Blanton's Straight From the Barrel

It's still a great combo of sweet and spicy.

6-18-18 / Barrel 548 / Rick 58 / Bottle 52 / N: Incredble. It’s strong, sure. But the mix of flavors here is amazing. It’s sweet, with cinnamon, vanilla and caramel. It’s got fruit. The wood element is lovely. The aroma is 🙌🏻. Just the best. An all-time favorite and an intriguing story behind the capture 🤫 Thanks, Cory!

Very fruity on the nose. Almost licorice on the nose. Straight caramel and light spice and red fruit on the palate. Vanilla caramel latte. Medium long finish and sweet throughout. Complete and complex lighter bourbon.

Extraordinary bourbon

Very spicy and hot.

Dump: 8-22-22 barrel 1214, warehouse H, rick 38, 125.9 proof Nose: toffee, vanilla, oak Palette: cocoa nibs, heavy bodied, thick caramel, dark brown sugar, slight herbal flavor. Pretzels and nutty, long finish

Nose: (after letting it breathe for about 45min) Strong notes of vanilla and caramel with an aggressive rye-type spice in the background. Floral notes mix around in the background as well. Compared to the regular pony offering, it’s much stronger and more complex. The aroma is very pleasant but does not hide its proof very well. Palate: Caramel and vanilla bomb up front followed by that spice that was present on the nose. It tastes exactly how you’d expect: a much more flavorful Blantons. As you keep sipping, that spice takes center stage and pushes the sweeter notes to the background. Near the end of my glass, I would have a hard time guessing this was Blantons at all. Finish: That spice remains prevalent and leaves your mouth dry, tongue tingling, and a pleasant Kentucky Hug in your chest. It’s begs for you to take another sip. Conclusion: it’s good, but doesn’t quite meet the legendary hype around it. I usually prefer higher-proof bottles, but I have to say I completely understand why BT waters Blantons down to 94p. I wouldn’t buy again, even at MSRP. Anyone desperate to taste this should buy a pour at a bar, and then decide if it’s worth the time and money to procure a bottle.