Blanton’s Original Single Barrel

Distillery: Buffalo Trace

Age: No Age Statement

Proof: 93

Verdict: I’ll probably get some hate for liking this, but… I do.

Score: 7.75

“It’s just a fancy bottle”

“It’s overpriced”

“It’s underproofed”

“It’s overrrated”

“It’s all hype”

All things it’s very possible to hear said about Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Bourbon.

Still, no matter how you feel, it’s hard to deny that it’s a marketing home run. Blanton’s is probably the most recognizable whiskey bottle out there. Buffalo Trace dumps this stuff all day every day and it’s still difficult to find. So many folks plugged into the bourbon community claim they can’t understand why. It’s to the point where asking stores for Blanton’s has become a meme.

But, love it or hate it, you can’t talk about bourbon for long without talking about Blanton’s.

Because of all the hype, it’s tough to go into this bottle without some sort of expectations. Yet somehow, a few months ago, I did. It was one of the first rare bottles I managed to find and I cracked it before reading much about it. Maybe that’s how I was able to enjoy it. I found it to be delightfully sweet and smooth, with light notes of vanilla, caramel, honey, oak, and tingly rye spice. The finish has a small amount of heat but there’s zero astringency, nothing spiky, and nothing displeasing in the sip. It definitely tastes like a classic balanced bourbon, and it’s very easy to drink. And while I could understand the criticism from a connoisseur that it’s maybe a little thin or underproofed, to the less experienced (or less proof-conscious), I think it’s pretty great.

As mentioned, it has become hard to find and some people hate it just for that reason. The price has also gone up in recent years, with MSRP climbing to somewhere around $65 as of writing (though even more rare at that price). The bottle toppers can be collected, each of which contain a single letter, spelling out “Blanton’s” and showing a galloping horse & jockey animation when fully assembled as a set. Some people also chase after specific dump dates - the date that the bourbon went from barrel to bottle - which are written on each label, but can be tricky to track down. Between all these gimmicks, the pop culture references, and the fancy packaging it’s hard to pinpoint just what started the craze.

Blanton’s may be polarizing, but it’s certainly part of bourbon history. It was created in 1984 to compete with the success of Maker’s Mark. It was the first bourbon to come exclusively from a single barrel… Thus, the “original.” It also wasn’t immediately successful, and was pretty readily available up until just a few years ago.

So, in short, I like the stuff. I don’t care if that makes me a “tater.” Ultimately, you should find a pour and make up your mind for yourself. Maybe read a little about Colonel Blanton while you do it.

Here’s the cheapest shipped bottle I could locate (they’re all marked up, of course):

Find Blanton’s Original on THE LIST. Until next time.

G