Blanton's Black Edition Bourbon

Created for exceptional smoothness and a clean finish, this bourbon is made with a sour mash of corn, rye and malted barley before maturing in American White Oak casks. The nose is powerful and dry with honey, rye, dried fruits, vanilla and chocolate. The palate is full and rich with sharp apricot notes alongside butter, pepper, honey and oak. The finish is long with toffee apples developing to pecan and caramel.

Produced exclusively for the Japanese export market at 80 proof, Blanton's Black Label is one of the rarest bourbon whiskeys in the world. Remarkably similar to the green-labeled Special Reserve, the main difference is an 8-year minimum aged barrel selection process (as opposed to the standard 6), which produces a more complex, robust, and refined whiskey tasting experience. Like the Takara Red edition, the Black Label is a statement piece for any serious bourbon collector and a must-try for any keen Blanton's enthusiast.

Crafted for the Japanese market, this Blanton's expression is made with Buffalo Trace high-rye mash #2. Aged 8 years in new charred American oak, it's bottled at 80 proof.

TASTING NOTES

There's caramel, vanilla, apple, cherry, dark sugar, and plenty of oak making itself known on the nose. Vanilla and fruit are on the palate with oaky undertones and a pleasant sweetness throughout. The medium finish is smooth and well-rounded with lingering vanilla.

About Blanton’s Bourbon

In the winter of 1881, Albert Bacon Blanton was born on a farm situated just outside of Frankfort, Kentucky. At the age of 16, Blanton began working at the Old Fire Copper Distillery (often abbreviated O.F.C. Distillery) as an office boy. Over the next few years, Blanton reportedly worked in every department at the distillery. By the age of 20, he was appointed the superintendent of O.F.C, and worked there until his retirement in 1952.

Much like his mentor, E.H. Taylor, Blanton was a traditional bourbon aristocrat, wedded to the production of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Blanton identified a certain section of Warehouse H at his distillery, which he believed was the best for aging bourbon, and would personally select individual barrels from the section to bottle for his own private reserve.

Today, Blanton's Original Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey is still aged in the same section of Warehouse H as Blanton's Private Reserve was over 50 years ago. Made from the high-rye Buffalo Trace mash bill of corn, rye, and malted barley.

Blanton’s is a bourbon whiskey which is produced and marketed by the Sazerac Company. It is distilled in Frankfort, Kentucky at the Buffalo Trace Distillery.

The Blanton’s brand was launched in 1984 under the guidance of the distillery’s master distiller Elmer T. Lee, as the first modern bourbon marketed as a single barrel bourbon. The original brand name was “Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon.” The barrels are dumped by hand without using machinery. There are eight different stopper designs, each with a different letter of the alphabet molded into it and topped with a figurine of a racehorse and jockey. When placed in order, spelling “B L A N T O N’ S”, the horse and jockey’s poses display eight different scenes of a horse race, from standing at the gate, to crossing the finish line with a win.

About Colonel Albert Bacon Blanton

Colonel Albert Bacon Blanton was born on a farm near the distillery in 1881.  In 1897, at the (very) young age of 16, Colonel Blanton was hired as a clerk at the distillery.  As he grew older he became very familiar with the distillery’s operations, working in every department.  He started as an office boy at the age of 16, and finally in 1921 he was in charge of the entire operation becoming President of the distillery. Colonel Blanton’s hands-on experience in all aspects of the distillery proved invaluable. His leadership guided the distillery through some of the most trying times of the 20th century, starting with Prohibition. Colonel Blanton’s savvy business acumen allowed bourbon production to continue during Prohibition, keeping the distillery operating when many others were closing their doors.  When Prohibition ended in 1933, the nation was in the throes of the Great Depression. Again, Colonel Blanton’s leadership allowed the distillery to prevail during the lean times of the Depression.  In 1937, the rising waters of the KY river engulfed the distillery. Remarkably within just 24 hours of the flood water receding Colonel Blanton restored the distillery to normal operations. A few years later, during World War II, Colonel Blanton’s gift for guidance kept the distillery intact at a time when it was required to suspend whiskey making and exclusively produce straight alcohol for military purposes.