Blanton's Gold Edition
Blanton's Gold Edition, NAS, 51,5 %
Blanton's is a brand of bourbon whiskey produced and marketed by the Sazerac Company. It is distilled in Frankfort, Kentucky at the Buffalo Trace Distillery. They produce four different ranges of this brand: Special Reserve (40 % ABV), Original Single Barrel (46,5 % ABV), Gold Edition (51,5 % ABV), and Straight from the Barrel (cask strength).
Blanton's have a nice website (see link above) with lots of details for the releases. For instance, the details published for the Blanton's Gold Edition are:
- Type: Bourbon Whiskey
- Recipe: Corn - Rye - Malted Barley
- Mash Type: Sour
- Still Proof: 70% Alcohol by Volume - 140 proof
- Entry Proof: 62.5% Alcohol by Volume - 125 proof
- Warehouse: H
- Barrel Type: White Oak
- Maker: Independent Stave
- Staves: 6 month air dry
- Treatment: #4 Char
- Filtration: Chill Filtered
- Bottle Proof: 51.5% Alcohol by Volume - 103 proof
- Color: Dark Amber
The bottle I am sampling from contains bourbon whiskey "dumped on 6-12-12 from Barrel No. 377".
You can buy the Blanton's Gold Edition in Sweden at SEK 539 (item number 55701). It is not currently available in Norway.
Nose (22/25): Vanilla, fudge, furniture polish, oak, coffee, rye and mild spices. Dried tropical fruits; papaya, mango and pineapple. It does have a very rich and full nose. Remarkably soft for such a high ABV, and (I would assume) relatively young age.
Taste (22/25): Caramel, white pepper, rye, mild oakiness, honey and leather. A bit fruity as well; banana, apple and pear. It is quite sweet, as most bourbons - but the sweetness is tempered, it does not overwhelm in any way.
Finish (23/25): The caramel grows bigger, and there's added elements of perfume, maple syrup, burnt toast, nuts, sweet licorice, eucalyptus, mint and Mentholatum. Quite long and certainly very complex finish.
Balance (22/25): A very enjoyable and complex bourbon.
Score (89/100)
Sláinte! - Thomas
