Blanton's Straight From The Barrel....Is it worth the money?.. Review

Blanton's straight from the barrel. Is it actually worth the hype?
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Tags: bourbon, whiskey, best bourbon ,top 5,best value whiskey, top 10,buffalo trace, old forester, Elijah Craig, Larceny ,markers mark, Jim beam, jack Daniel's, Barrel Proof, Blanton’s

[@MetaPrometheus]

I got my friend a SFTB for his wedding. His dad got him a Gold. We tasted them side by side. The single barrel variability is a factor of course, as always. The Gold seemed to be the more preferred of the two in our tasting group. If I was given a choice between the two, I would pick the Gold over SFTB. But honestly the MSRP on these is ridiculous. $120-130 for Gold and $140-150 for SFTB. That's a lot of other bottles that could be acquired!

[@dneuens]

I’m sure Blanton’s used to be much better, so while I’m not a big fan, I also prefer the Gold I have to SFTB. None of them are worth the inflated price.

[@TheDramDiaries]

That’s awesome you were able to grab a bottle! I think most barrel proof bourbons out of Buffalo Trace are going to be very good.

[@thatbourbondude]

I totally agree

[@SHHDADDYSWORKN]

Ngl I work a second job at a doggy daycare while I'm going to college and this couple just named their chocolate lab "Blanton" and I seen another named that about five years ago and thought what an odd name since I got into whiskey 2 yrs ago.

[@GathTeakell]

I have one kislux bag I got in 2019, it's the LV white catogram speedy. It's counter quality and it has a nice honey patina now, so the leather is real. I think whatever makes you happy go for it. I've seen LV with plastic leather and blood red glaze...

[@heatherharrison264]

I got one at Total Wine a while back. Total Wine always charges a bit more than MSRP for Blanton's, but thankfully not museum pricing, so it was around the upper $100's. There was a bourbon event where the taters line up outside the store to get bottles. I won't wait in a line like that, but after the line cleared out, there was still plenty left over. I'm not all that impressed with standard Blanton's or Blanton's Gold, but I find that Buffalo Trace products perform better at higher strength, so I decided to grab one. I wouldn't pay top dollar at a museum, but if it can be had for $150-$200, it's at least worth buying it once if you enjoy high strength firewater. However, this price is a bit high when there are products of comparable quality available for less. Russell's Reserve and Four Roses single barrel store picks are top quality. Though they are intermittently available, when encountered, they are usually around $100. I grab them without a second thought when I see them. Jack Daniel's single barrel barrel proof is a relative bargain at around $70. Knob Creek single barrel store picks are bottled at 60%, as opposed to the usual 50% for Knob Creek, and they are a good value, usually selling for around $60-$70. Find one from a good barrel, and it is right up there with a good batch of Booker's in terms of quality. I first had standard Blanton's before it became popular, when it could easily be found on the shelf for around $40 to $50, much as Four Roses single barrel is now. It's good, but nothing special. I like Four Roses single barrel better, and it is a lot easier to find. I tried Blanton's Gold at a bar and found it rather underwhelming when tasted next to some other things. With this history, my expectations for Blanton's SFTB weren't that high, but I hoped that the higher strength would help it as it does Stagg and Weller Full Proof, so I dropped the money on it anyway. I was right - the strength and concentration make this version of Blanton's a significant step up from the others. Of course, barrel variation can come into play, and maybe the Blanton's Gold I tried at the bar was from a weak barrel and this SFTB was from a better one. My bottle is 64.2% ABV. It has more complexity than is the norm for Blanton's, and the finish is better. It is still relatively delicate, as is typical of Blanton's. Interestingly, I find that the complexity improves when I taste it back and forth with other things. I also bought a moderately high strength (55%) 22-year Trinidad rum at Total Wine that day. I found that Blanton's SFTB and the rum complemented each other well. I also tried Blanton's SFTB next to Weller Full Proof and had a similar experience, which was surprising since I expected the much richer Weller to overwhelm Blanton's. I suspect that Blanton's SFTB would be food friendly, much like European wine, and pairing it with the right food might bring out more complexity in it. I haven't tried this yet. I never cook, so I'll have to choose the right take-out from a restaurant. Maybe some beef brisket or pulled pork would work well, but Blanton's is delicate enough that it might even work with poultry or fish. I also recently got a Rock Hill Farms at Total Wine for $63. It is the same mash bill as Blanton's, but it is bottled at 50% ABV (which is between standard Blanton's and Blanton's Gold) and it is matured in a different warehouse. To me, it has a similar flavor profile, but it comes across as more complex and full bodied than standard Blanton's. Of course, barrel variation could come into play here, and maybe this Rock Hill Farms is from a honey barrel. I might have to do the same comparison as in this video. Since Rock Hill Farms is essentially a Blanton's variant, it should be a suitable substitute for standard Blanton's. I don't think I'll be buying a bottle of standard Blanton's. The cheapest I've seen it lately is $80, and it isn't worth that. I would rather buy SFTB for around double that price, and Rock Hill Farms at $63 was a better deal.

[@thatbourbondude]

I really wish I lived closer to a Total WINE. I've heard about so many people getting great bottles there.( I think I need to move...lol) I totally agree with you on the regular blantons. It's Underwhelming, $30 juice in a $40 bottle. SFTB is so much better. I'm so glad I finally got one. Now RHF is very interesting to me bc I think it is honey barrel pick from another rickhouse. It's better than blantons, and for 65 bucks, I'll buy it, but it's not something I'll overpaid for. Thank you for the support and comment. Cheers 🍻

[@heatherharrison264]

@@thatbourbondude At Total Wine, you generally can't just waltz in there and buy bottles like these. Their rewards program provides some access for people who spend enough money there, and it allows people to enter lotteries for BTAC, Pappy, and other hyped up bottles. The chance of winning the lotteries is minuscule unless you are filthy rich and spend tens of thousands of dollars on Bordeaux futures. I do not recommend spending the money simply to get grand reserve status, because it doesn't realistically provide access to all that much, and if all you want is a Blanton's SFTB, you would be better off buying it at a museum rather than buying a whole bunch of bottles you might not want just for a slim chance of getting one. However, if grand reserve status happens organically, as it did for me because I have expensive taste in single malts, rum, and agave spirits, then I see nothing wrong with taking advantage of it when the opportunity arises. In the case of that bottle of Rock Hill Farms, they sent me an e-mail saying there was a bottle with my name on it. I decided to bite on it because the price was good.

[@apeekintime]

SFTB is good, regular blanton's is pretty bad - in my opinion. I think there are two main types of palate - those who like Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare and those that link Blanton's and EHT. I've talked to hundreds of people and it always comes down to those two camps. The most common "favorite" are actually Buffalo Trace or EHT. I fall into the BT/ER camp (but I don't reach for any of them). I like STFB and EHT BP but I think they both drink like $80 bottles. You can get so many incredible 6-8 year old MGP bourbons at cask strength for the that price range and I think decent MGP is as good, often better than, Sazerac products.

[@thatbourbondude]

I 100% agree with you, and MGP is a lot easier to find

[@umami0247]

Glad you enjoyed it. Not a brand I look for it is just to hard to get unless your a camper and that's not me. Enjoy! Hope you continue to get better.

[@thatbourbondude]

Thank you so much. To be honest, I had already made it up in my mind that I wasn't going to get one. The wife and I were on vacation in the Florida Keys and stopped in Winn-Dixie to get cases of water for the cooler and wondered over to the liquor to pick up wild turkey 101 for mixed drinks later. The cashier asked if I was looking for anything special, and I just said blantons sftb and he was like, "Here you go." ......Just Crazy

[@BourbonondaBayou]

Got lucky and scored one for 140plus tax. It is in the running for my best bottle

[@thatbourbondude]

That's awesome... Congrats. I couldn't believe it when I found this one.

[@BrothersBarrel]

Better than normie Blanton’s? Yes! Worth secondary? Don’t know too many whiskeys that are. Love what Mash Bill#2 is capable of! Great vid🥃

[@thatbourbondude]

It's definitely not worth secondary price. Thanks Buddy

[@apeekintime]

I always think Blanton's smells and tastes like someone took an old strawberry and dropped it into the dirt of a baseball infield.

[@thatbourbondude]

That is probably the most accurate description of what I get off the nose I've ever heard

[@scarcheer7211]

I bet it’s better because of the proof. Should be more flavorful.

[@thatbourbondude]

I was worth the 143 I paid. I'll pay that every time. I am very thankful to have the opportunity to get a bottle.

[@thomasanderson2870]

Too much for me 😮. Cheers 👍 😉 🥃

[@thatbourbondude]

Thanks for the support.....Cheers

[@joshuelirizarry88]

Where did you find it?

[@thatbourbondude]

At winn dixie on big pine

[@joshuelirizarry88]

@@thatbourbondude awesome! I’m going to key west next week! I’m going to stop by the store

[@thatbourbondude]

@joshuelirizarry88 When you get to the counter and the guy kinda looks like a biker. You know, it's the right guy .he likes to ask if there is anything else you're looking for, but he might start off asking if you want a blantons, kindly decline, and ask for something different, but be specific.

[@thatbourbondude]

@joshuelirizarry88 The brass monkey in marathon also gets some good bottles at msrp. Make sure you go into the bottle store and not a bar, but they are both connected.

[@thatbourbondude]

The old lady is really nice