits in an easy, approachable range that works neat or over a large cube. For a closer look at the profile and the collectible packaging, our Blanton's flavor and collectibles guide goes deeper. How is Blanton's made and aged? Blanton's uses the higher-rye of Buffalo Trace's two mash bills, which is where its lively spice and sweet caramel notes come from. The barrels