Blanton's Gold

Single Barrel Bourbon • 103 Proof

Hello guys, Toni B here, and today I am dropping a bottle review to celebrate the Knicks 🏀 finally winning the NBA Championship 🏆 after 53 years. It feels unreal. The city is completely paralyzed, and there are more people here than on New Year's Eve. It is crazy because, with the World Cup ⚽ also going on, everyone seems happy in the streets. Good vibes ✌️. I wish it was like this all the time.

This past weekend, I was able to get the Blanton's Gold for $143 with a $10 coupon. It is a decent bottle to celebrate with, and it is a great one to review for this kind of occasion, even though there are plenty of better bottles out there. But let me tell you guys a method I sadly have to use to be able to buy at MSRP. I use those food apps to check liquor store prices before wasting my time going to the store and finding out their prices are out of range. It comes in clutch, and I am sure in other areas you can get them easily at MSRP, but here in NY 🗽 the prices are unforgiving. I have to do what I have to do 🤷‍♂️.

Now, this bottle's MSRP is around $150, and it is 103 proof. It is a high rye mash bill, non age stated, and it has been in the barrel for around 6 to 8 years. These are supposedly the best barrels due to their location, which is why they call it Gold (if anyone has more info can let me know, but that is my understanding). It reminds me of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label because they also pick the best stocks only, and the prices are really similar. Currently, we have the regular Blanton's, the Gold, and the Straight From The Barrel here in the US. I think in the past the Gold and Straight From The Barrel used to be international only, but now you can find them here. (One thing I find interesting is that most stores overcharge for the Japanese Takara version when it is basically the same thing 😆.... and yes I have tried it.) Many prefer the Straight From The Barrel over Gold, and I hope I can get that one to do a review as well, then do a blind test with all three to see if I am able to distinguish them. That should be fun.

Now, opening the bottle and serving it in my Glencairn glass, you guys can see the bright darkish amber color (see picture 2). Doing the aroma right away, I get a rye punch, but also some ethanol and some fading vanilla. Besides that, I cannot get too much from the first whiff, but after letting it sit for 10 minutes, I get more interesting notes. Ufff, much more pleasant and less spicy, for sure. I can get some fruit notes, but it is not a cherry type, more like another type of dark fruit, just a bit less fruity. I also get a bit of sweetness that to me feels like honey, but I have to get it at an angle to really feel it.

On the palate, it has a nice oily mouthfeel, not that oily either, so it goes down really smooth because of it. The rye is not too much in your face, and the fruity notes make it balance better than other bourbons. It is definitely a dark fruit, more like a plum. I really enjoy the spice finish on this one, as it is not that aggressive and is well balanced. As it fades, you get more of the other flavors like vanilla, but what really stands out in the finish for me is the honey. I get that bold raw honey taste, and it also does not leave you with a dry feeling at all. Really nice.

I really like how they were able to balance the rye with the other flavors on this one. Also, let's be honest, it feels more elegant pouring just because of the gold horse 🐎,

The reason is simple for me, it comes down to price and availability. If an item is too expensive and that hard to find, what is the point, right? I would rather spend that money on the Old Forester 1924, specifically the third batch, not the other two. Also, I am sure if I do a blind taste test with all the Blanton's expressions, I might get surprised by the results and which one I actually find best.

I hope you guys enjoy the review. I will try to drop one review every week, and then once we get to the World Cup ⚽ quarterfinals, I will do one for each game since I have got tickets for a couple of them. That should be fun.

Alright guys, going to go ahead, watch some World Cup games ⚽, and enjoy this bottle some more 🥃. This is Toni B and I am out!