Blanton's Gold Edition

Best of the common lineup IMO

Very light on the nose. Slight fruitiness and a little hint of toasted nut. Initial taste is apricot or almost cranberry with a developing oiliness, leathery and a slight baking spice flavor with hardly any burn at all. Easy drinker in my book.

Ein wirklich toller Bourbon : Vanille, Caramell mit einer gewissen Würzigkeit und langem mildem Abgang, aber ich weiß nicht, ob ich bereit bin das Geld dafür zu zahlen, was momentan dafür verlangt wird........

Nose - Honey, apricot, berry, toasted sugar, and deep oak. Slight leather. A complex vanilla, but baked maybe. Slight red grape vineyard. Caramel chews. This nose is magical. Butterscotch. Palate - Leather continues with a complementing oak. The berry, honey, and caramel follow through descending down in that order. Mouth feel is thick following that caramel chew. The spice is lovely and comfortable while being punchy. Butterscotch. Finish - Leather and warm kentucky hug. Really perfect finish. Long finish.

To continue on my Blanton’s series, I managed to get a sample from TWE of the Blanton’s Gold. These appear to be costing $120 at retail but the secondary has jumped that price up to $300+. The nose starts with a thick caramel with medium oak spice followed by candied nuts along with fruits of fresh baked cinnamon apple pie, cooked down cherry sauce and freshly peeled blood orange then vanilla meringue cookies that transition to a medium spice along with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, leather and polished oak with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with caramel with medium oak spice followed by fruits of fresh baked cinnamon apple pie, cooked down cherry sauce and freshly peeled blood orange then vanilla meringue cookies that transition to a medium spice along with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, leather and polished oak with medium ethanol burn. The finish is long with thick caramel-covered candy apples, chocolate syrup, mandarin oranges, toasted marshmallow, ginger, cloves, leather and polished oak. Wow, what a difference that additional 5% has made on this whiskey that has intensified those normal Blanton’s notes while bringing some candied nuts and cherry to join the fun. I’m not sure if it was the additional proof or that these are just better barrel selects for the gold line but those drying oak spices that I got on the Original and Black have been replaced with high end leather, polished oak and a long thick Kentucky hug of a caramel finish that lasts for minutes. This is absolutely worth the msrp price, but definitely not the secondary price that these are selling at. If you’re willing to spend $300, I’d recommend Kentucky Owl batch 10, Garrison Brothers Cowboy or Barrell 15 year which are all better bourbons in that price range.