Okayyyyy, I was very fortunate to have my first two bottles of Blanton's gifted to me by good friends. That said, without them I'd still be hunting... As for the bourbon, Blanton's did live up to the hype, however I do believe that there are other single barrel bourbons easily accessible on shelves nationwide (Russell's Reserve, or Four Roses, etc..) that are just as good, and equal or less than in price. During a recent "Bourbon drop" of allocated juice in my area, there was a 1 item per customer table, I chose another bottle over the Blanton's. I'll still be on the hunt to make my first purchase of this stuff, but like I said, there are other single barrels that are just as good, if not better.