How To Buy Blanton’s Bourbon

Increasing Demand Steady Supply

There is a shortage for Blanton’s bourbons because the demand for this single barrel bourbon exceeds its supply. Although Blanton is all about quality over quantity, the liquor brand can only supply so much at a time.

Even if the supply has increased since 2013 , collector demand has skyrocketed. As a result, Blanton’s is the strange bourbon that rarely surfaces on secondary market forums at inflated prices and is the whiskey thats been vulnerable to hoarding.

For its part, Buffalo Trace has started scanning driver’s IDs at the distillery gift shop so that buyers can only buy one bottle every three months. In addition, duty-free purchases at American airports have increased in the larger market.

B State Run Liquor Store

Another option is available to folks who live in a state-controlled liquor store state or ABC state where the local state government controls the distribution and/or run the stores. These states strictly control what bottles come into the state, where they go, and how theyre priced and sold. That means that price hikes generally never overshoot MSRP. But that also means that lines form early for big releases like Blantons. Some states require a local drivers license to buy booze, but beyond that wrinkle, this is widely considered a great equalizer for buying bottles.

If you live in one of these states, just click the link below to see if you can find some Blantons on the states product and price lists !

Who Makes Blanton’s Bourbon

Buffalo Trace Distillery is the sole producer of Blanton’s Bourbon and its many expressions and limited edition bottlings. All Blanton’s whiskey begins as Buffalo Trace’s #2 mashbill and matures for 6 to 8 years in the distillery’s Warehouse H, a metal-clad rickhouse that’s said to more rapidly age the whiskey inside.

The question of who owns Blanton’s is a more complicated story. Blanton’s was created at the George T. Stagg distillery, but the distillery was owned by Age International at the time. Age International commissioned Elmer T. Lee to make a premium bourbon for the booming Japanese market. In 1992, Age International sold the Stagg distillery and its brands to a Japanese company called Takara Holdings, who then sold the distillery but not the Age International brands to Sazerac . Basically, Sazerac is contracted to make Blanton’s and owns the rights to sell Blanton’s in the U.S., but Takara owns the brand itself.

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How Much Should You Pay For Blantons

Blantons Bourbon has the best price at Costco, around $49.99. If you have the luck to find Blantons Bourbon at other liquor stores, you will be shocked to notice that it sells for about $80 a bottle and even more than that.

On online liquor stores, you can even find a bottle of Baltons Bourbon of 750 ml for $130.

No matter how much you like this whiskey, it isnt easy to justify spending more than $50 on a bottle.

But if you are determined to get a bottle, or you want to impress one of your friends with such an exquisite gift, and you dont mind the extra price, you can get it at the Buffalo Trace Distillerys Gift Shop. Remember that the bottles at this gift shop are usually sold out.

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Why Blantons Bourbon Is So Popular

Winning over 30 awards, and gaining a reputation as a premium bourbon is not the only reason Blantons Bourbon is so popular.

The taste of Blantons is what brings bourbon lovers back to Blantons. A high percentage of rye gives Blantons Bourbon its spicy kick, and the barrels are charred longer than most, giving the drink a deep amber color and richer flavor than many of its competitors.

Average Price:$799

The Whiskey:

This is the youngest release from last years Antique Collection. The juice only spends six years and two months in the barrel. Those barrels live in three warehouses on three different floors. The final blend is unfiltered and bottled at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

This is floral from the top, with stone fruit and cherry lightness. A velvet nature greets you on the sip as classic rye spices cinnamon, anise warm your senses with a slight honey sweetness lurking in the background. The end is brief and full of those floral touches with peppery rye and a final flourish of pine resin.

Bottom Line:

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Sazerac Rye. If Im not in the mood for rye, these expressions always fall flat on my palate. Then, if Im hankering for non-MGP rye with a more nuanced mash bill than 95 percent rye, these tend to be what I reach for. That being said, of all my bottles from Buffalo Trace, these are the dustiest and fullest.

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Here’s How To Find Blanton’s Bourbon

Rumors of Blanton’s Single Barrel showing up in a store can create feverish lines outside overnight. This element of scarcity the thrill of the chase for many, adds to the product’s appeal. According to Find Me A Brewery, the bourbon is tricky to get a hold of for various reasons. For one thing, Blanton’s Single Barrel takes a lot of time and care to produce. Add to that the distribution issues caused by the pandemic and U.S. liquor laws preventing a direct-to-consumer sales model, and you’ve got more demand for this bourbon than supply.

Uproxx suggests various strategies for getting your hands on a bottle. One is to keep your eye on online alcohol stores like Drizly, even setting up alerts for when it goes on sale on their site. You’ve also got the option of hunting down bottles from internet resellers, marked up at a premium, mind you. You can also visit the distillery in Kentucky, but check the website in advance to make sure it’s in the store. If you’re really committed, you could find an airport selling it duty-free, reserve a bottle in advance, and hop on a flight.

Failing those tricks, Uproxx suggests a old-fashioned neighborly approach find a liquor store near you that stocks it, make friends with the manager, then ask for a bottle to be set aside when it comes in. You never know you might get lucky. ‘Till then, happy hunting.

The History Of Blantons Bourbon

Colonel Blanton joined the distillery as a teengar and worked his way up to President over the course of his life. As he grew over the years, Blanton realized he had a natural knack for leadership and developed shrewd business expertise along with a deep knowledge of bourbon-making. He was unimpeded by the many obstacles that the distillery faced because he was on a mission to create the worlds finest bourbon.

A man named Elmer T. Lee joined the distillery in the late 1940s, and when he was near retirement, he was asked to design a high-quality bourbon. This is when he drew upon Blanton for inspiration. He remembered how Blanton would entertain dignitaries by handpicking the best casks and bottle one barrel at a time. Elmer knew Blanton was onto something, and named the bourbon after Blantons incredible craftsmanship.

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All 19 Brands From The Buffalo Trace Distillery Ranked

Buffalo Trace is one of those distilleries thats reached full mythic status. Whiskey lovers from around the world whisper about the secret mash bills, hallowed brick rickhouses, and very rare juice thats made on their stills. Pappy, Eagle Rare, Sazerac Rye, Weller, Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr., and Blantons are all household names in the whiskey world.

But Buffalo Traces roster goes well beyond those signature brands. All told, Buffalo Trace puts out dozens of whiskeys under 19 unique brand names. They also have a bespoke soda pop shingle with ginger ale, root beer, and ginger beer but well save those for another day.

Today, were ranking all 19 brands from Buffalo Trace Distillery and calling out our favorite bottles from each one. Its impossible to do this without taking price and accessibility into this ranking. Buffalo Traces whiskeys are some of the most sought after and, therefore, ridiculously priced whiskeys in the world. They also release some super rare juice that youre probably never going to find outside of the distillery shop, lotteries, or by owning a liquor store of your own. We cant pretend that everyone can get all of these, even if weve been lucky enough to taste them.

In the end, were ranking these bottles and brands by how tasty, affordable, and attainable their expressions are. Its a balancing act, so bear with us lets see how it all shakes out. If you do have a little extra change to spend, click on the price of any bottle that grabs you.

The High Demand For Blantons Bourbons

Due to a high demand, there is a shortage of Blantons single barrel bourbon. The liquor brand is all about quality over quantity, and while it can only supply so much at a time, it will do so with care. All of the letters are written exactly the same way, but they appear to be scattered on the bottle at random, implying that some are harder to find than others. Blantons bottles range in price from $65 to $110 on average.

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Blantons Bourbon Where To Buy

If you purchase the Blantons Bourbon straight from the Buffalo Trace Distillerys Gift Shop, know that the distillerys representatives will scan the buyers drivers licenses.

This helps the distillery track who bought the Bourbon and applied the policy that says one customer can purchase one bottle of Bourbon every 90 days.

Besides Costco and the Buffalo Trace Distillerys Gift Shop, you can also find a bottle of Blantons Bourbon online, even if the odds are that it would be overpriced.

The most popular online stores that sell this whiskey are Drizly and TotalWine.

If you want to check out the famous Amazon to purchase a bottle of Blantons Bourbon, know that it is impossible to find it. But you will find some accessories stamped by Buffalo Trace Distillerys Gift Shop that will serve you original whiskey accessories.

As for other physical stores besides Costco, chances are that you will not find Blantons Bourbon in their selection. But it is still worth a try and odds are that you might end up finding other single-barrel whiskeys, if you are willing to settle for a second-best option.

Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon

Average Price:$75

The Whiskey:

Smoke Wagons meteoric rise can be attributed to their crew masterfully sourcing and blending some of the best barrels from MGP of Indiana that were made available in the modern era. Case in point, the latest batch from the company was a high-rye bourbon that was an instant hit and was filled into bottles with no fussing at all.

Tasting Notes:

Based on Batch 29, expect a nose full of classic bourbon notes of orange oils, cinnamon stewed apples, caramel with a touch of salt, and peachy wood chips. The palate really embraces the fruit and moves from that peach vibe towards a blackberry crumble thats just kissed with nutmeg and clove that leads towards a hint of old leather, singed cedar planks, and a late hint of cherry-touched tobacco. That leather, berry tobacco, and cedar drive the finish towards a dry end.

Bottom Line:

This is just classic from top to bottom. I like sipping on this with a rock but also use it for Manhattans thanks to the higher ABVs.

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Come Back When You’re Older

Sorry, the content of this store can’t be seen by a younger audience. Come back when you’re older.

Looking where to find Blanton’s? Let us make it easy for you. Introduced in 1984, Blantons namesake bourbon was the first ever Single Barrel Bourbon sold commercially. Blantons Single Barrel Bourbon is the first of its kind.

At Wooden Cork, we have over 40 years of experience in selecting and supplying the world’s most coveted liquors. Whether it’s to celebrate a special occasion, give a sentimental gift or simply indulge in a fine glass of your favorite stuff, we are here to deliver the rarest and most desirable liquors. Its easy!

Please Drink Responsibly

WARNING: Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic bevarages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol.The product images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the product. All bottles are 750ml unless otherwise specified.

Blantons Straight From The Barrel: A Bourbon Thats Sure To Please

As a result of the popularity and reputation these names have, there are a few well-known and widely distributed bourbon brands. Old Crow is a well-known Old Crow name, as is Jim Beam. The rest of the field, on the other hand, lacks one name that stands out above the rest: Blantons Straight From The Barrel. This bourbon was made from the final product of Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee, Buffalo Trace Distillery. Its the worlds first commercial bourbon, with a smooth and silky flavor. If youre looking for the perfect bourbon, you couldnt go wrong with Blantons Straight From The Barrel. With its second place finish in the Bourbon category, this is an excellent bourbon for anyone who enjoys the drink.

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Why Is Blanton’s Bourbon So Difficult To Find

Whiskey is sweet, soothing, and oh-so-sippable, it often comes in a classy hand-labeled bottle, and there’s even a chance you’ll profit off an opened bottle if you buy it now and sell it later. And whiskey bourbon collectors get wide-eyed at the mention of Blanton’s Single Barrel. The only trouble is, it’s more than a little bit tricky to find. Of course, chasing this golden unicorn only adds to the drink’s mystique.

When it comes to taste, Blanton’s Single Barrel is up there. In other words, it would be sacrilegious to pour coke into it. No, this is a bourbon for drinking straight or on the rocks, ideally on a porch at sunset. It’s crafted to go down easy, with creamy notes of honey, vanilla, and oak, plus crisp red apple .

When Kentucky’s Buffalo Trace Distillery launched it in 1984, no one else was offering single-barrel bourbons, which simply means that every bottle comes from its own cask rather than blended in larger batches. Blanton’s, according to its website, uses flavor-enhancing charred oak barrels, where the whiskey is left to age for at least eight years. Plus, every single whiskey sold is selected, bottled, and even labeled by hand. And to add to the hunt, there is a total of eight of those collectible jockey and horse bottle stoppers to find. But surely Blanton’s wants to sell as much of their product as possible, right? So why is this bourbon so infuriatingly hard to get ahold of?

Reviews For Blantons Original Single Barrel 750ml

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Why Is It So Hard To Find B

There are many possible reasons for why it might be difficult to find blantons. One possibility is that there is high demand for the product and limited supply. Another possibility is that the company that makes blantons has discontinued the product or is no longer selling it in stores. If you are having difficulty finding blantons, you may want to try searching for them online or contacting the company directly to inquire about where they can be purchased.

Method 6 International Retail

This is also a lot of fun but takes a little investment to, you know, actually, travel.

Again, Japan and Germany are your best options here. Though, this time, its Germany where you want to go for guaranteed retail. Heres a big insider tip for Blantons OG, Gold, and Straight From The Barrel you can get all three at retail shops in Berlin at MSRP. Big luxury shops like KaDeWe in Berlin will have three bottles of all three expressions on the shelf at most times. Regular whisky retailers in Germany will also have Blantons at MSRP pretty much all the time.

This is similar in Japan but those bottles tend to be Japanese-specific releases. Then again, those Japanese-specific releases have a lot more value when you bring them back to the U.S.. Anyway, if you ever needed another reason to travel, getting Blantons for sure is a good one.

Good luck out there this fall! And be sure to read our review of all three Blantons expressions before you pick your poison!

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Single Oak Project Barrel #192

Average Price:$69

The Whiskey:

This was a fascinating set of whiskeys. The project started with finding the perfect barrel to age the perfect whiskey. That meant forest stewardship and sourcing specific oak from the Ozarks to build 192 unique barrels with varying levels of toasting and charring or some combination of the two. The whiskeys were then aged for various times and all eventually released and tasted by 5,645 people .

Turns out Barrel #80 was the prime spot. Thats whats being replicated for a 2025 release.

Tasting Notes:

I didnt get to taste barrel #80. I did get to taste the last release, Barrel #192, which is a very different whiskey than the one picked as the best. It was a wheated bourbon instead of a high-rye one, though the barrel had the same char level and was stored in the same location. Still, there were classic Buffalo Trace notes of caramel, cherry, vanilla, and distinct soft woods. The overall taste was a balancing act between the fruit and sweeter notes with the mild spices and rich tobacco with a vanilla backbone.

Bottom Line:

Its really hard to say which of these are floating around on the secondary market. 192 single barrels does mean a lot of whiskeys went into the world, so you might get lucky. Otherwise, youre going to have to hold tight until 2025 when this is released to a wider audience.