Blanton's Bourbon B#194 FULL REVIEW

 Handcrafted Bourbon Whiskey Custom Bottle Gifts WhiskeyGifter.com


Product: Blanton's Boubon WH-H Barrel #424 Rick #9 B194
Proof:    93

Notes: This bottle has had plenty of time to open up completely for this review, nearly a full year! I was somewhat underwhelmed when I gave it an honest evaluation last year in a private setting. At roughly the same proof as Buffalo Trace, one would expect a big step up in flavor and finish, and that it does. I remember having this a few times in the last 15 years and typically viewed it as a nice bourbon after a surf and turf dinner. Who would ever think that this was going to become such a coveted bottle that folks would literally camp out on the sidewalks for to have a shot of puchasing the next day? This year, I was a bit more enthusiastic when I found another bottle for $80 and decided to give it another shot. Gotta admit, this bottle does look good on the dancefloor ;)

Fair Bottle Value: $70 [Price paid $80]

Color: Lite amber honey

Nose: caramel, oak, grape, vanilla, butterscotch, cloves

Palate: excellent buttery blend of sweet vanilla pudding & oak

Finish: medium / long : vanilla hold through all the way from start to finish tapering off with a nutty oak, graham cracker and hint of dark cherry, faint peppercorn coats the entire tongue 

Rating: 4/5

Recommend: Maybe : I would definitely say this bottle has opened up much better a year after I cracked the seal, but it still isn't mind blowing phenomenal like one would expect with all of the hype surrounding the brand. The finish is definitely the best part of the pour, longer and more complex than most 90-95 proof bourbons. I would recommend grabbing a bottle if you don't have one in the collection, but never would pay more than $80 (double MSRP) for this pour. That is VERY generous to say, and only because of the complete nightmare it has become to obtain these releases. If this were in any other bottle I would honestly say it is a $50 bourbon. Now with that caveat I will also say I have had other Blanton's releases several times in bars and restaraunts over the years that were very exceptional, some were also very "meh". Single barrel bourbons can vary widely in profile, they always give me great pause when I cross the $50 threshold for this reason. My infinite bottle is filled with bad selections purchased in haste, only to be blended into an amalgam of liquid for friends who drink cocktails! 



Opinions expressed are the personal experience and works of the author "Ike Gilbert" and are based upon the sampling of one unique bottle among many. Skol.

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© 2021 Ike Gilbert

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