A little background

Originally launched in 1984 under the guidance of the distillery’s master distiller Elmer T. Lee, Blanton’s bourbon has become one of the most sought after bottles on the market today. Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel is the cask strength variant of Blanton’s, which as the name implies, is bottled un-filtered and un-cut. The bottle sampled for this review came from barrel no. 1180 and was dumped on 7-9-2016. This particular barrel was bottled at 130.9 proof. Blanton’s SFTB is not available in the United States and is only available for purchase in select international markets. The mash bill ratios for this bourbon are not disclosed, however it uses the Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #2, which is said to be 12-15% rye. MSRP is not available, as this product cannot be purchased in the United States.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn.)

Color in the glass

Golden Amber

Nose

Initial hints of pine, orange, citrus and orange marmalade, followed by more subtle yeasty bread and cinnamon buns components. The 130.9 proof is evident, with an intense amount of alcohol hitting the nose. If left to sit and open up a bit, hints of butterscotch and raisins come through.

Palate

This whiskey is barrel strength and it lets you know it! The heat from the alcohol is initially somewhat overwhelming and mutes many of the flavors. As the palate gets acclimated, the classic Blanton’s cinnamon notes come through, along with hints of the retro Slo Poke candy. A few drops of water does this whiskey well, releasing flavors of honey butter, chocolate and coffee.

Finish

This bourbon finished very much like the initial tasting, hot. The heat causes a good amount of drying and ultimately results on a finish that wasn’t overly long. Notes of coffee and tea seem to linger the most.

In closing

This isn’t a bourbon for the faint of heart. If there ever was a whiskey that could benefit from a few drops of water, this is the one. Complexity isn’t a word that came to mind while reviewing this bourbon, however there are indeed some interesting flavors going on. The heat on this one just seems to really dominate the experience and create a bourbon that’s just not super well balanced. It’s unfortunate that Blanton’s SFTB is reserved for the international market only, as it’s a unique variant of the standard 93 proof bottling. Be sure to keep an eye out for this next time you’re cruising in the caribbean or taking a european vacation!