Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel
In-Depth Review
Blanton’s.
To many people, Blanton’s is the unicorn in bourbon. Named after Albert B. Blanton – president of what would later become Buffalo Trace Distillery – this expression elicits a strong response. Being the world’s first single barrel bourbon has made it cool. But the John Wick movies made it cooler. Couple that with its unique bottle design and its collectable topper, and Blanton’s has become highly sought after; with some willing to pay exorbitant sums for even the standard release.
But not every Blanton’s expression in the same. Above the standard release sits Blanton’s Gold (bottled at 103 proof), and Straight from the Barrel – the only true unadulterated expression of Blanton’s that comes straight from the cask. This means that those lucky enough to find a Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel are promised a pure Blanton’s experience – one that until recently even the most avid in the USA have struggled to experience. That’s because up until then last few years, Blanton’s Gold and Straight from the Barrel were export only releases. Most bottles went to Asia and Europe. But in recent years, Buffalo Trace had begun releasing small quantities of both Gold and Straight from the Barrel in the US market.
So what we have for today’s review is a bottle of Straight from the Barrel – loaned to me by a good friend who shelled out a bit over retail for the privilege. Now the specifics: it’s barrel number 14, rick number 36, from the famous warehouse H, and is bottled at 125.1 proof. This is technically a European import bottle sold by K&L Wine Merchants in Los Angeles. And with a retail price of around $250, this is a big-time bourbon with a big time price. So let’s dive in and see if this unicorn can put out some magic.
Age: Non-Age Stated
ABV: 62.6%
Cask: Virgin American oak
MSRP: $250
Distillery Name: Buffalo Trace
Review Date: 12/13/22
Color: Dark Roasted Caramel
Nose: Pouring this into a glass, the nose becomes a cruise missile for the senses. Deep, rich, enveloping notes of spicy grape candy, red apple, wood spice, and heavy barrel char fill the room. It reminds me of walking into a Kentucky rickhouse in the middle of summer – wood, sawdust, and bourbon flavors fill the area. Lucious, rich, and sweet, the nose provides a welcoming introduction to this rarified experience.
Palate: If the nose on this whisky is a cruise missile, the palate is an ICBM. The first sip blows away any preconceived ideas you may have about Blanton’s and replaces them with a flurry of flavors that are initially hard to pin down. This first sip is big, bold, and hot – forcing me to take a step back to fully acclimate before understanding all the nuanced flavors. Heavy char, sticky French vanilla, lots of brown sugar and toasted oak. As I get more acclimated to it, spicy Raisinets, ginger, cherrywood, and spicy molasses chips (if that’s a thing?) come to the front of the palate. It immediately wraps around your tongue and doesn’t let go – with its oily mouthfeel and rich full-bodied heat. There is a depth to the flavors here that’s more often associated with the George T Staggs, William Larue Wellers, and Eagle Rare 17s from Buffalo Trace than your everyday Blanton’s (or even Blanton’s Gold). A drop of water here goes a long way to tame the heat and bring out a sweeter, gentle, and more oak forward character. But even with water, after a few sips you can feel that heat building in the background once again.
Finish: Long finish with notes of Red Hots, Mexican hot chocolate, nutmeg, and clove. There’s a strong Kentucky hug that stays with you for minutes between each sip – the perfect partner to keep you warm on cold winter nights.
Final Thoughts: I went into this review having tasted quite a few different Blanton’s expressions, from the standard Blanton’s Single Barrel, to Blanton’s Gold, as well as some Japan exclusive editions. But none of those prepared me for the experience of pure, unadulterated Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel. This is probably the best bourbon I’ve had all year – with the combination of an incredible nose, a deluge of flavors on the palate, to a finish that lasted minutes between sips, this particular European imported bottle was truly remarkable. It’s not an experience for everyone. It runs hot, demands your full attention, and will slap you around a bit. But if you’re into that sort of thing, you are going to love it. Is it worth $250? Many folks would say that no bourbon is worth that much. That with $250 you can buy 20 bottles of Wild Turkey 101 and be happy. And yes. That is completely true. 20 bottles of Wild Turkey 101 would make a lot of people happy. But I can say honestly - and without reservation - that this particular barrel of Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel is as close to worth $250 as I have ever experienced outside of some previous Buffalo Trace Antique collection bottlings.
It really is that good.
