The Classic Blantons Label
Blanton’s label is as attractive as the horse stopper. Blanton’s meticulously records each stage of the manufacturing method for each product.
For a time, schools quit teaching cursive, but it’s making a reappearance. We like to think it’s because the next generation won’t be able to grasp Blanton’s label. Because all that flowing calligraphy tells you the barrel number, the number of the rick from which the barrel was taken, the proof the bourbon was bottled at, the finished bottle’s ABV, and even the day the bourbon was poured.
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.
The Interesting History Of Blantons Bourbon
Buffalo Trace Distillery, located in Kentucky, is well-known for its bourbon, as is its bourbon history. Albert Bacon Blanton was one of the first pioneers of bourbon, and his first bourbon was produced in 1881. Sazerac Company has since manufactured it in the United States, and Buffalo Trace distributes it.
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It Tastes Like No Other
Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon is a unique bourbon that tastes like no other. It is a deep amber color with a gorgeous red hue. The bourbon starts off with a creamy feel with notes of vanilla and caramel. Do not be fooled: While this bourbon does gain some sweetness from its corn-based mash, it is pleasantly dry. Blanton’s goes on to have rich and spicy notes with hints of nutmeg and, appropriately, corn. All of this works together to create a harmonious and enriching pour.
This bourbon is perfectly balanced and the critics agree about its quality and desirability. Whiskey Bible referred to it as “liquid gold” and bottles of Blanton’s have won a staggering number of awards. Blanton’s has figured out how to balance the sweet and spicy notes of bourbon and reach perfection without blending barrels. They rely entirely on quality ingredients and production to produce an excellent bourbon.
Q: Why Blanton’s What Did You Start With
I’m all in on Blanton’s. I may have two other bourbons in my house at most I’m not a well-rounded bourbon collector. My boss suggested it to me, gave it to me as a gift and I liked the horse toppers and collecting the letters like most people.
That brought me to the internet and Googling it. When I stumbled into photos of the other varieties, and some of the Japanese releases, it was over. I travel to Japan for work so I thought I’d bring some home. I found the standard lineup the Red, Gold and Black at the time and I was bringing them back in huge quantities. I think one time I brought back 28 bottles in one go.
At that point, I didn’t think I could own them all so I thought I could document them. Eventually I started hunting them down like Pokémon.
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Q: What’s The Most Valuable Or Rarest Bottle You Own
The first thing you should know is it’s not like Pappy, where bottles comes out once every year. Most of these bottles came out of one or two barrels in one place 10 or 20 years ago it’s a different kind of thing.
Most Blanton’s collectors would call my Sterling Silver the unicorn. A lot of people call it the ‘Starling’ because the name tag was printed with a misspelling of ‘sterling’ on it, but the documentation that comes with the bottle calls it the ‘Sterling.’ The story is that there’s fewer than 100 bottles ever in existence, but there’s not much in the way of verifiable proof of that.
But the true unicorn is the 2012 Le Maison Du Whisky release. They only made one barrel’s worth of bottles in those days, so they’re far more rare. The bar didn’t even hang onto one. They’ve got most of the old ones in there, but not the old one.
The third bottle is the Tazuka 100 year anniversary. There are only seven bottles we know of in the collecting community, and I’ve got two of them.
The 2007 LMDW with the handwritten label was called the Private Stock, that one is very rare as well.
How Blanton’s Came To Be
Single Barrel Bourbon started with Blantons in 1984. Nearing retirement, Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee was tasked with creating a bourbon of exceptionally high quality. With careful reflection, he recalled the earlier days of his career in the late 1940s when he worked under Colonel Albert B. Blanton. Colonel Blanton was the president of the distillery until 1952. Mr. Lee remembered that when Colonel Blanton would entertain dignitaries and other important guests he would handpick honey barrels from the center cut of Warehouse H and have that bourbon bottled one barrel at a time. As a tribute to Colonel Blantons old tradition, Elmer T. Lee decided to name this new bourbon Blantons Single Barrel.
Elmer T. Lee introduced the world to Blantons Single Barrel Bourbon a year before he retired. In doing so, he revolutionized the industry by creating the super premium category of bourbon with the worlds first single barrel bourbon. This idea was somewhat radical at the time because it challenged the identity of what most folks thought bourbon to be. Today, most distilleries offer one or more single barrel bottlings, but Blantons was the first, and we still believe the finest, single barrel on the market.
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Blanton’s Is Best Drunk Straight
Look, we will level with you here. You can mix good whiskey. Heck, you can mix great whiskey. But do you really want to be the person at the bar paying exorbitant amounts of money to put a top shelf whiskey in a cocktail where you can barely taste it just because you can? No, you do not. Companies do not go to all the effort of creating and aging high quality whiskey for years sometimes decades for them to be bogged down with sugars and syrups.
That being said, Blanton’s is not the most expensive whiskey out there and if you want to mix it, we can’t stop you. But the best way to appreciate the flavors and subtleties of good whiskey such as Blanton’s Single Barrel is to drink it straight or, perhaps, on the rocks. If you really want to, you can also add a splash of water or club soda but with Blanton’s less is more.
Things You Need To Know About Blantons Single Barrel Bourbon
Mystical, beautiful, and all-too elusive the unicorn bottles of the world are loved by many, but getting a bottle is no easy task. As impossible as it may seem to spot a single-horned beast in the wild, it can be even harder to find a unicorn drink on shelves. Blantons single-barrel bourbon wasnt always so hard to find. It made its 1984 debut in the U.S. at a sweet price of $24 and effectively put single-barrel bourbon on the map.
Before you start hunting for a bottle of your own, here are 15 things you need to know about Blantons.
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Where To Buy It
You can buy Blantons bourbon at the Buffalo Trace Distillerys Gift Shop, provided the label isnt sold out.
However, per the Gift Shop policy, the labels are subject to the days availability . There is also a strict policy of only one bottle per customer per 90 days.
Of course, some small retailers sell Blantons bourbon but expect a high price markup due to its limited availability. Some online stores, like Drizly and TotalWine, also sell Blantons bourbon noticeably higher than its standard MSRP.
A Specially Reserved Selection
Blantons is a special blend that its original maker, Colonel Blanton, bottled specifically for the private enjoyment of his most esteemed family, and friends. According to master distillers who worked with the Colonel in the 1940s, Blanton would walk among the bourbon barrels, stacked high in their cool Kentucky warehouses. Hed carefully select special honey barrels, based on their unique aroma, and hed set them aside for his own special use.
After hand-distilling that carefully-chosen barrel into bottles, one by one, Colonel Blanton would open them infrequently to toast visiting dignitaries and beloved guests. It was in Blantons name that Buffalo Traces master distiller Elmer T. Lee made a special Single Barrel reserve in the 1980sthe first commercially produced single barrel bottling. Since then, many other brands have debuted their own similar lines however, Blantons will always be the first.
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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.
How Do You Get B
Theres no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best way to get blantons may vary depending on your individual needs and preferences. However, some tips on how to get blantons may include talking to your doctor or another healthcare professional, searching online for resources or support groups, or reaching out to family and friends. Additionally, there are many books and articles available on the subject that can provide helpful information on how to get blantons.
The final stopper of Blantons bourbon has been in the making for some time. Despite the high demand for single-barreled bourbon, the company can only produce a limited number of barrels at a time. Despite the high demand for this bourbon, each stopper is still marked with a single letter that spells Blantons when it is finished. You always win if the last stopper, marked S, is used.
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Theres A Risk Of Inconsistency From Bottle To Bottle
Thats part of the magic and curse of a single-barrel product. Bourbons are typically created by blending whiskey from multiple barrels to reach a desired flavor profile. But as you now know single-barrel bourbons like Blantons take a different approach. Every individual barrel ages differently, even when aging in the same warehouse with others. Thus, the final product might taste unique from bottle to bottle.
Granted, youre still operating in bourbon territory, so there are fairly limited elements at play . The range of possible flavors is nothing too crazy. However, each barrel might showcase varying degrees of brown sugar, smoke, caramel, clove, vanilla, hazelnut, orange peel, and other flavor notes.
Method 2 Visit The Distillery
Distillery bottle shops can be a gold mine. They can also be frustrating. The Gift Shop at Buffalo Trace is a great place to get rare bottles at true retail.
If youre in making your pilgrimage to the Buffalo Trace promised land in Frankfort, Kentucky, you can grab one bottle from each brand at the Gift Shop every 90 days. After parking, theres a tall red-brick building with a Buffalo on it. Before you walk in, therell be a sandwich board thatll list the bottles currently being sold in the Gift Shop that day. Wheatly Vodka and Bourbon Creme are always on there. The top slot rotates daily. This can be Weller Special Reserve, Blantons, Elmer T. Lee, Eagle Rare 10, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, and maybe a few other entry-level bottles .
Whichever bottle is available that day will be at MSRP. That means you can get a Weller SR for $30 or a Blantons for $65. If you live in north-central Kentucky, its not that hard to keep your ear to the ground and hear through the grapevine whats on the sandwich board every day. If youre not in the area, you can also check the Buffalo Trace website to see whats available in general at the Gift Shop. If youre in town for one day as a tourist, youre getting whatever is on that sandwich board that day.
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Joe Beatrice And His Innovative Blending: The Man Behind Barrel Craft Spirits
Joe Beatrice, founder of Barrel Craft Spirits, has a lot of innovative ideas. Joe decided to leave his first company, Blue Dingo Digital, in the 1990s, and found his next passion in business. Barrel Craft Spirits was founded in 2013 as an independent distillery that blended, aged, and aged cask strength whiskey and rum. The Barrell Craft Spirits brand has been described as having a blending expertise, but it focuses on what people want right now rather than what has been successful in the past. Bourbon or whiskey barrels typically range in price from $8,000 to $15,000, but they can cost as much as $20,000 or more. How many bottles are in a barrel of whiskey? A barrel in the United States typically holds 200 liters of liquid. A barrel can produce approximately 266 750 ml bottles. That is how many bottles of bourbon it can hold.
Method 4 Buying At Auction
This can be a very legitimate way to score Blantons if you follow the distillery auctions. Distilleries often release bottles throughout the year for various causes. Case in point, Buffalo Trace just released three bottles of Blantons from their stocks for charity relief for Eastern Kentuckys devastating floods. This is what you want to look for since theres no question if these are real bottles or not. The benefit is also that youll actually be funneling the money you would have given an aftermarket retailer toward a good cause.
Right now, you can bid on all three Blantons OG, Gold, and Straight from the Barrel if you have a few grand to donate. . You might win!
Then there are private house auctions for private charities for, say, golf clubs or retailers or a million other things. Sometimes those are fueled by donated bottles from private folks. The veracity of those bottles of Blantons is on those peoples words alone. The point Im making here is to always, always do your research and find out where the bottles come from, who verified their legitimacy, and where they can actually deliver to .
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Beware Of Blantons Scammers
Blantons isnt cheap these days, with demand outpacing supply and causing price hikes by retailers. Those willing to pay the premium price will do just about anything to get their hands on a bottle. Online scammers jumped at the opportunity to take advantage of them.
Blantons was one of two Buffalo Trace bourbons that fell victim to an online scam in which consumers bought bottles that never came. Social media ads and several fake websites drove purchases. In a press release, Buffalo Trace warned Blantons fans to be vigilant and reminded them that none of the companys products are for sale online.
Whether You Believe Blanton’s Is Overrated It’s Definitely Tough To Find
Blantons As an FYI, I bought and use these Glencairn glasses for everything : Glencairn Crystal Whiskey Glass Set of 6, Set of 4, Set of 2, or just one.Full transparency, this is an affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you buy this or something else from Amazon.
Before we get started, Im going to tell you how I think about Blantons substitutes, because there are multiple options.
Since theres a lot of bourbon out there, Im adding additional criteria to narrow down the list.
Only bourbonUnder $70Not / minimally allocatedIve reviewed it
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Blanton’s Is Aged In A Unique Location
It’s not just the mash bill and fancy water that makes Blanton’s unique, its aging location has a starring role, too. We mentioned that Blanton’s is made using barrels from only the middle of the barrel house, in the tradition of Blanton himself, but they aren’t just aged in any warehouse. Nope. Blanton’s is aged in a very special warehouse.
After the repeal of Prohibition, Americans were, understandably, eager to purchase whiskey legally. In an attempt to keep up with demand, production of whiskey went into overdrive and producers soon ran out of space to hold all the barrels. Ever the problem solver, Blanton had a metal warehouse built, as it took less time to construct than traditional warehouses. This warehouse is called Warehouse H and has become famous for the whiskey it produces, with some whiskey reviewers going so far as to say it is magical for whiskey.
Because metal buildings both heat up and cool down faster than those built from other materials, the metal warehouse construction causes the aging whiskey to interact with the barrel more. This might sound like a bad thing, but it can be really good for bourbon. The temperature fluctuations in Kentucky mean that bourbon is pulled into the barrels more often than in other warehouses, leading to a faster infusion and a unique flavor.