Blanton’s
Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
by Brian Donnelly
Who was Blanton?
Colonel Albert Bacon Blanton was born in 1881 on a Kentucky farm not far from the present-day Buffalo Trace Distillery. In 1897, at the young age of just 16, Blanton was hired by the George T. Stagg Distillery to work as a clerk in the office. With time he eventually worked in every department of the distillery and with hand-on experienced learned about every aspect of the whiskey-making operation. Blanton was finally promoted to President of the distillery in 1921, at the age of 40, officially putting him in charge of the entire process.
During his 55 year career as an employee of the George T. Stagg Distillery, Blanton not only guided the distillery through some of the toughest events of the 20th Century but also put the distillery in a position to succeed and thrive. During Prohibition (1920-1933), Blanton secured one of only six medicinal whiskey licenses from the government, allowing them to continue production when almost all of the distilleries in the United States were shut down or closed. When Prohibition ended, the country was still trapped in the depths of the Great Depression, but the distillery continued to remain open and operating. In 1937, the Kentucky River overflowed and flooded the distillery, but under Blanton’s direction, the distillery restored normal operations within 24 hours of the receding floodwater. Finally, during the second world war, the distillery suspended bourbon production and produced industry-grade alcohol for the military and the war effort.
Colonel Albert B. Blanton retired from the distillery in 1952 and passed away in 1959. He is remembered and honored as a Kentucky legend, and a hero of the bourbon industry, credited with bringing Bourbon production into the modern era. A statue of Blanton stands outside the Buffalo Trace Distillery to this day.
“Loved And Respected
Master Distiller And
True Kentucky Gentleman.
He Dedicated 55 Years Of His
Life To The Service Of
His Community And His Company.
That His Inspired Leadership
May Live In The Minds Of Those
With Whom He Lived And Of
Those Who Follow. This Memorial
Is Erected With Gratitude And Honor.”
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Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon
Blanton’s was created by then Master Distiller, Elmer T. Lee in 1984, and is credited as being the first single barrel bourbon commercially available to the public. Lee was tasked with creating a high-quality premium new bourbon and drew his inspiration from the many years working under Colonel Albert B. Blantons, the long time President of the distillery. It was well known at the distillery that Blanton would occasionally hand select barrels of aging Bourbon from his favorite honey holes for bottling to gift for family, friends, and visiting essential guests. A honey hole is a spot in the rackhouse where the perfect temperature combination created the best aging barrels of Bourbon. For Blanton, this was the center selection from Warehouse H, and that is where Elmer T. Lee sourced the barrels for his new Bourbon. Rather than combining, or mingling, the contents of multiple barrels of Bourbon together to achieve a consistent flavor profile, Lee sourced each barrel, one at a time for bottling. Since each barrel is slightly different, based on a variety of various external factors. As a tribute to Blanton, Lee named his innovation Blanton’s, and the single barrel bourbon category was born. Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon was Elmer T. Lee’s final contribution to the distillery and the bourbon world before his retirement. This brand is now a staple for bourbon enthusiasts, credited for driving Bourbon’s comeback into popularity, and creating a modern Bourbon renaissance.
Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon is made using Buffalo Trace’s high rye bourbon mash bill, often referred to as Mash Bill #2. The whiskey is sourced exclusively from the middle section, or center-cut, of a rackhouse known as Warehouse H. Following the end of Prohibition in 1933, the distillery ramped up their bourbon production and quickly realized the didn’t have enough rackhouses to house all the freshly filled barrels. To solve this problem, Colonel Albert B. Blanton quickly built a rackhouse out metal, as opposed to brick or wood, to house all the new barrels. It didn’t take long for him to realize, that the inside of this unique metal rackhouse, was closer to the actual temperature outside, than the other rackhouses. Since the metal walls lack any insulation, the aging barrels inside are exposed to Kentucky’s significant shifts in temperature and humidity, and this effect is fully captured in the whiskey’s interaction with the oak. Still, to this day, every drop of Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon is drawn exclusively from the central honey holes and metal walls of Warehouse H. Blanton’s Single Barrel is bottled at 93 proof (46.5 % ABV).
The bottle stoppers for Blanton’s have become a famous collector's item since they were first released in 1999. The stopper features a racing horse and jockey in different strides and poses. Each one is embossed with a single letter that eventually spells out B.L.A.N.T.O.N.S. The stopper pays a final tribute to Kentucky’s long and historical horse racing heritage, which is perhaps the state’s most popular activity outside of Bourbon.
For more information about the history of the Buffalo Trace Distillery, click here.
Blanton’s Gold Edition
103 Proof (51.5% ABV)
Blanton’s Straight From the Barrel
Barrel Proof & Non-Chill Filtered
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