Is Blanton's REALLY the BEST Single Barrel!? | Four Roses Single Barrel vs Blanton's BLIND REVIEW

[@jjlittle81]

The four roses line has become my favorite

[@nathantuck2257]

Blanton’s placed last in my last blind test. I’ve pushed it to the back of my collection. I think it’s more of a novelty item.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

When it had spotty availability it was a great bottle to gift people. Nowadays with as hard as it is to come by, and how expensive it is getting, you're probably right with the novelty item assessment. If only we could get Blanton's Gold a little more easily. We've yet to have it or Straight From The Barrel, but those are the expressions we think we could actually love.

[@chriswalls6667]

I agree on the Four Roses single which I pour into my Blanton empty bottle

[@thomaspetroni208]

I love the chemistry of the tasting and real world score, much appreciated. Perhaps Josh should let Erin give her notes first - I think Josh has a more developed pallet and would be less swayed by suggestion as Erin would. Blanton's is no less than $100 where I live so my "real world" would be different. In blinds, Blanton's comes in 2nd or 3rd and Josh's Blanton's description resonates - it's good but not great however friends and family would be impressed by it. Excellent match up and tasting!!!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks Thomas! Great notes and we appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment! Cheers!

[@michaelwride7842]

Great video, I tried Four Roses and I love it. It suits my palate perfectly. Some day I will try Blantons and see what the hype is all about.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Glad you enjoyed it Michael. Thanks for watching!

[@TheBourbonWrench]

Four roses every single time! If you’ve watched my channel any, you’ve definitely seen some hatred towards Blantons 🤣 don’t get me wrong…it’s good…but you can get much better for CHEAPER…say no more!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

TELL ‘EM TREV! 🙌 Blanton’s has certainly landed in a very interesting place within our home these days but we’ll leave it at that so as to not drop comment spoilers (if that even matters). Maybe one day we’ll get a bottle that knocks our socks off…

[@jamestaylor9258]

I get it at MSRP. 🤷‍♂️😁

[@ironmantran]

aw-rite ! no need for no bland-ton for me none : a case of Roses then ! Many thanks for a great video !

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thank YOU Timothy for watching! Cheers!

[@bo_mccroskey]

Four Roses Single Barrel is the whiskey that hooked me into bourbon. I had only had some of the more common bourbons prior and nothing I really enjoyed or even considered drinking neat. I had Blanton's a couple times and never thought it was spectacular. I like Eagle Rare better.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Love it Bo! And great point on Eagle Rare vs Blanton’s. A lot of folks would be very surprised if they blinded the Buffalo Trace portfolio at and under 100 proof.

[@mikeh7917]

I found some Single Barrel Dimetap!! Store pick, Cask Strength 💪.

[@mttech1995]

I may have to put a Four Roses single barrel on my shelf.. I’ve always passed. Good channel..!! Let Erin talk more.. lol!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks for watching and for the comment Ed. Cheers!

[@mttech1995]

@@stuffandwhiskey …. You’re welcome! Keep up the solid content!

[@joshuamire2721]

I did a 4R barrel proof single barrel vs Blanton's SFTB. 4R blew it away in every aspect. In most cases for my palate BT products come up short outside of GTS.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Cheers to that, Joshua. Four Roses seems to be pretty polarizing overall, but most people do seem to love the single barrels (us included). Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@tristenl6938]

The Dinetapp reference instantly registered, and I agree it was good….. Great format. Not too surprising result.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks Tristen! Had we not been blind it would’ve been interesting to see if results would’ve differed. My (Josh) guess is that I’d have been much harder on Blanton’s. Surprised it scored as well as it did with me blind. Appreciate you watching!

[@christopherfrancisco9010]

First I will say great content and keep it up. As a Blanton's guy with 13 empty bottles on hand. I've been forced to expand my horizons and try new bourbons based on availability. I enjoy watching these types of videos and I actually enjoyed the 4 roses single barrel I recently purchased.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

That's awesome to hear, Christopher! Expanding horizons doesn't always pan out for the better but it's certainly enlightening and often times fun. Cheers and thanks for watching!

[@johncashion8428]

Good job guys! I complete agree with your scores on these

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks as always John! Cheers sir!

[@thomasanderson2870]

4 roses small batch select for the WIN 👍🥃😉 CHEERS

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Funnily enough, we hear Four Roses SmB Select is $50-60 in most markets but it’s $70-75 here.

[@andrewvermeire6125]

Got a Blanton's store pick a couple weeks ago and opened it up at a get-together with a bunch of non-whisky drinkers. It's a great bottle. Compared to a pour the other day at a bar, the store pick is better of course. The flavors expressed in a standard Blanton's are very solid tasty bourbon, very well balanced but I'm finding several bottles I enjoy more. 1972 Bottled in bond is hitting my pallet real nicely. First bottle I stuck my nose in and went wow banana laffy taffy. Erin I know your looking for that banana. Look for that bottled in bond from 1792 see if you find it. Sorry for the long one.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We’ve got a head-to-head with 1792 BiB coming in a few weeks. Stay tuned. Thanks for watching and commenting Andrew. Cheers!

[@tommysimpsonandtheloadeddice]

Wow! This channel has come a long way.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Oh man, you're not wrong. We look back on these and see where the intentions were for good content but we much prefer everything about what we're doing now. This is a fun trip down memory lane though!

[@Sparkalicious5757]

If you guys ever come across a Barrel Strength SiBa 4R in the OBSV recipe I would rec you pick it up! Same recipe as SiBa but at 115-120 proof. If it’s in your profile it is hard to beat!

[@wynsteckbauer5480]

I expected Blantons to be bad but I really like it actually. At least Straight From The Barrel.

[@jamesbullard4897]

Good real world review Seagram’s made a good rose

[@blindsquirrel3123]

I just got my first bottle of Blanton’s today at retail. I like it. It’s good. Not spectacular, but really good. Would I pay secondary prices? Not a chance. At retail I will buy it every time I see it.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Nice, David! It's solid bourbon and the bottle is a beauty to have around. Congrats on the retail score!

[@Richie.Z]

Love the head to head blind format and this was a great watch! I replenished my 4R single barrel recently and it’s an excellent anytime pour. The Blanton’s has been a couple years for me but around here the secondary price is a factor so I haven’t revisited but I remember it being delicious especially the store pick Blanton’s. I might pay the $99 I usually see lately just to try it again, I love the Buffalo Trace profiles. Cheers Josh and Erin😊🥃

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Well said Richie. Taste is so subjective that for MSRP, or close enough to, most anything is worth trying once to see if it’s worth buying again. There have to be some fantastic Blanton’s bottles out there. Cheers to you Richie and thank you for always showing us love!

[@Richie.Z]

@@stuffandwhiskey You’re welcome!

[@jonathancortis667]

Loving the channel. If you take requests to add to your blind pool, I’d love to see Evan Williams BiB vs Virgin Bourbon 101. Both rock bottom prices, both distilled by heaven hill, almost exactly the same proof, but so different in their flavor profiles. These are my cheap dailies that I always keep and stock, and would love to see what y’all think.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks Jonathan! And we’re always considering potential entries into the blind head-to-head pool however this is our very first time hearing of Virgin Bourbon 101. Area specific? Or maybe it’s just not here in Nashville (or we’ve been looking it over).

[@jonathancortis667]

@@stuffandwhiskey it’s bottled and distributed by a company called meadowland, but it is Heaven Hill distillate. It’s on the shelf at Alabama ABC’s more often than not, so if you’re ever down this way keep an eye out! whiskeyapostle.com/2020/11/virgin-bourbon/

[@Justmario262]

Great to see your channel growing fast. You had me hooked when you talked about your watch. I love watches and whiskey also.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Cheers Mario! Lots more watch content coming by the way. 😉 While we’re on the topic, what’s your favorite watch that you own and what’s the one watch you’d love to own if given the chance?

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Cheers Mario! Lots more watch content coming by the way. 😉 While we’re on the topic, what’s your favorite watch that you own and what’s the one watch you’d love to own if given the chance?

[@Justmario262]

@@stuffandwhiskey I find myself wearing my Casio dw5600 with metal bracelet the most but Have a few my wife got me that are special to me as well. Given any budget I’d love to own a Rolex root beer gmt in solid rose gold. Just think that’s a classy watch.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

@@Justmario262 agreed on the rose gold GMT Master II. That would be a dream. BIG Casio fan here (Josh) and have a DW5600 as well. Not sure if it’s been on the channel yet but it’s sure to be soon.

[@tragic504]

I like the 4 roses more as a mixer. It seems to drink heavier than the 100 proof it’s listed at. Some of my 120 proofers seem to sip easier than the 4 roses.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Interesting. It’s embedded itself as a staple 100 proof sipper here and we almost never mix it. The difference in palates is never not interesting to us. Cheers buddy!

[@distlledbrewedreviewed]

New sub here. Loving the way you do your tastings.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks so much! We have a lot of fun doing them this way and are always glad to hear others enjoying it too. Cheers!

[@darrendavis4731]

Blantons and Eagle Rare both unobtainable tend to prove through blinds that they are not worth 3 times retail.

[@RyRoc]

Dimetap (sp?) was sooooo good as a kid lol. Especially compared to other liquid cough meds that were terrible

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Ludens is as far as we can go on the medicinal cherry bridge-that stuff was basically candy. 😂

[@johncannon3593]

I like both, and always keep both on my bar (but only pay retail for Blanton's). I've been drinking both for years, long before Blanton's blew up. I think you hit it on the head, that both are good, but not anything especially noteworthy. I think they are great for when you just want something solid to enjoy but aren't looking for something to think about or do an in-depth sensory analysis.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Well said John. Fortunately there’s many bourbons that fill the same role for less money than both of these too. We’ll use these blind results to continue informing future entries into the blind sample pool. Thanks for watching!

[@Frank-uf2vn]

Here in Upstate NY Four Roses Single Barrel is $45 and Blanton's Straight from the Barrel Bourbon Available to Members only $250? that is if it ever shows up as in stock! Can't go wrong with any Four Roses.

[@hirokeo]

Blanton's mark up around Chicagoland local liquor stores is $199.99, only the bigger box stores like Binnys would sell it close to MSRP. If you see it for MSRP buy it and then resell it to the Blanton bros for $100+ ez. 4RSB is superior and I don't even think its that close.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Hey Kanden! Josh here. Non-blind I’d agree with you wholeheartedly. Blanton’s actually did better here than I’d have suspected. That said, I’m with you. Appreciate you watching brother!

[@royn8032]

I just won Blanton's in Total Wine lottery....I have tried before and its ok but do you think I could flip in 20 years for a lot more?

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Not sure we’d ever be able to sit on a bottle that long-it’s too fun to open, try, and share with friends! That said, we’d hate to speculate so it’s hard for us to say, but factually speaking-Blanton’s is hardly rare. Buffalo Trace makes plenty. It’s just in high demand right now. Whether that holds for years to come is a guessing game. Be interesting to see what happens for sure!

[@jamesbullard4897]

Four roses 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹 nice

[@Haystack777lyle]

I like your methods and I think this blind was about the same as I would have also scored it. On the other hand, I feel like you should know which flavor popsicle your spouse would choose by at least the 3rd date. haha Cheers!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

That’s fair Lyle. 😂 We definitely do tend to skew to the ice cream side of the equation however, and that answer is obviously “all of them!”

[@TheBourbonVan]

+1 Dimetapp grape on the Blanton’s

[@stuffandwhiskey]

How the heck did we miss this comment!? That note is beginning to stand out to us more and more on Buffalo Trace products, especially Eagle Rare and Blanton's. Less so on the other products but it's still there in the background. Fun when we can both pick up such a standout note with crystal clear fidelity! Makes us feel a little bit like this really awesome couple named Phil and Julie. They've got a great KZbin channel. You should check them out!😉

[@jasonc.5718]

The $ people pay for Blanton's can get really crazy when they're looking for bottles with specific dump dates to match birthdays and anniversaries.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

You’re not kidding! It’s wild what people will rationalize. Thanks as always for watching, commenting, and supporting the channel Jason. We see you and we appreciate you buddy!

[@raymonddonahue7282]

Never had either one.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Both good but neither remarkable, so you’re not exactly missing much (even though we do tend to like both). Cheers and thanks for watching Raymond!

[@TylersEclectic]

I need to open my four roses bottle… hmmm 🤔

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Begs the question as to how it isn’t already open!? Please rectify this travesty post haste and report back. 🥃

[@TylersEclectic]

@@stuffandwhiskey lol! Will do ha!

[@ridered7394]

Four roses single barrel all day,Blantons is $140 around me,

[@shredward666]

I've only ever purchased one bottle of Blanton's and it was $65. I feel that it's worth that, given today's prices, but not more. The Four Roses sb I own is terrible however lol, maybe I just got a bad barrel

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks for commenting Edward! Seems like Four Roses small batches don’t hit everyone’s palates right but single barrel seems to be pretty universally loved. As with all matters of taste, nothing is for everyone. Bummer that you got a bottle that isn’t great for you. Hopefully it at least mixes well or serves as a good bottle for guests.

[@shredward666]

@@stuffandwhiskey sorry should have specified, by sb I meant single barrel and not small batch. Must have gotten a bad single barrel

[@stuffandwhiskey]

@@shredward666 no worries. That’s how it was interpreted. Definitely no fun when you’re on the wrong end of single barrel roulette.

[@shredward666]

@@stuffandwhiskey It has to be hard for a distillery to create a consistent flavor profile with a single barrel offering. They run the risk of turning people off from their products if someone associates their single barrel bourbon with a bad experience. Definitely a catch 22

[@stuffandwhiskey]

@@shredward666 for sure! At the end of the day it benefits all customers for a distillery to offer batches and single barrels. Just wish they’d do a better job communicating what those are and who should be buying each right there on the bottle. It’s a lot to ask the average consumer to gamble on a $50 bottle (or maybe that’s just us projecting our frugal nature onto others).

[@WhiskyForBeginners]

I like Four Roses single barrel, but I think the small batch is better (of course every bottle of a single barrel can be different). It's good, but it's not as good as the price. As for Blanton's, this isn't the first review I've come across that indicates it's good, but nowhere up to the hype. If I have a chance to try it I will, but I'm not going to pay inflated retail for it, never mind the outlandish secondary prices.

[@Danr07]

The intro Ad prior to your video was encouraging me to consider finding a Slavic wife. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Really!? That’s wild! We’re not even monetized so that’s all KZbin mojo. Wonder what’s going on at YT HQ. 🤔

[@jamiewilliams3154]

At this point I only buy Blanton for 60 or less for trade value for all the hype chasers.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

That’s a win-win for you and them too. Cheers to that Jamie!

[@thomasanderson2870]

4 roses sib is $50 and Blantons is $150 in mid michigan

[@tragic504]

I think my palate tasting is more closely related to Erin’s

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Love it! That’s a great realization. We hoped people would dial into one of our palates as our preferences do differ quite a bit.

[@taylormzalewski]

Constructive criticism: You have a national channel, being in MI blantons is $$$. I value your blind opinions but your prices on some items are way undercut for the majority. That's a huge factor on decisions, like you can't telegraph george t stagg at $100 when comparing it to $70 jack daniels barrel proof. You are honest with saying some bottles are impossible to get, but don't say the msrp when you know its not realistic.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Very fair points, Taylor, however our scoring rubric is designed to meet you where you're at (read: your taste preferences *and* your market factors). Not to make this a Patreon pitch but in our Whiskey Nerd tier you get downloads of all the scoring rubric info we designed and you're able to use it yourself to track pours for yourself over time, kinda like guided notes. That said, we could and should do a better job of communicating that point in every video (that if you used our scoring to grade both of these bottles, your scores would almost surely differ from our own) even if it gets a bit repetitive to cover it in every video. It's easy enough to add it into the intro to the scoring for clarity's sake. Thanks for the feedback and thanks for watching. Cheers!

[@clintwestwood1895]

Don't put your JuJu on me.. Lol! she is Cool.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Thanks Clint! Cheers and thanks for watching!

[@berkleycumbie6359]

Blanton's is a wheated bourbon.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

It’s Mashbill #2 from Buffalo Trace which is their “high rye” bourbon mashbill (although they don’t disclose how much corn, rye, and barley it contains).

[@deangood6682]

no

[@PaulVigil-jl8ce]

To much flapping

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Nah, just sounds like we’re not the channel for you. Plenty others out there. Cheers.