Gadzooks, how many years has it been since we reviewed this bourbon? Well, anyhoo, before proceeding, it’s worth asking, “What’s a single barrel bourbon?” The answer is that when one sees the words “single barrel” on the label it means that the whiskey in the bottle came from one barrel. To the novice whiskey drinker, this may seem no big deal. “Isn’t that the way all Bourbon and whiskey gets bottled?” Answer: No! Most whiskeys are pulled from the barrel and blended with whiskeys from other casks, the aim being to produce a homogenized product, so that every bottle tastes exactly the same. With a single barrel whiskey, one will get some flavor variation from barrel to barrel, though, if it is a good single barrel, not so much variation that the regular tippler of the brand, who demands flavor consistency, will get annoyed.
The label on this particular bottle of Blanton’s reads, “dumped on 3/26/08 from Barrel No. 107 stored in Warehouse H on Rick No. 46.” It is 93 proof, and a humdinger of a whiskey. Those who are new to Bourbon are advised to take a teeny sip straight, then add a few drops of water, then repeat this exercise until one reaches a point where the Blanton’s is palatable. En route, one will pick up notes of spearmint, eucalyptus, roasted pear, vanilla, licorice… It’s very tasty. Add to Blanton’s great taste its classy packaging —a squat octagonal bottle topped by a metal race horse and rider cork— and you have a very nice gift. (Rating ****1/2)
For further details on Blanton’s Bourbon, surf to http://www.BlantonsBourbon.com. To see if you can buy a bottle online, click here.
