Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon Review

This is another review I did as part of the Reddit whiskey network series of community reviews. This particular review was for /r/bourbon.

There is perhaps no more iconic whiskey in all of bourbon than Blanton’s. The brainchild of former Buffalo Trace master distiller Elmer T. Lee, it is said to be the world’s first single barrel bourbon (though it’s important to note that “single barrel” actually carries no legal significance). At the time of its release in the mid 1980s, the concept of a off-the-shelf premium bourbon was virtually nonexistent so Blanton’s is considered a quintessential product in the history of our beloved native spirit.

Rather than regurgitate information on the brand, if you are interested in reading more about Blanton’s (particularly how it’s aged), I’d encourage you to read Red White & Bourbon’s excellent writeup on the subject: Blanton’s Single Barrel & Warehouse H.

No age statement; 46.5% ABV; Barrel No. 5, Warehouse H, Rick No. 53; $60

Nose: Vanilla, light fruit, caramel, wood, slight soft spice. It’s a nice, classic bourbon smell that’s not too sweet, not too woody, and not overly hot.

Taste: Upfront is lots of caramel wood sweets and also some fruit notes like peaches or pears. The finish is pretty sweet as well and while there is some oak, it’s definitely not wood forward nor does it have a lot of bitterness. The finish is really the only part where I pick up on any rye spice but it does have a nice tingle. The proof here is nice and it has enough age on it that the raw ethanol alcohol notes are well tamed. While it doesn’t taste young, my only complaint is that the lack of wood depth makes it somewhat short on complexity.

Thoughts: A classic but simple bourbon. For moderate to novice drinkers, this is a great bourbon and as such makes for a nice gift, especially considering the fancy bottle design and somewhat “prestigious” price point. For those more experienced with whiskey, the lack of complexity will make it somewhat boring. Other than that and the price, I can’t really find any faults with it.

Rating: B-

Value: As always, I don’t factor price into my ratings. At $60 retail, I can think of other whiskeys that are a much better value and that’s a big reason why I don’t regularly stock it. Four Roses Single Barrel and Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond are two products that come to mind which are much cheaper and better whiskeys.