Smooth, creamy, and easy drinking. If price was not an object, this could be a regular Bourbon on the shelf. Nicely balanced with Caramel, vanilla, new Oak, and a hint of cinnamon spice, this is easy to pour and enjoy. The only challenge keeping this from being an excellent release is the crazy price asked for such a soft and mellow dram.

So I ran the gauntlet at a tasting from the special reserve thru the straight from the barrel. My favorite was the gold edition. The special reserve I tasted was frankly disappointing. The sweet nose tries to blind you from the harsh abv initial taste. In subsequent tastes I did enjoy the vanilla and traditional Blanton’s flavor profile. To be honest, I was disappointed with this taste and definitely would have been mad paying secondary for this bottle