Blanton's Straight From the Barrel

Close to my definition of a near perfect bourbon.

Nose: Carmel Bomb, dark chocolate, burnt raisins, shortbread, soft leather Palate: An Initial Cinnamon rush turning into an explosion of roasted citrus, finishing with a burst of spicy stewed berries Finish: Long lasting sweet heat with a good creamy mouthfeel finish. Perfection

It’s good. It’s one of the more drinkable barrel proofs out there. That said, you’re gonna come up to this little guy with expectations that Booker’s (for instance) just doesn’t have to deal with. Particularly: how does stand up to his big brother, Blanton’s standard—one of America’s most highly sought bourbons. The nose is not as astringent as you’d expect. I get vanilla. The body does have the Blanton’s flavors you’d expect (more vanilla and a nut favor) but they’re overpowered by the heat in a way that big brother isn’t. This spiciness comes to me via black pepper. What’s interesting is that on the finish, the heat fades quickly, leaving behind a nutty favor, with a bit of lemon. With an ice cube added, I can get the nut flavor on the nose and lemon on the body. Heat turns down quite a bit and finish gets even sweeter. I think I prefer this one on the rocks, and to date, Blanton’s Gold is the best of the Blanton’s gang.