Blanton’s: Five Things You Need to Know (And You May Not Like One of Them)

Bourbon

October 20, 2020

The whiskey world is always in search of Blanton’s Single Barrel, a bourbon that once was available on pretty much any liquor store shelf for $40 or less.

Somewhere along the way, between the tasty liquid, the collectible stoppers and the unique, round bottles, it became so sought after that today it’s next to impossible to find without some serious recon.

Fred Minnick has a few thoughts on Blanton’s and this phenomenon, and he shared them in a quick-hitting video, linked above.

Here’s a quick recap of what he had to say about Blanton’s:

5. The best way to find Blanton’s right now is not on retail shelves, but on Drizly. (But be prepared to pay up and risk being called a “tater.”)

4. Blanton’s is named after Albert B. Blanton, a man who was highly influential in the bourbon industry after Prohibition. Fred goes into detail about his life and influence, including being the father of the modern single barrel whiskey.

3. Blanton’s was indeed the first single barrel sold in bottles, but it wasn’t designated as such until 1984. Now, single barrel designations are everywhere. This movement helped bring bourbon back from a major lull in the 1970s and ‘80s.

2. The packaging is a big part of what drives the interest in Blanton’s, from the horse-and-jockey stoppers, which can be collected to spell out “Blanton’s,” to the bulbous bottle. Ironically, Blanton’s was making fun of Maker’s Mark for selling whiskey based on packaging.

1. Blanton’s is overrated. If you want to know why Fred feels this way, check out the video above. It’s well worth the watch.

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