**updated on 9/2/2020. This is 1/14/20 dump from rick 35 and of course the fabled rickhouse H. Bottle is #84. Appearance: Golden and translucent with amber hues. A bit thin on the glass. But perhaps the best looking bourbon bottle there is! Nose: Some honey, citrus, and sweet tea dominate a straightforward nose. . Palate: Crisp and citrusy. A bit of leather and tea. Straightforward.. Finish: Leather and oak with a bit of vanilla. The honey on the nose stays true to the end. A Quicker, but pleasant finish. I will not say "smooth" simply because the word doesn't describe anything to me but lacking in heat, but a new to bourbon drinker might call it that as it is warming without lingering heat. Overall: Blanton's is solidly good bourbon time and time again. The question is- is Blanton's worth the trouble most people go to in order to get it? At 69.99/bottle and then twice that if your only pathway to it is through the secondary market because of its allocation, is it worth the hunt and the price? My conclusion is no. To me Blanton's is a really good $35-$40 bourbon slightly better than shelf Buffalo Trace that is trapped inside a $75.00 display bottle. In fact, I have enjoyed some BT store picks more for less than half the retail of Blanton's. Perhaps I am just partial to mashbill #1 over #2. That said I always try to have one on hand for friends and family to try. I enjoy the cool bottle, and love explaining the story about how it likely is the very first commercially available single barrel whiskey of its time, and that it may have helped to usher in a bourbon re-birth (my opinion is the high price of scotch may have also had a lot to do with a bourbon renaissance too, but different debate) Do I crave it? No. There is so much better out there readily available for less. Do I want most bourbon to be like it-yes