Luck seems to be on my side for Blanton’s lately as my brother was kind enough to bring back a bottle of the Blanton’s Black from Japan after a trip which is bottled at very low proof of 40%, but has a very nice black label with Japanese writing on it. These appear to be selling for above $250 online, but he was able to procure one for around $63 in Japan. Time to crack this one open and see if this is better than the original. The nose starts with a very light caramel with a hint of oak spice followed by fruits of Motts apple juice and orange zest that transitions to a very light spice along with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, leather and light oak with no ethanol burn. The taste is almost a water thin mouthfeel that starts with a light caramel with light oak spice followed by fruits of Motts apple juice and orange zest followed by a vanilla seeds then a light pepper spice that fades to faint barrel spices of ginger, cloves, nutmeg, leather and light oak with light ethanol burn. The finish is short with caramel apple, chocolate, orange zest, vanilla seeds, ginger, cloves, and light oak spice. I thought Blanton’s original single barrel was muted on the notes, but this is even worse. The nose is so light that the notes are difficult to pick out besides some light citrus and barrel char and the palate doesn’t improve things with tasting more like caramel water with a dash of fruit juices, some kitchen spices and a piece of wood on top that finishes short with light fruit, chocolate and barrel spices that turns spicier and drying than the original. No surprise this isn’t worth the secondary prices as I doubt anything actually is, but I wouldn’t even want another one of these for $63. It’s as if BT decided to take a lesson from Jim Beam and go Basil Haydenize their Blanton’s whiskey for the Japanese market.