There is always a bottle open here during the Christmas season along with a few other premium choices. Blanton's is always the first bottle empty. While it is one of my favorites, I find it more variable from bottle to bottle than I think it should be. Several years ago the taste at a local restaurant was incredible and would have rated a 5, or maybe it was the company? At a Christmas gathering in Florida a few years ago, we did the BT#2 blind with Rock Hill, Blanton's, Hancocks, Elmer T Lee, Bowman Brothers and Ancient Age. Blanton's was number three in the rankings. Guess which was the first bottle to be emptied after the tastings were done? For me, the Blanton's nose is beyond compare. The rich butter toffee is my favorite but I could not pick that out from the other entries where the same fragrance was exhibited by most entries. Most also had a little citrusy apple in the background. Blind tasting is humbling and especially so when the heritage of the products is identical. We have tried it with similar HH products and getting ready to do an MGP. Back to the current Blanton's. That classic nose is there like an old friend. The 93 proof keeps all the fragrances in the foreground and the alcohol in the background. I like to nose my first glass for a good half hour before I sip it. On the sip, alcohol is more obvious but not overpowering. Vanilla, butterscotch explode in my mouth. As they fade a bit, there's oak and a touch of citrus. Long finish of dry oak. So next year there will be another Blanton's opened and a slightly different incredible experience. That's what Elmer was shooting for.