Blanton's was the first ever Single Barrel Bourbon in the world, and it set the standards for others to follow. This fantastic product was named after the late Colonel Albert Bacon Blanton (1881-1959), who managed the largest distillery of its day.
As near as damn it a rye in style, the fruitiness and spice generated by that grain veritably glows in the glass. [Palate] Big rye again. It absolutely glitters about the palate offering salivating fruit notes against a background of cane juice. Wonderful; softens as the vanilla makes its mark, but the rye still pulses; looks like someone tipped a few extra sacks of rye into the recipe by mistake. Not that I’m complaining. (JM)
A blend of Kentucky and Indiana corn, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota Rye, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota malted Barley.
Intriguing aromas of crisp rye fruits, earth, vanilla, cotton candy, rich sweet, honied dried fruit, with a slight floral (violet) note. Lovely depth and complexity with a touch of light coffee and vanilla oils. Soft, succulent, quiet sweet and oily on the palate. Mouth coating with crisp rye grains, sweet honied dried fruit and vanilla. A touch floral on the middle with a palate cleansing tanginess. Lovely complexity starting with the oily fruit and finishing with the crisp earthy grains. Very long with the toffee coated fruit lingering with a touch of liquorice. Stylistically it is somewhere between Old Bardstown and Evan Willams.
Big, rich and creamy on the nose with honey, rye fruits and hints of Demerara. Initial corn sweetness and peppery spice layered with chewy toffee and caramel. Very long with the vanilla and caramel flavours lingering.
A blend of Kentucky Corn, Minnesota Rye and North Dakota Malted Barley.
Initially it has a quite fragrant nose, and an almost winey character with a fabulous mix of almonds, pecans, brown sugar and stewed apples – The ideal American breakfast! The body is big and silky and is far spicier than the nose suggests with a superb depth and complexity of maple syrup, vanilla toffee cream, violets, and a very long spicy finish with a hint of old leather.
A blend of Kentucky Corn, Minnesota Rye and North Dakota Malted Barley. “World Whisky of the Year” in the 2005 Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.
“I cannot really find a fault here: the oak is big enough to add a herbal almost medicinal quality, which on its own could be a downer were it not for the extraodinary, just about perfect, counter provided by sharp, juicy rye fruitiness and sweetening corn. Stick your nose in this – but only after you have warmed it to body temperature and have 15-20 minutes to spare. Really tasting notes are pointless in some ways: look for it and you will find it there. This in some way redefines complexity; the enormity of the age and strength at first wrinkles and shrivels the palate, but when your eyes have stopped watering and you can focus, you will see you’re in Eden. The splendour of the rye leads the way, with a soft, oily body forming from which much more succulent corn springs. The oak is a vaguely bitter pulse somewhere in the background. In the midst of this a buttery, small grain anthem is played over and over again; much quieter by comparison but the fruits remain and now a natural, caramelised corn sweetens the building, coffeed oak. I have tried this with water at varying strengths, but to get the best out of this bourbon you have to be brave. Take ay full strength, but only in very small amounts. Such is the enormity of this whiskey it will soon spread around the palate offering its full service. Along with a certain Ardbeg, this George T Stagg is without any shadow of a doubt one of the two best whiskies it has ever been my luck and privilege to taste in nearly 30 years” (JM)
Very intense, young, exuberant and peppery aromas. Biting rye grains come to the fore with a touch of violets, coffee and supporting oak. Young and clean on the palate, quiet light with the crisp rye up first, followed by a very peppery middle, a touch of brown sugar, violets and oak. That lovely rye grain intensity runs through it nicely. Good length with an earthy after taste. It is not overly complex but it makes up for that with buckets of flavour and intensity.
A blend of Kentucky Corn, North Dakota Wheat and North Dakota Malted Barley.
The initial nose impact is full of cotton candy and black walnuts. It develops into a luscious dried fruit sweetness that is in perfect harmony with soft vanilla, powdered sugar and cinnamon spices. On the palate it boom’s with an explosion of Bourbon flavours, oak and a beguiling smoky sweetness. It’s an uncompromisingly hearty dram, but the finish is fresh and invigorating.
Wonderfully bold and soft aromas of liquorice coated wheat and vanilla oak, supplemented with herbal spices and hints of violets and demerara. Relatively straightforward but it has a lovely depth. The palate opens with bitter oak followed by hard violet and liquorice encrusted wheat and spices. It settles down on the middle to display a touch of demerara, but the bitter oak theme continues. Quite a dry finish with charred oak and smoke and a pure sugar crystal after taste. Quite pleasant but could have done with a tad more sweetness to balance out the bitter oak.
Superb nose, rich and seamless with lavender, violets and rich vanillery rye. Super soft and smooth. Lovely complexity with an earthy note. As promised on the nose it is soft, lush and super-smooth in the mouth. Incredibly complex. It starts with the gentle, soft vanilla and rye, then it really kichks in on the middle with spiced vanilla fruits and that lovely rye crispness. Power, balance and complexity. Very long with violets and all sorts of floral notes on the finish. Awesome.
A powerful, viscous nose of linseed oil, creme caramel, a hint of petrol and a complex vanilla sweetness. The palate is smooth and fruity with a pleasant vanilla sweetness, tangy mid palate and a very long creme caramel finish.
Clean, intense, youthful, more whisky like aromas with oak, creamy fruit, citrus, toast and an underlying light cereal/rye. Dry, light-medium bodied, crisp cereal, oak, violets and rye grain. Lovely and delicate, very long with a complex finish, again the rye has a softer bite on the finish.
Gentle yet pungent aromas of earthy, animally liquorice, dried fruits and moist fruit cake. Very layered, it continues to open up to display a complexity that I wasn’t expecting. The soft oak is restrained and balanced by a crisp grainy note. The palate begins with a slightly floral note and pure corn oil followed by peanut brittle and toffee, which has been slightly burnt at the edges. There’s lashings of dried fruit, figs, spices, brown sugar and violets. Good earthy length and a vibrant piquancy with just the right amount of bitterness imparted by the oak. The oak is wonderfully subtle, forming a backdrop for the corn and rye to shine. A million times better than the frankly horrid white label!
Batch QBC No 02-103 Intense, earthy and visceral. Robust aromas in a Bardstown style. Softly grainy and violety before there’s an explosion of toffee/ coffee-caramel oak. The palate opens with the sharp rye grains. The oak s more controlled adding a serious spicy kick to the proceedings. Intense alcohol adds a herbal, almost minty fresh, palate cleansing feel before releasing the violet and earthy notes, before the oak returns with a drying coffee finish. Robust, primitive and elemental.
Water lifts the nose; now some lime rind can be detected as the oak is pushed back a bit. Still robust and toasty though. The palate is softer, with more of a candied corn character. The oak adds hickory, dark liquorice and pure coffee bean notes before bittering out the finale.
Very dark gold in colour with overwhelming creme caramel aromas. This is a powerful, full flavoured bourbon, with a caramel fruitiness and a slight medicinal finish.
45.95
If you would like to keep up to date with all things Kentucky Bourbon related at Gauntleys please click here
Anniversary Vintages We are frequently asked to source whiskies and Armagnacs for anniversaries and birthday.
So if you're looking for a particular vintage to celebrate a special occasion, look no further. Vintage whisky, armagnac & cognac.
