Blanton's Binny's Single Barrel Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon - Barrel #154

VITALS:

- $70

- 93 Proof

- NAS

- Barrel #154

- Kentucky

I don't know why I held onto this bottle for so long before opening it. It's possible that it was the last of any Blanton's store picks that I had, so I wanted to hold onto it. But, realistically, I think I just didn't realize how long it had been sitting on my shelf.  At some point I just reached for a new whiskey off my shelf to pour, and this is what materialized in my hand.

I didn't realize that this had a dump date of July 1, 2020, fresh off the government shut-downs. I sat on this for much longer than I realize or ever intended. But, it's been a minute since I've enjoyed a Blanton's Single Barrel, so I finally decided to pop this one open and give it a go. I had a couple before this that were somewhat disappointing, so perhaps that's also a reason for the wait. But that reason was without justification.

The nose gave of notes of graham cracker and caramel. The graham cracker also took on a pie crust note at times.  It had a sweet nutty note to it as well, like candied pecan, which really rounded out a delicious pecan pie aroma. I got a touch of light pepper to give it a bit of spice.

The flavor was front-loaded with soft, creamy caramel notes. It was like that soft caramel in the center of Dove or Ghirardelli chocolates.  Right away I knew this bourbon was in my personal wheelhouse. That was coupled with a coffee note, however, which gave it a flavor reminiscent of a sweet coffee drink, like a caramel macchiato. The coffee note wasn't strong and bitter, just sweet and flavorful. 

It had a layer of vanilla kind of underneath everything, and there was a bit of cinnamon spice to offset the sweetness just a bit. That cinnamon not was even more noticeable on the finish, where it was accompanied by a lingering spiced cherry note that was absolutely delicious and kept me wanting more.

This was one of the better Blanton's Single Barrel picks I can recall ever having! It really offered a bit of redemption in my book, as this really hit on all cylinders for me. 

Grade: A-

Blanton's Binny's Single Barrel Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Barrel No. 016

VITALS:

- $80

-93 Proof

- NAS

- Barrel No. 016

- Kentucky

It's been a while since I've gone back to Blanton's.  In fact, this bottle hit Binny's shelves sometime in 2020, and I just now got around to finishing it. I can't exactly say for sure why. Perhaps I grew tired of Blanton's (not likely). Perhaps there was just always something new to try (more likely). Either way, I went a pretty good amount of time before going back to this bottle.

But, a couple weeks ago I got it in my that I could use some old reliable mashbill #2, and I reached for this Binny's store pick that I got a few years back. In fact, by this point I had kind of forgotten whether this was a standout or not, or even what kind of profile it had. It was kind of fun, actually, revisiting it with no recall of my impressions before.

On the nose I got a slight aroma of charred wood. Weirdly, though, it came across as sweet, almost a sugary char, kind of like the char you get from burnt barbecue sauce when you grill.  I also got a nice cinnamon note as well as some brown sugar. There was also a pastry-like pie-crust note to this as well, and it all came together as a very dessert-like nose.

I did not, however, get any of that char note on the palate. Rather, the backbone here was caramel and cinnamon. There was also a sort of unsweetened vanilla layer underscoring everything, but the sweetness came from those caramel notes.

There was also something jammy to this, with notes of rich, dark fruits like raisin and raspberry, and maybe even some fig. There was also a sort of chocolate covered pretzel note to it, with a sweet, chocolatey flavor along with a salty cracker-like note. This combo of the dark fruits and the chocolate covered pretzel was pretty awesome.

On the finish, I got more of that cracker note, and perhaps even a bit of a cereal note. It definitely became grain forward, as what little spice seemed to disappear, and even the sweetness was fleeting. This came across as more of a watery mouthfeel than other Blanton's I've had, and it led to almost no lingering finish whatsoever.

Give this barrel some proof and some viscosity, and it's amazing! The flavor combinations were fantastic, but it just came across as thin and watery, not allowing me to really savor those flavors like I wanted to.

Grade: B

Blanton's Straight From the Barrel Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $150

- 127 Proof

- NAS

- Barrel No. 538

- Dumped on 6-15-18

- Kentucky

This bottle represents a "first" for me.  Perhaps that's why it took me so long to actually finish it.  This was the first bottle I purchased on the much maligned secondary market. Back in 2018, when there was a prolific Facebook group that since got shut down, I got my first taste of access to bottles that I could never get my hands on otherwise. Granted this bottle is now available in the United States. But, back then it was only available in other countries, and not being much of an international traveler, the secondary market was my way of obtaining one.

I actually purchased this along with a gold version.  I subsequently purchased a black and a red version available in Japan only, and my work friends and I did a complete vertical of Blanton's, with the regular single barrel, two different store picks, black, gold, red and two Straight From the Barrel bottles, including this one. That was a hell of a tasting, and this particular bottle was the near-unanimous favorite among the group.

The nose was rich, sweet and spicy, with everything I've come to love about Buffalo Trace's Mashbill #2. There was a sweet and crackery graham cracker note, along with a light chocolate note. That paired perfectly with a nice cinnamon spice and even a touch of red pepper flake. I also got a slight tea leaf note off the nose that added the slightest bit of earthiness to it.

As to flavor, the cinnamon was front and center. It offered both that sweet cinnamon flavor I associate with cinnamon rolls, but also that spicy cinnamon I associate with cinnamon flavored candy. Up front I got a light black pepper spice on the tip of my tongue as well. There was also a light layer of anise that was just the right amount that I found it enjoyable.

The anise and black pepper seemed to fade pretty quickly and made way for the real star of the show. I got an incredible buttery caramel flavor that seemed to coat my mouth and worked to drown out everything else, and for good reason. That note had me wanting more and more and more of this bourbon, and I didn't want it to leave.

Luckily, it did hang around for a really long time. This bourbon had a nice, viscous quality that made for a really long finish, and it was that buttery caramel note that seemed to invade every nook and cranny of my mouth. It also had a slight cinnamon spice on the finish as well, just hanging around at the back of my throat.

This was far and away better than any other Blanton's bottle I've had. It was fun, it was interesting, it was delicious, and it had me constantly wanting more.  I'm salivating as I type this just thinking of that butter and caramel flavor.

Grade: A+

Blanton's Red Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $150

- 93 Proof

- NAS

- Barrel No. 85

- Kentucky

This is one of those bottles that I've kept on my shelf for longer than I ever intended to. On Thanksgiving I finally decided that, after three years, it was time to finally finish off this bottle. Even then I still had some hesitation.

This was one of (if not the) first bottles I've ever purchased on secondary market. And that's only because, short of travelling to Japan, that was the only way I was getting a bottle. And once I had it, it became one of those bottles that was just fun to break out when company was over. Even the most casual bourbon drinker would have fun not only having some Blanton's, but having Blanton's that came from a red box with Japanese writing all over it. I write this all with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek, of course, but it really was a fun one to break out from time to time, and so I rarely poured a glass while sitting on my couch any given night of the week.

The nose had that typical brown sugar, caramel and cinnamon combination that I usually get from the Buffalo Trace mashbill #2. Nothing really unexpected here, thought the caramel sweetness did at times lean more towards a darker molasses note. There was surprisingly a light woodiness to it as well.  I've never gotten indications of age with Blanton's before, but I certainly did on this one. 

The flavor was rich and sweet, and again right in line with my expectations. I got loads of brown sugar and caramel sweetness. It had almost a cookie-like quality to it in the flavor. There was also a sort of bread note, like a sweet bread, but definitely a bit of that yeast/grain note. 

What stood out, though, was the nice nuttiness that it had. Perhaps that's what I interpreted as a wood note on the nose, but it tasted like candied pecans and pie crust. Basically a pecan pie but without the goo.  That pecan note was accompanied by a boozy note, giving it almost a bourbon soaked pecan flavor, which I guess makes a lot of sense.

The body on this was fairly watery, more so than I've experienced in other bottles of Blanton's. Unfortunately, that led to a very short-lived finish. What was there on the finish were the caramel and brown sugar notes, and the vanilla seemed to come through a bit more. What wasn't there, though, was any sort of spice. The cinnamon from the nose was pretty nonexistent, particularly on the finish. 

All in all, this was a fun bottle to have on my shelf, but it didn't offer anything more than your standard bottle of Blanton's. I'm glad I tried it, but I won't be seeking any more of these out on the secondary market.

Grade: B

Blanton's Binny's Single Barrel Select Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon - Barrel #321

VITALS:

- $70

- 93 Proof

- NAS

- Barrel #321

- Kentucky

This is a bottle that I've been sitting on for quite some time.  It was dumped on December 17, 2018, and I'm fairly certain it was around March 2019 that I picked this bottle up at Binny's. I used it in a Blanton's tasting for my work whiskey club, and then it went back in its box and onto my shelf, where it sat for a long time, completely unattended to.

I think the main reason that it sat there, not getting drunk, is due to the box.  Most of my bottles on my shelves are not housed in boxes, and I can readily see not only the bottle, but the yummy liquid inside as well, and, of course, the fill level. It's the fill level that often reminds me to revisit a particular whiskey that I may have opened, tried and then forgotten about. Yet the Blanton's sit in boxes, and they are more or less out of sight, out of mind. I happen to really enjoy Blanton's, so I can't think of any other reason.

As to the whiskey itself, it had that familiar nose that I love in Blanton's and the other Mashbill #2 products from Buffalo Trace.  I got delicious notes of salted caramel and even a light chocolate note. There was a cherry note to it that was more along the lines of a cherry cordial, like it was soaked in liqueur. It even had a bit of an anise spice to it. I also got a somewhat odd note of wood shavings, like the smell of using a table saw.  

On my first sip, I got a really strong amaretto note. Perhaps that's what I was smelling when I got the cherry cordial scent.  In fact, I did get a bit of a candied cherry note to go with that amaretto. It was all sweet but rich and delectable.  

Pairing perfectly with these flavors was a nice dark chocolate note. That paired perfectly with what came across as more of a toffee than a caramel. It had a touch of that burnt sugar note to it. It also had a light oak note to it, something that I think I've noticed in maybe half of the different bottles of Blanton's I've tasted over the years.

The finish seemed to change course a bit, as it came across as more of an Old Fashioned flavor. That's where I got some bright citrus, like orange peel, along with that candied cherry note. At times that orange came across as more of a burnt orange note, but the Old Fashioned effect remained.

I've come to learn that not all Blanton's single barrels are complete winners. I've had a bottle before that I simply did not like. I have, of course, had bottles that blew me away. This one falls somewhere in the middle. It was a good bottle of Blanton's, but there wasn't anything that really stood out about it. Not that I'll stop buying these when I get the chance, but there are certainly better private picks out there.

Grade: B

Blanton's Binny's Single Barrel Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon - Barrel No. 067

VITALS:
- $60
- 93 Proof
- Barrel No. 067
- NAS
- Kentucky

I bought this bottle just about a year ago, at a time when hype over Blanton's store picks was incredibly high (perhaps it still is, but since the demise of the Facebook secondary market, I really don't have my fingers on the pulse of such things).  I held onto it for quite a while until I put together a lineup of six different iterations of Blanton's.

Compared to its cousins, which included two Straight From the Barrels, a gold, a red, a black and another store pick, this one was easily one of the favorites. The only one that got as many top votes was the Blanton's Gold. It was unanimous, however, that Binny's had picked a great barrel with this one.

The nose on this had the traditional Batch #2 notes, with heavy doses of toffee and caramel leading the way. It also had a nice cinnamon flavor, and even a bit of black pepper. On top of that, though, what stood out with this one was a very familiar smell of cherry pie. I got notes not only of cherry, but also the warm, bready crust and a light, sugary sweetness.

As to the flavor, I feel like I could almost just say, "See notes above." The flavor really matched the nose, with caramel and brown sugar leading the way. It was rich and sweet up front, followed by a nice, light cinnamon finish.

It also had a nice vanilla undercurrent that at times had me thinking of candy corn, but not quite as sugary. That sweet vanilla was balanced out by the light peppery note on the back end.

But best of all, that cherry pie note from the nose was also present in the flavor, and it was delicious! Those baked cherry notes and pie crust flavors worked incredibly well with everything else that was going on in this whiskey, and it really made this an enjoyable dessert whiskey without getting too sweet.

While I really enjoyed the Blanton's tasting and will likely never do something quite like that again, I feel like I should have opened this one much sooner. This was a fantastic bourbon, and it was different from most other Blanton's I've had but in a delicious way! While I wished I had opened it sooner, I'm now sorry that it's gone.

Grade: A+

Blanton's Gold Edition Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $60 (700 ml)
- 103 Proof
- NAS
- Barrel No. 259
- Kentucky

A while back I managed to get my hands on a Blanton's Gold and a Blanton's Straight from the Barrel. My guess is the guy I bought them off of simply made the trip to Canada to get a few of eacch and then made a few bucks off them. I was happy to pay what I did (certainly more than the $60 suggested retail price), figuring I had no other real way of getting my hands on such bottles.

After also acquiring two different store picks of the regular Blanton's, I then had my eyes set on setting up a Blanton's tasting for my whiskey club. I searched and ultimately landed a Black and a Red, both Japanese imports only, and I finally had my 6-bottle Blanton's tasting!  Everyone in the group was pumped to try this tasting, and one of the guys even brought an additional bottle of Straight from the Barrel.

Quick spoiler -- to the extent the tasting was a competition, the Gold was the winner. It wasn't everyone's favorite (some liked the Red), but it definitely had the most votes.  And there was plenty of reason for it. The nose on this one was soft and sweet. It was full of caramel with a light spice to it that was kind of a blend between cinnamon and black pepper. I also got a healthy dose of brown sugar as well as what I swore at times was the distinct note of chocolate-orange.

It smelled delicious and it had a palate to match. This was what some might describe as a toffee bomb.  It was full of those butter and molasses notes that made this just taste like candy. In addition, to go with the sweet and buttery flavors, this had a nice, oily texture to it that coated the mouth in flavors of brown sugar and butter. At 103 proof, it had some added kick that you don't get out of the standard Blanton's, and it worked so well with everything else.

On the back end I got a little bit of that heat, paired perfectly with a light cinnamon spice to tickle the back of my throat. It also had a nice, long finish which, along with that light cinnamon spice, had some rich notes of vanilla bean that seemed to stick around forever.

As I made my way through the last pours, there was a sort of yeasty quality, which turned into this dessert-like pastry, almost like a caramel coffee cake with vanilla icing on top. Those last few sips were some of the best tastes of whiskey I can recall in quite some time.  If only this were a regular offering, or, at the very least, actually able to be purchased here in the states.

Grade: A 

Blanton's Warehouse Liquors Single Barrel Select Barrel No. 006 Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $70
- 93 Proof
- NAS
- Barrel No. 006, Warehouse C (though the paper label states that it's
- Region: Kentucky

I had only heard about Blanton's store picks, or better yet, read about them on social media and in online forums. To me they had always been nothing more than mythical creatures. But one day I walked into Warehouse Liquors in Chicago, having heard that it's a great source of private select bottlings, and right there at eye level staring back at me was this mythical beast, begging to come home with me. So home it came.

I will say up front, that having finished this bottle and being part way through a Warehouse Liquors private selection of Eagle Rare, these people know what they are doing! I have definitely found a go-to source for private bottlings that I can trust sight unseen (flavor untasted?)!

Right away I fell in love with the nose on this. It was a sweet amaretto flavor, kind of like almond cookies, along with cinnamon and some light wood notes that made for a nice sweet and savory scent. It was a delicious, pungent smell that you could notice from even a couple feet away.

With the first sip, I immediately noticed that this is a sweeter version of Blanton's than what I've had before, but it's a light sweetness, as opposed to a heavy, in your face sweetness. It wasn't sugary, but rather had that sweetness that you get from confectioner's sugar when it's sprinkled on a funnel cake, for example.

The bourbon is delicious and smooth, as would be expected from any Blanton's product.  The traditional vanilla and caramel are certainly prevalent, along with a nice amaretto tang that carried over from the nose. The sweet caramel and amaretto notes really seemed to linger on the finish for quite some time, often urging me to go in for that next sip or, if I was at the end of my pour, for the next glass.

I also found that it had a light and subtle smokiness to it. It wasn't overt, and at times it seemed to almost disappear, but then a few sips later I'd notice it again. This was a complex, and yet simple bourbon, as though it didn't try hard to be special, yet it nonetheless managed to compel me to go back for pour after pour, as opposed to having something else from my stash on a particular night.  Warehouse Liquors nailed this one, and I hope they continue getting these mythical beasts into their shop!

Grade: A

Blanton's Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Blanton's is one of those whiskies that has a reputation which precedes itself.  Before even opening this one (and even though I received it as a gift), had a moment of worry that I had set myself up for disappointment. I've had a pour here and there of Blanton's in the past and generally enjoyed it. I also know that it is often a favorite among bourbon enthusiasts.

Finally, though, I got a bottle all to my self and the opportunity to enjoy it from start to finish, and enjoy it I did!

This particular barrel was bottled at 93 proof. The relatively low alcohol content resulted in a very smooth and drinkable bourbon. At first this bourbon came across as dry and woody. However, unlike other bourbons that possess these same characteristics (frequently well-aged bourbons), this one was also very sweet at the same time.

It certainly has the traditional bourbon flavors of vanilla and toffee, though the flavors come across as somewhat mild. There is also a light spice and cinnamon flavor up front, something that was actually a bit unexpected.

On the back end there was a distinct licorice aftertaste, but yet it still remained very sweet. This is a relatively oily and syrupy bourbon, so the flavor lingered quite a bit at the back of my throat.

After this bottle was open for a while it turned into a great bourbon! It transformed quite a bit, turning into a great blend of vanilla and toffee sweetness, much bolder now, with strong anise and cinnamon spices on the back end.  Something about it reminded me of Christmas dinner. Take that for what you will, as I couldn't attribute any specific Christmas memory to it. Just a fleeting notion I had while drinking.

In addition, from beginning to end, I couldn't help but notice a distinct wild cherry flavor. I've had some bourbons where this flavor was a bit overwhelming, but not the case here. It was subtle enough to be noticeable and enjoyable without dominating the other flavors.

At first this was a good bourbon, certainly better than average. By the end, though, this was a great bourbon, one for anybody, whether new to bourbon or a cagey bourbon veteran, to enjoy.

Oh, and the bottle, as well as the cork with the little metal race-horse figure, are about as cool as they get!

Grade: A