Blanton’s Gold Bourbon - Review
Blanton’s Bourbon holds a unique place in American whiskey history as the world’s first modern single barrel bourbon. Its story begins with Colonel Albert B. Blanton, who started working at the George T. Stagg Distillery (now Buffalo Trace) in 1897 at just sixteen years old. Rising through the ranks, Blanton became distillery president in 1921, guiding the company through Prohibition, the Great Depression, and World War II. His leadership helped the distillery secure a medicinal whiskey license during Prohibition, ensuring its survival while many others closed. Blanton was also known for his tradition of selecting exceptional “honey barrels” from the center of Warehouse H to share with dignitaries and friends, a practice that would later inspire the creation of Blanton’s Bourbon(1)(2)(3).
In 1984, as Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee neared retirement, he was tasked with creating a bourbon of exceptional quality. Remembering Blanton’s tradition, Lee launched Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon, naming it in honor of the Colonel. Each bottle is drawn from a single, hand-selected barrel, and the brand’s distinctive packaging includes collectible horse-and-jockey stoppers that have become iconic(1)(2)(4). Blanton’s innovation helped usher in the super-premium bourbon category and remains a benchmark for quality and craftsmanship.
Blanton’s Gold Edition, introduced after the original 93 proof release, is bottled at a higher proof (103) and was initially available only in select international markets. Like the original, it is produced at Buffalo Trace using the same high-rye mash bill and is aged in Warehouse H, the distillery’s only metal-clad warehouse, which accelerates aging due to greater temperature fluctuations. The Gold Edition is highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts for its rarity and exclusivity, featuring a gold-colored horse-and-jockey stopper and limited annual releases in the United States(5)(6)(7). This expression exemplifies Blanton’s commitment to single barrel excellence and continues to build on the legacy established by Colonel Blanton and Elmer T. Lee.
Review:
Nose: Dark oak tannins, cherries, dried red fruit and vanilla are the first notes that present themselves. Some barrel spice and char flow in just after the first waft of flavors come through. For being 103 proof, you can get very little if any strong ethanol notes and instead you get all of the notes I mentioned with some cinnamon, nutmeg, and some honey on the back end. This was a very approachable, lovely nose. Oddly enough, just before I took a sip I got notes of Sweet Tarts? Interesting.
Palate: Oily on the palate and quite soft. Veering away from the notes presented on the nose, I am getting a plum jam characteristic alongside a savory sweet note which is almost like a salty buttered pancake with syrup. Again, little to no abrasiveness on the palate at 103 proof an sips well below its weight class. Toward the end of teh sip I am getting cherries and the fruit come through with a sweetened pastry note. Not very complex by any means but it hits those two to three things quite well.
Finish: The finish is mild and lasts for about 10-15 seconds after the sip. This bottling has a certain drying effect on teh tongue as if the barrel char and tannins from the oak dry out your tongue. It is not a bad feeling by any means but I would compare it closely to a dry cabernet or a barolo wine with how it feels in your mouth on the finishing end. No new flavors present themselves on the back end but they linger for a little while and are by all means, welcome.
Overall: (85). For the proof, I wish there was a little more body and depth to it. LIke I wrote for the normal Blanton’s bourbon, this doesn’t do much wrong, but it is noticeably better than the normal offering. the additional 10 abv (5% in alcohol) work wonders with the flavors that were already hinted at in the normal release. The dial isn’t turned to high to the point that bourbon drinkers who prefer lower proof would turn away form this. I think this is a sweet spot for many and is remarkably dangerous. It sips well below its proof point, hits home on three or four classic bourbon notes, and goes down smooth. What more can most ask for? Is it worth the bananaland $200 secondary pricing? No. However, I would pay $125-$150 to this and not be too incredibly bummed.
Value: 60/100; (+0 on the overall). I paid 130 euro for this while I was visiting Salzburg, Austria. This bottle has a soft spot in my heart though as when I picked it up, I found out after we got home that it’s barrel number was the last two digits of the year my dad was born, and it was dumped on the Month and the day of his birthday too! Wildly unlikely for that all to happen but I waited to crack it until he came up to visit me a year or two back. I don’t think it offers a ton of complexity or new things that many bourbon enthusiasts would look for. However, I don;t think this deserves the hate and shame that it gets. Are there better options out there? Sure. Is the bottle stunning? Yes. Is the liquid inside damn good? You better believe it. It knows what it is supposed to do and sticks to those notes. Nothing more, nothing less.
Availability: Limited to annual releases in the USA and more finadable in Europe. Don’t pay secondary, keep looking around and make a connection at a liquor store. One will pop up for you!
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