Description

Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Bourbon is the expression that created the single barrel category — launched in 1984 by master distiller Elmer T. Lee at Buffalo Trace Distillery, making it the first commercially released single barrel bourbon in American history.

Albert Bacon Blanton joined the Old Fire Copper Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky at age 16 in 1897 and eventually became its superintendent. During his tenure he identified a specific section of Warehouse H — the center-cut floors, where temperature cycling is most consistent — as ideal for producing exceptional bourbon. He reserved barrels from this section for his personal use and for dignitaries and ambassadors visiting the distillery. When Elmer T. Lee bottled the first commercial single barrel release in 1984, he drew from that same section of Warehouse H, naming the expression after Blanton.

Every bottle of Blanton’s Original is drawn from a single barrel — no blending, no mingling — selected by hand from the center-cut of Warehouse H and bottled at 93 proof. The barrel number and warehouse are printed on each bottle, and the hand-dipped red wax seal carries one of eight stopper designs, each featuring a racehorse and jockey in a different pose. Collect all eight to spell B-L-A-N-T-O-N-S, with the horse and jockey poses depicting a complete race from gate to finish line.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Creamy vanilla, caramel, and butterscotch with baking spice — nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove. Palate: Sweet citrus, dried fruit, honey, and corn with a firm rye backbone and rich oak integration. Finish: Medium-long with returning corn, nutmeg, and warm spice. Bottled at 93 proof (46.5% ABV).

Specs

Distillery: Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, Kentucky. Mashbill: High-rye Mash Bill #2. Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Bottling: Single barrel, hand-selected from Warehouse H. Proof: 93 (46.5% ABV). Size: 750ml.