Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel Review – 129.0
“Straight from the Barrel series”
Every week while bourbon hunting, I stop at a variety of different stores. I have a 60 mile daily commute (one way!), so I’ve found number of stores that occasionally have nice whiskeys on the shelf. This week, I found a bottle that I’ve never seen in any store…so I purchased it without hesitation. The best part is, there was a Blanton’s Gold in front of it which I wasn’t interested in purchasing. But in talking with the owner, he said that there were tow different Blanton’s on the shelf, so when I looked behind the Gold, I found this treasure! I am very glad to be tasting my way through this Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel review – 129.0!
Blanton’s Original Single Barrel (what most people simply call “Blanton’s”) is the first commercial single-barrel bourbon launched in 1984 by master distiller Elmer T. Lee and bottled at 93 proof. It was created to appeal to the Japanese high-end market. The iconic horseracing stoppers, featuring different positions for horse and jockey, was introduced in 1999.
The Gold Edition of Blanton’s (103 proof) whiskey was introduced in 1992 exclusively for the Japanese market. Eventually it was also released in the UK. However, in 2020, it finally also became available in the US.
Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel was introduced around 2000 and also was originally only available in countries outside the US. But in 2020 it finally became available in the US. It is bottled at cask strength, providing bourbon lovers with a more intense, undiluted version of Blanton’s flavor profile.
Series: Straight from the Barrel
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: 6 – 8 years
Proof: 129.0
Proof Designation: Barrel Proof
Batch Designation: Single Barrel
Filtered Status: Non-Chill Filtered
Mash bill: Buffalo Trace Mashbill #2, rumored to be 12% ~ 15% rye
Barrel Char Level: 4
Barrel Entry Proof: 125
Distillate Source: Buffalo Trace
Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Company: Sazerac Company Inc.
Bottled By: Blanton Distilling Co.
Distilled/Aging Location: Frankfort, Kentucky
Master Distiller: Harlen Wheatley
Release Date: Ongoing; This bottle: July 11, 2022
Rickhoouse: H
On Rick No.: 27
Bottle No.: 193
MSRP: $230
Secondary Market: $275 $450
Availability: Low/Rare

Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel Review – 129.0
My tasting reviews are unique in that I include the notes of several well-known whiskey critics. The hope is that this format will help me and others to explore and expand their tasting experience. After you have taken your own tasting notes, read the reviews and see if there is a flavor note that others discerned that now you can detect as well.
For this tasting: Opened Bottle (about 5 hours), Glencairn Glass, Neat, Room Temp, Breathe: 5 minutes.
Legs
Beads began to form on the crown at about 9 seconds, the legs began to form at about 32 seconds, and a few reached the bowl at about 70 seconds.
Nose
This nose is incredible! So complex, so many well balanced aromas. Dark caramel, butterscotch, toasted oak, fennel, floral cloves, nutmeg, toasted marshmallow, custard, fresh apples, cinnamon French toast, fig, leather, a hint of hazelnuts.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
The Whiskey Study: (125.2 proof) Deep, rich, enveloping notes of spicy grape candy, red apple, wood spice, and heavy barrel char fill the room. It reminds me of walking into a Kentucky rickhouse in the middle of summer – wood, sawdust, and bourbon flavors fill the area. Lucious, rich, and sweet, the nose provides a welcoming introduction to this rarified experience.
The Whiskey Shelf: (129.2 proof) Big and bold right off the bat with dense and earthy caramel and maple syrup, followed by syrupy peach, very dry apple coated in cinnamon, caraway seed that reminds me of baked pumpernickel bread, rosemary, dried apricot, vanilla, dried orange peel, and dark candied gingersnap cookie.
Amongst the Whiskey: (127 proof) Creamy fruit, rich, deep earthy caramel. Smoked meat with a brown sugar glaze greets me as well. This feels dark as can be with a sweet, funky mustiness. Older oak is certainly present, giving the feeling that the 6 year estimate on this may be conservative. Stewed peach cobbler and spiced plum pudding show up now with some heft. Toasted oak and confectionary sugar. Deep molasses. Hints of lemon peel zest. Soft black tea.
The citrus notes have really started to build now with lemon meringue pie sweeping in loftily. On a swirl some of the spicier aromas bubble up. Allspice, soft clove and a hint of anise give this some great depth of character. A lovely vanilla salt water taffy. After a long rest, malted corn sweetness is prevalent, followed by a sweet marshmallow. Late in the glass well-oiled leather has formed on top of the glass. Smelling through that reserve reveals sugar cookie and sweet oak.
Palate
The flavors on the palate are equally complex and well-balanced. Dark caramel, dark brown sugar, fennel, cinnamon, floral cloves, toasted oak, leather, tobacco, crème brûlée, fresh apple, roasted plums, grilled peaches, dark cherries, dark chocolate, root beer. There is a solid “bite” from the alcohol burn, but the flavors and mouthfeel help tame the burn.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
The Whiskey Study: The first sip blows away any preconceived ideas you may have about Blanton’s and replaces them with a flurry of flavors that are initially hard to pin down. This first sip is big, bold, and hot – forcing me to take a step back to fully acclimate before understanding all the nuanced flavors. Heavy char, sticky French vanilla, lots of brown sugar and toasted oak. As I get more acclimated to it, spicy Raisinets, ginger, cherrywood, and spicy molasses chips (if that’s a thing?) come to the front of the palate. It immediately wraps around your tongue and doesn’t let go – with its oily mouthfeel and rich full-bodied heat. There is a depth to the flavors here that’s more often associated with the George T Staggs, William Larue Wellers, and Eagle Rare 17s from Buffalo Trace than your everyday Blanton’s (or even Blanton’s Gold). A drop of water here goes a long way to tame the heat and bring out a sweeter, gentle, and more oak forward character.
The Whiskey Shelf: It kicks off with dense, oily, and earthy caramel, caraway seed, ripe peach, dried apple and orange, roasted oak, cinnamon, clove, pumpernickel bread, and vanilla. “Chewing” launches more oily and earthy caramel with pumpernickel, caraway seed, rye bread, dried apricot, dried prune, dry oak, cinnamon, gingersnap cookie, dried apple & orange, rosemary, and maybe even a little bit of dried seaweed (weird I know). There’s a lot of gingersnap cookie (brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg).
Amongst the Whiskey: First sip is incredibly cherry forward. It’s candied and incredibly sweet with cinnamon hots following shortly after. The cherry note seems to have been injected with a rich vanilla – becoming so entwined together that they quickly alternate, spiraling like a barber shop candy cane pole across my tongue. Oh my, really, the vanilla on this is so rich and it builds incredibly on subsequent sips. Hints of pear and apricot follow on the long linger that floats around in the top of my chest. The mouth feel is sweet and coating like a thick maple syrup experience. Later in the glass the cinnamon spice really kicks it up into high gear. It’s never quite hot, but really flirts with getting there. My last sip is smoky now alongside oodles of cherry, plum and fig sweetness. There is a honeysuckle texture that sticks to every surface of my mouth it touches.
Finish
The finish is long and continues with similar flavors. Dark caramel, toasted oak, mild baking spices, cinnamon apple pie, dark chocolate, dark cherry and leather.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
The Whiskey Study: Long finish with notes of Red Hots, Mexican hot chocolate, nutmeg, and clove. There’s a strong Kentucky hug that stays with you for minutes between each sip – the perfect partner to keep you warm on cold winter nights.
The Whiskey Shelf: The finish is very oily and earthy with caraway seed, ginger, caramel, roasted oak, and rosemary. Oddly enough, it’s not particularly great or noteworthy.
Amongst the Whiskey: Spring florals blow softly in the breeze on the long, smoldering finish. You better believe I am pouring the other 1oz of this now. This is delicious.
Mouthfeel
The mouthfeel is rich and pleasant, helping to combat the heat from the alcohol.
Mouthfeel Rating Guide: Thin = Watery | Silken = smooth & slippery, but not mouth coating | Creamy = coats the tongue like heavy cream does. | Rich or Unctuous = coats the entire palate like quality olive oil
The Burn
3.5 out of 5. This means that the burn from the alcohol is a bit lower than what I would expect it to be. I would guess this to be around 125 proof, not 129.0 proof.
Tasting Summary
Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel 129.0 proof is rich, buttery, luxurious, complex and intoxicating! It is comprised of so many well-balanced notes of sweet, savory, spicy, earthy, and oaky. The only downside is that I do not have a back-up bottle!
My Rating
The higher the score the better the whiskey is in my opinion. For reference, my best rated bottle so far is the George T. Stagg 2022 (138.7p) with a score of 9.7.
Score Type | Score | Examples |
Likability Score | 9.3 | 1.0 – 10.0 |
Availability Score | 1 | 1-Rare, 2-Hard to Find, 3-A Little Hunting, 4-Easy to Find |
My Tasting Notes
Below are my tasting notes for the Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel review – 129.0. A blank version of this tasting notes wheel is available in both a color and a black & white version in the member’s area.

Notes and History
In the world of bourbon, the name Blanton’s has long been synonymous with exceptional quality and craftsmanship. But did you know that the story of Blanton’s single barrel bourbon began with the visionary efforts of Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee?
In 1984, as Elmer T. Lee neared retirement, he was given the task of creating a bourbon that would truly stand out from the crowd. Drawing on his decades of experience in the industry, Lee recalled the earlier days of his career in the late 1940s, when he had the privilege of working under the guidance of Colonel Albert B. Blanton.
Colonel Blanton was the president of the distillery until 1952. Mr. Lee remembered that when Colonel Blanton would entertain dignitaries and other important guests, he would handpick “honey barrels” from the center of Warehouse H and have that bourbon bottled one barrel at a time. As a tribute to Colonel Blanton’s dedication to quality and his practice of selecting the finest barrels, the Blanton’s Single Barrel bourbon was created.
Through meticulous attention to detail and a deep understanding of the art of distillation, Elmer T. Lee crafted a bourbon that would forever change the landscape of the industry. Blanton’s single barrel, with its unique bottle design and exceptional flavor profile, quickly became a sought-after treasure among bourbon enthusiasts.
Blanton’s was the first single barrel bourbon ever released, and in so doing, created the new niche of “super premium” bourbons. Today, most distilleries have at least one single barrel offering.
Today, the legacy of Elmer T. Lee and Blanton’s single barrel lives on, inspiring a new generation of bourbon lovers to explore the rich history and unparalleled quality that define this iconic spirit.
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July 10, 2024
My straight from the barrel proof is 135.3. Quite delicious.