Those barrels are then placed into Warehouse H, which is the only warehouse at Buffalo Trace with metal walls. But Blanton’s single-barrel Gold Edition and Straight From The Barrel bourbons are now finally available on the American market.

Blantons Original Bourbon 46.5% 70cl - RMW Blantons Original Bourbon 46.5% 70cl - RMW

While Blanton’s Original Single Barrel won’t be the best bourbon to grace your palate, it does offer a consistent pour that is hard to dislike and justifies its MSRP. Considered by many to be the world’s finest Bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle’s Bourbons are so rare and so popular that there’s even a term for finding a bottle: “Pappy hunting”. This innovative approach to aging whiskey pays off, with a rich and powerful flavor from start to finish. In this case, though, those darker tones have been pretty much wiped out by the ice, leaving behind only the usual suspects from a bourbon (the caramel, vanilla, and black peppery spice). The darker aspects of the charred wood have all but disappeared, leaving only a bit of brown sugar and caramel vanilla in their place.

Currently the market is full of single barrel bourbons both in the form of standard releases such as Knob Creek, Four Roses, and Wild Turkey, and even the other single barrel bourbons produced at Buffalo Trace, including Elmer T. One of the more recent additions to that list is Blanton’s, a whiskey that has been around since the 1980’s but only has become truly popular in the last decade. It’s good news for Blanton’s drinkers, since all that flowy handwriting lets you know the barrel number, the number of the rick (or storage rack) the barrel was taken from, the proof the bourbon was bottled at, the final bottle’s ABV, and even the date the bourbon was dumped.

15 Best Bourbons: Top Whiskeys To Drink (2023) - Luxe Digital 15 Best Bourbons: Top Whiskeys To Drink (2023) - Luxe Digital

If you prefer to read about Bourbon before opening the bottle, jump to our sections below to learn more about Bourbon. Something I do need to note, however, is that we evaluate whiskey relative to the listed MSRP of the bottle. With notes of caramel, vanilla, raisins, and a hint of charred oak, you’ll want to savor the taste of this premium Single Barrel again and again. Jefferson’s believes that temperature fluctuations, salt air, and the gentle rocking of the ship all work together to weather a truly fine Bourbon. While it may not be the best single barrel available at any given moment, even among its own Blanton’s siblings, it is by far and large, one of the more approachable ones.In this case the bottle is truly unique and looks great on the shelf, offers a nice conversation piece for parties, and feels good to pour. But it’s not just fruity flavors that’ll come through: alongside its sea air saltiness comes milky coffee, strong dark chocolate, and a hint of bitterness.

Blantons Original Bourbon Single Barrel limited edition - Whiskys Blantons Original Bourbon Single Barrel limited edition - Whiskys

Single-barrel” bourbon wasn’t a thing before 1984 (so we have no idea how anyone had a decent weekend). Just make sure you understand that there’s a difference between something that is always consistent and something that is always excellent. The mash is then distilled – mostly twice – to remove impurities and increase the strength of the liquid. Since metal conducts heat, the walls of Warehouse H act like an amplifier for Kentucky’s temperature fluctuations, increasing the impact of heat and humidity changes — all of which encourages the barrels to absorb and then flush out the bourbon more often over the course of aging.This process removes the bitter tannins, allowing for a smoother flavor once the mixture has been added. If you're constantly refreshing pages or using software to monitor our site for new releases this may have triggered the block. As impossible as it may seem to spot a single-horned beast in the wild, it can be even harder to find a unicorn drink on shelves. This differs between distillers and many distillers stick to one specific ratio to produce their offerings. If you're using a VPN or proxy IP service, please turn it off and re-load this page to access our site.

Whiskey Review: Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey Whiskey Review: Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey

The liquid needs to be distilled to no more than 160 proof and entered into the barrel at 125 proof. Usually, adding a little bit of ice washes out the weaker flavors while toning down the more annoying or richer aspects. In contrast, Blanton’s barrels are hand-dumped, which sounds like an upgrade (and l ooks like this), adding a level of persnickety care to the bourbon-making process. They found success by focusing not on the American market but instead on exporting American whiskey overseas.

It’s almost impossible to go wrong with anything Pappy Van Winkle, so if it’s proving tricky to get your hands on the 23 Year release, the 15 Year and 20 Year are also top contenders. Names like Weller or Pappy Van Winkle immediately bring a tear to the eye of whiskey drinkers, both for the beauty of the contents and the sharp pain to their wallet.