Blanton's Straight from the Barrel
The household's biggest fan of Blanton's Straight from the Barrel
Age: no age statement, 6-8 years
Barrel type: Standard bourbon (charred fresh oak)
Region: Kentucky
ABV: 64.9%
Price: $95
Additional details: non-chill filtered, natural color
Blanton's Straight from the Barrel is a strange creature, a barrel-proof version of the premium Buffalo Trace product that is only available overseas. Say what? It's true: a Kentucky bourbon that isn't available here in its birthplace. The reason for this unusual situation is that a company named Age International actually owns the rights to distribute Blanton's (Buffalo Trace merely distills the product for Age), and chooses to provide international markets with three versions of the product (Straight from the Barrel, Gold, and Special Reserve) that aren't available stateside.
Intrigued by this forbidden, or at least far-away, fruit aspect to the Blanton's lineup, we tried Blanton's Gold while on vacation. We also picked up this bottle of Straight from the Barrel. Here's what we think of it.
Appearance: For my money, Blanton's is the single most unique and beautiful bottle on the market. Instantly recognizable on any shelf, Blanton's comes in a rotund, grenade-like shape, corked by a one-of-a-kind stopper featuring a golden race horse on top. It's unmistakable and iconic, so much so that people even make home decorations from the corks.
One of the fun aspects of these higher-end releases is the amount of arbitrary information that distilleries provide on their labels. This bottle was dumped on February 2, 2016, from barrel number 732, in warehouse H, on rick number 6. That might mean something to someone, but not to me.
In the glass, Blanton's SFTB has a dark, almost cloudy, clay-like color. It's a mixture of gold, brown, russet, and orange that immediately announces that this is a high-proof, fully flavored bourbon.
Nose: Dark, sticky fruits, and chewy raisins and craisins, stand out immediately. This is a luscious, rich, almost unctuous nose for a bourbon. Behind that, there's a clear and harmonious combination of vanilla and caramel. As a younger whiskey, Blanton's has less oakiness than older bourbons like Elijah Craig Barrel Proof on the nose, although there is a scent reminiscent of pencil shavings some of the time. Whole peppercorns round out the strong start.
Palate: This bourbon drinks well below its proof, but lacks the complexity of the finest barrel-strength releases from other distilleries, or from the older products from Buffalo Trace itself. Unlike the nose, the palate is heavy on the dry side, with cedar and oak woodiness abounding from the first sip onward. There's more honey than caramel in this barrel. The vanilla from the nose carries over well to the palate, but those dark, sticky fruits or dried fruits are nowhere to be found (at least for me). The smokiness of Blanton's, from the barrel char, is stronger than other barrel-proof bourbons. The texture is oily, rich, and buttery.
Finish: Compared to the nose, I once again get a surprising amount of oak on the swallow, along with cloves and rye spice. The combination of cinnamon and creaminess is reminiscent of eggnog. The spice dominates the back-end, which doesn't exhibit the harmony of the first two phases.
Value for Money and Final Impressions: This is a hard bourbon to get one's hands on, and it's an expensive one at that. At $100, this is one of the most expensive (if not the most expensive) bottles of bourbon I've ever purchased. However, it's not the best. With Blanton's, the intangible factors add significantly to the enjoyment. By that, I mean the beautiful bottle and the fact that this bourbon isn't even available in the U.S., which adds to its cool factor. But, on taste alone, I'd happily grab a bottle of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof or Four Roses Private Selection for $70-80 (and grab a bottle of Wild Turkey 101 with the savings!).
Rating: A-