Review: Blanton’s Original Single Barrel – Barrel 97 – Barrel 97 ~ 46.5% (Blanton’s Distilling Co.)

• Category: Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey
• Origin: Buffalo Trace Distillery
• Bottling: Blanton’s Barrel 97
• ABV: 46.5% ABV
• Cost: £60 for 70cl
• Score: 89/100

What they say:

Blanton’s Original Single Barrel bourbon is a favourite of many, and it’s not hard to see why. Fantastic notes of vanilla, warm caramel, chocolate and orange, who wouldn’t love to be served up a glass of this with a couple ice cubes? This bottling uses whisky from barrel 97.

What I say:

Spotted in the Filling Station in Edinburgh this bourbon from Blanton’s comes in a characteristic bottle with a horse and rider stopper presumably linked to the Kentuck Derby race? I subsequently learned that there are seven different shapes of horse and rider with some much rarer than others. At the base of each is a letter and the whole set together spells out Blantons. Purchased as a gift for Richard and Carrie who are both lovers of whisky and horses so this seemed like the perfect compromise.

Colour:

Dark orange amber

Nose:

Dates, fruity and spicy, lemon sherbet and orange cream candies, vanilla, caramel and sugar

Taste:

Light vanilla cream, chocolate, toffee, almond paste/marzipan, nutella (hazelnut spread with cocoa), dates and other fruity flavours

Finish:

Long, drying, caramel, figs, dates and toffee oak persist

Overall:

A delicious example of single barrel bourbon – far removed from the wood-polished oak of more standard bourbon expressions. This one is full of chocolate, nut and vanilla flavours that were just sublime. A gentle/creamy orange fruitiness (not citric/acidic) accompanied this and added depth and interest.