Is Blanton's ACTUALLY Worth The Money?
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- Опубликовано: 12 янв 2023
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One big strength of the team behind this channel is just the video concepts you come up with, and then having access to the actual bottles to actually do it. Another really interesting one thanks. I remember seeing that distinctive bottle in a store at MSRP many years ago up here in Canada and I took a pass thinking good packaging = bad booze. I had no idea what it was, wish I had bought it just to try it out. I haven't seen one outside of a bar in years now.
Awesome video. Always enjoy them. An episode on your approach to planning a bottle hunt in an unfamiliar area would be awesome.
100% agree
Humans can taste 5 basic things: sweet, sour, umami, bitter and salty. We use those 5 to differentiate between different flavors. In these bourbon tastings it's a cross between actually being able to pick out the basic bourbon flavors such as caramel, oak, sweetness, spice, and FOMO where people will subconsciously talk themselves into tasting things that aren't real because they hear other people do it.
The idea is you can distinguish 3-5 different flavors in one taste so anyone giving a long list is kinda full of it. Not that they are lying, they actually believe they are tasting these things, but it's the human mind filling in the spaces to avoid cognitive dissonance in someone who came into the tasting with the strong desire/expectations of a very detailed tasting.
You guys should do a video on tasting notes. I think a lot of people would be interested in learning how to put what they like and dislike about bourbons into words. I for one am not sure I understand some tasting notes like leather, tobacco, and pencil eraser. I don't think I've ever tasted those in a bourbon, though I'm sure I've had and probably enjoyed bourbons that have those tasting notes. Understanding sweetness is another thing, - because bourbon doesn't have any actual sugar in it. I think it would be an interesting video. Maybe walk us through or coach us through a tasting experience of some common bourbons everyone has or can easily get so we can get a better idea of what people mean by tannic oak, tempered sweetness, etc. Just a thought.
It's just anything the whiskey reminds you of, even vaguely. When you smell one, maybe you'll smell ethanol, barrel char, and fermented grains, and maybe these flavors will combine in just such a way that for a second it reminds you of an unlit cigarette- that would be a tobacco note. Then maybe that smell fades into something sweeter, like toasted caramel (which would come from the caramalized sugars inside the wood barrel it was aged in). Maybe the whiskey kind of reminds you of fruit a little bit, or maybe it has more of a sweet vanilla cake profile, or maybe it's got more spice and smokiness. The tasting notes help you figure out what you like and dislike in whiskey but they aren't set in stone, one person's "vanilla" might be another person's "cherry", it all depends on you, what you've tasted throughout your life time and what it reminds you of.
Loving the consistent uploads and all of the hard work you guys have been putting in! Keep up the great work!
I have two "regular" bottles of Blanton's in my collection, but I'd love to be able to try a store pick. I like the concept of comparing off-the-shelf bottles to store picks, so I look forward to future videos. Keep up the good work guys. We appreciate you. Cheers.
Blantons used to be affordable and could be found in liquor stores fairly easy 10 years ago.
5 years ago and yes, could be found everywhere.
Don’t come to Dallas. This place is chock full of snobs chasing bottles since chasing craft brew got boring for everyone. It’s such a scam now.
Great video. I like how you always mention it’s up to the person whether spending a certain amount on a desired product is worth it to that person. I feel like a lot of the people who say never pay any more than MSRP for Blantons already have several in their collection or easier access. Not saying I’d spend over 100 but I might consider it to just have 1 if it were over MSRP within reason
My first Blantons was when I turned into a Bourbon lover. Just love it. It never disappoints.
I found a straight from the barrel this December and shared some tastes with friends. AMAZING! I love the comparisons. Keep it up.
I appreciate what you guys do and this video! I recently got two bottles of Blantons for my birthday, and I’m weary of opening them. I’ve tried some bourbons but so far the one that impressed me the most was a $15 bottle of EW BiB I just got last night, and fell in love with. I’m worried about the $75 being a waste, so I look forward to listening to this today!
If you like EW BIB you should try the EW 1783. It is better.
Had the pleasure of trying straight from the barrel for $30 for a two ounce poor. It’s fantastic. Love the channel. Keep up the good work!
Great review! I love all of your videos, but this one taught me that I had a store pick of Blanton’s and didn’t know it. I finished the bottle a while back, but it took some months because I did not like the taste of that particular (store pick) bottle. It was much hotter than other bottles I’d tasted prior. When I saw the label on your show, I knew. Thanks!
Yes, please, do more store pick comparisons versus the normal shelf bottles. Cheers!
Love the show and that you're not afraid to address the Blanton's craze. So many folks are afraid to admit they like Blanton's because of all the hype, but I'm in line with you guys. I really enjoy it, and have no issue buying it for MSRP...it's just nearly impossible to find now. And as a single barrel, there really can be differences from bottle to bottle. Some I've loved immensely, some where just 'meh'. Several years ago, this was my go-to, and I have all but one of the toppers to complete the set. But at this point, I don't think that's going to happen any time soon...but that's ok, because there is so much available bourbon that is absolutely fantastic. Thanks for the genuine content, keep up the great work!
See thats my thing with allocation. If the distiller says "this bottle is worth $50," then the juice inside is comparable in quality to other $50 whiskeys, so why anybody would pay $200+ is beyond me. Like the horse is cool and all but c'mon, the fact that people pay these 250%+ premiums is why this shit is so expensive in the first place
Nice to see the review, I was able to pickup the Blanton’s SFTB in a liquor store in St Marten this week. Haven’t cracked it open but definitely sounds like I need to as a Friday night pour!
I think the fact that the store pick was, more or less, "off profile" is consistent with what a lot of picks turn out to be. I'm a sucker for them though! Have a great weekend guys.
Just thought I'd point out, the first few minutes were awesome! Love hearing real talk, real opinions and real stories! It was enjoyable listening to you guys go back and forth.
Really enjoy your videos. Most of the liquor stores here in the Phoenix area have Blanton's on the shelf behind the counter for $199.00 to $299.00. We do have one of the major grocery stores here once a year offers in ten of their locations (on ten different days) a number of allocated bottles that they sell at MRSP. Lines start about five hours before the event begins. I would get there around two hours early and end up between 90 to 100 in line. Blanton's was $69.99. They had regular Blantons and their own store pick Blantons. Same price on both. The one thing I would have liked for you both to do, was to remind us of the difference between the three bottles towards the end when you were getting ready to make your final comments. I ended up having to go back to the beginning to remind myself what the difference was on the third bottle. Thank you again for a GREAT video. I like it when you both do these comparisons. Appreciate ALL that you and your entire family do for the bourbon community.
I’m so in for comparisons of store pick to regular release. For me store picks try to provide a difference to the regular profile. Sometimes it’s slight sometimes it is very pronounced. Quite the experience. Regular Blanton’s in my area is now $68 retail and store picks are $90 but it is a controlled release and people camp out for them.
I used to drink Blanton's regularly when it was easily found (here in Maryland) for $50. I have no interest in ever paying over MSRP (for almost any bourbon tbh). I've definitely never seen a store pick! Great video!
I picked up a store pick for around $100 and it was an absolute honey barrel. So rich, sweet, and creamy compared to a standard Blantons. I would pay $120 any day for that store pick.
Remember when you could find Blanton's all day, every day for like $50? Pepperidge Farms remembers.
I member
Subbed a couple months ago when I started to jump into buying a collection. Love your videos and knowledge you provide. It's blown my mind how much bottles can retail in the states for. I live in BC and alot of that is controlled through the liqour boards and I have to go to the "premium spirit releases" to be able to get one or some are literally draws for them(Pappy is). On the other hand if we do get them here we pay MSRP and there is no Retail crazy markup. I found a bottle of EH Taylor Small Batch yesterday for the first time $99 in store here, crazy to think you guys will pay 200+ in the states for one of these. Keep the videos coming! I'm loving the hunt for the treasures of bourbon!
Just picked up a Blantons store pick for $60 in CT. You can find regular Blantons in many stores here but the days of $55 a bottle are over for the most part. Many stores sell it for $100-250 a bottle now which is crazy IMO. Cheers, and awesome videos guys!
What store 😮💨 need that info
Love listening to you guys. Back in 2019 we bought Blanton's Gold for 115 and Straight from the Barrel for 125 at a duty free shop in the Caribbean. Haven't seen Straight from the barrel locally in FL, and actually out of the 3 main bourbon bars I know of only one offers regular Blanton's at $30 a drink.... nobody else has it. A hotel at Disney had a barrel pick but that went really fast.
Great Video! Blantons is my daily drinker. I’m fortunate to be able to acquire a bottle at retail every couple of months. Black market prices in my area range from $100-$200
I would definitely like to see you guys compare store picks to regular off-the-shelf versions. In my experience the picks are 4 out of 5 times noticeably better, or at the very least different, than the regular version.
Man I gotta get me some of that Blantons Straight From The Barrel.
Awesome video as always boys! Bring on the store pick vs regular comparisons….cheers!
Hey Guys,
Great video. My mom purchased a Blanton’s store pick in MD for 120 back in 2018. I’m in VA and we’re state controlled (ABC) so Blanton’s is only 60 when we have our random drops. Love the idea of more store pick vs regular bottle comparison.
I’ve seen blantons once (for a reasonable price) and was able to pick it up. Found it on my local liquor stores website and ordered to pick up in store, and couldn’t believe it! It was $70 which for me is very worth it to have in my collection. It’s not the best bourbon by any means, but it is good, and worth msrp to have in any collection!
So much fun watching these guys! I could hang with them all day! And absolutely...more similar comparisons would be welcome. Be well!
I agree. You guys are great!
I love the comparison, not just between store pick and off the shelf stuff, but any comparisons from a single company. Great job!
I like store/barrel pic reviews vs regular as it can show the highlights/differences. I did my own regular vs 3 different Remus barrel picks and the differences were amazing. It’s one of the reasons I hate single barrels in best of lists.
I know that Blanton's is over-hyped but it's a darned good bourbon for its proof level. I would absolutely love to try a barrel proof version - never seen one. Great video.
This isn’t related specifically to this video but I wanted to thank you for some of your videos I’ve watched recently. I’m an experienced scotch drinker but in the decade I’ve been enjoying that, I have avoided bourbons as my first few attempts were not very high quality.
I’ve since picked up a few high recommends to branch out (Elijah Craig small batch and Wild Turkey Rare Breed to name a couple) and I can appreciate this so much more.
Thank you, and keep pouring!
I just tried Blanton's for the first time, it was very, very nice. Watching this comparison between the three varieties was awesome. Excellent video, I can't wait to watch your other content!
It's the unapologetic honesty that I most appreciate from you guys. Keep up the good work.
I'd love it if you guys could compare more store picks to their normal, standard release variants! I've purchased plenty of store picks without even trying a normal release of that pick before, would love to see how a lot of these compare!
I loved this piece on Blanton. I would add that on those first pours from new bottles, will taste different on second pours. As those bottles open up, from my experience will get even better. Thank you for videos, salute
I’m a novice Bourbon drinker. However, I noticed the change you described with a modest bottle of Ezra Brooks 99 proof.
I also have tried Eagle Rare 10 year, with a price point in the $30’s. This bourbon is a great match to Blanton, and for novice bourbon drinkers an affordable pour to try before paying up for Blanton’s. Cheers!
New to the the bourbon scene and gotta say, love the content. My go to channel for bourbon recommendations. Keep up the great work guys.
I’d love to see more regular releases vs store picks, this was a great video!
Love Blantons! It was the bourbon that got me started on my bourbon journey so I have a soft spot for it even though a lot of people say it’s over rated. Give me a bottle of Blantons and I’m a happy girl! Sadly it’s almost impossible to find.
I like this approach - please do more - comparing store picks with single barrels (or others) - very interesting, particularly since Blanton's is kind of known for consistency over time.
Thanks so much. I LOVE Blanton’s and can’t get it easily. I received an engraved bottle for my 70th birthday which was purchased online for highway robbery and then I got a second bottle at my local store for $159. I’ve been told that the best way to get it is on a cruise, but my cruising friends have not been able to secure one recently.
Approaching the second yr in my bourbon journey, was able to purchase my first Blantons today. During a bourbon drop was able to grab it at retail($69). Need to get some backups now.
I have a store pick of Blanton's from a grocery store in Illinois. I think it was 60-65 bucks. This was also 2-3yrs ago. But my pick blows away the regular Blanton's. The SFTB is hands down the best Blanton's! Great video guys, keep it up.
I grabbed a bottle of old forester single store pick the other day after I seen you guys rave about it ! Keep up the good work fellas
I like what you said about not judging for a price someone pays for whiskey. I got into whiskey as a collector about a year ago. My first rare bottle I wanted was Johnny walker blue label. It took me 8 months to find it and I know I over payed at $320
Love the videos. I am learning so much.
I saw an OF SB store pick in my local store yesterday. It was 126.7 proof.
I would like to see more store pick comparisons.
I love it. Probably in my head but my first shot of it was with my brother and it became a good day and we still attribute it to that sample shot we bought at the liquor store. So now when we feel something special about to brew (pun intended) we start it with Blantons.
I actually saw a Blanton's at a liquor store a few days ago. They wanted $200 for it...F that!
I can get Blanton’s regularly at two stores and both I’ve gotten picks from this year as well. One store both the regular and their pick was the same price at $65. The other store the regular was $65 and their pick was $70.
Nice Blanton review. Just learning about bourbons and you are helping immensely with the training. Sax
I'm so behind on my bourbon content, that I'm just now watching this video. Buster's is one of my go to spots. They always have a great selection and I love the staff. Definitely the place to go for store picks.
I agree that there are many options at that MSRP but last week found two at 69.99 and well…had to get em! Great show guys!
Was recently able to purchase a store pick bottle of Blanton’s and a bottle of Wheatley as a combo for $90 in MA. Love the videos!
Just found a blantons in my home town for $68. Went hunting for more in other stores, they ranged 150 to 600 a bottle. I would pay $70 all day long for blantons. But not gonna pay anymore.
Great way to start the day 👍 watching a video from you guys !
Great video fellas! As with most, I looks for Blanton’s when I travel out of NC. Certainly can’t find it in our ABC stores.
Regular Blanton's can be very nice to drink, and at other times, I have found it a bit bitter in the finish. To remedy that, I add just about a teaspoon of water to it, and it mellows it out. Thanks for the good review. I value your opinions.
This was a great video. I would love to find a bottle of the Blanton's straight from the barrel. Sounds fabulous. I would like to see more videos where there are store picks that you compare with the regular release. By the way, I visited Buffalo Trace this past November for a tour and they had Blanton's available in the gift shop that day for $63.
Dang! During the tour, I got to see them hand-botting the Blanton's, but oddly there were none for sale at the BT gift shop.
@@mneeley490 they rotate what products are available day to day in order to slow down hoarding.
Either I had too many pours this evening or I’ve reached the penical but I’m geeking out that I made the list at the end. Haha
Just purchased a Barrel select store pick from my local liquor store here in Connecticut a couple of days ago for $70 which I thought was a very fair price. I haven’t opened it yet but hoping I’m not also disappointed with it.
I received a sample of Blantons straight from the barrel. Super excited to try it!
great video as usual fellas, would love to see more store pick vs regular comparisons.
Interesting timing on this video as I just found and picked up 2 days ago a local Blantons store pick.
I know the owner goes to KY (like you guys) and selects it himself.
He had 5 cases and they were gone in a day! I paid $45 AND it came with a small bottle of a Buffalo Trace Wheat Vodka.
I opened the Blantons and tasted it. It was great!
I also bought the regular Blantons about 6 months ago and a different store. I paid $60 I believe, but this store marks up everything! I have since seen it at Meijers for like $35 or so.
I plan on doing a blind taste test of the 2 either tonight or tomorrow and can report back my review.
Really Love your channel. Well informed videos keep up the fantastic work guys.
thanks for sharing. I do want to try that barrel proof Blanton's. so now I want to even more. thanks for sharing. cheers.
Cheers from TN!! Busters is one of our local stores! Love your videos and dynamic. They’re always positive genuine.
Store Picks vs. off the shelf differences would be interesting to hear thoughts on. In my area prices seem to be a good bit higher for store picks over regular.
Great episode! Would love to see you guys do a review on Maker’s Mark private selections! Keep doing what you do!! Quick funny story, before I watch your video I always pour something. The other day I went to get a pour and my wife said “Oh is there a new SLB video up?” 🤣🤣
I found a barrel pick of Blanton's in Los Angeles. They had it for $70. They had it bundled with another store pick. They also had a Blanton's straight from the barrel for $240. I passed on both.
Would love to see more videos comparing store picks to non store picks.
You passed on it for $70? You literally wont find it cheaper
@@papi8311 Yeah, I bought one direct from Buffalo Trace and it was $63 before tax. Insane to pass at $70 without traveling to Kentucky
Blantons and store pick 56.99 here in MA at one medium sized chain.
Never seen another store pick in MA or RI.
All other stores easily sell it for 65.99-$85.
I have been able to pick up four different bottles of Blanton's store picks and I paid $65 to $70 for all of them. Luckily my local liquor store does a Blanton's store pick every year around the Holidays.
Store pick for Clete's liquor here in So Cal was $135, just slightly more than the going rate for the regular Blantons. As I've mentioned before, hunting here in So Cal is a pricey hobby. Finally pulled the trigger on my first Weller 107 and it set me back $129.
Nice video! I do like videos that compare standard bottles to their store pick counterpart.
I wish this had included black/green/red label Blanton's as well. Would be interesting to see those comparisons. I have two Alabama ABC Store pick Blanton's I have been saving and was a little disappointed to hear it wasn't much better then regular.
Great review. I got married this year and I was able to find a Blanton’s with our wedding date on it with the letter S for our last name. It is probably the only bottle I’ll never open or if I do it will be a milestone anniversary.
That was my comment about you looking at the ceiling 😂 love you guys
I've been lucky to find regular Blanton's at the grocery stores around here (SoCal) at least every other month. At one point, I was sitting 4 bottles of it. I've actually passed it up the last two times I've seen it. My regular store has a store pick. It cost $139, that's part of a bundle, so it comes with the store pick, platinum vodka, a 15 pack of Fireball and myer rum. My store does do online purchases so you can probably get a bottle from there.
What’s the name of the store?
@@cheesecheese8240 nady's in Costa Mesa
I have a handful of Blantons bottles I've gotten over the years at retail. For me the regular offering has good flavors but they are a bit too muted for a neat pour compared to the other options I have on my shelf. I do think that those flavors wake up a bit when I pair them with a cigar though. I also have a store pick bottle but haven't cracked it yet, when I do I'll blind it against one of my other bottles. I would really like to get a straight from the barrel someday.
Regular Blanton's used to be my daily till it has become so hard to find. I would never pay for secondary market price. I still mad at myself for not picking the Gold Label while in Japan as well as that Barrel Proof while in London. Awesome show as always!!! Cheers...
Good video you both have great advice I appreciate your fair opinions thanks
Your channel is one of my favorite bourbon channels. Thanks!
Comparing store picks w/ regular bottles would be a very interesting series!
I’m with Philb
That would be a great series. Love watching these guys.
Blantons store picks in my area (Baltimore, MD) are anywhere from 75-100+. Depends on the store to be honest. There's one coming to a popular store in the next couple of months, so I'm interested in what they will charge. They're usually very reasonable.
In my opinion BT products benefit significantly after they open up. Lots of bourbons improve but I’ve had some Eagle Rare and Blantons that were fantastic after a month or so despite the initial pour not being enjoyable.
I just had that experience with an Eagle Rare myself
Recently picked up a store pick of Blantons in middle Tennessee in December. Paid 90, but had to be paired with another store pick from the store. So total was around 140 for two bottles.
Blanton's Gold should be on your list. Best one i've tried and the only Bourbon i've been able to taste a grape note.
It would be interesting to see what your store pick bottle tastes like after it’s sat for a month or two. Like you guys have said the neck pour might not be the best at first.
I find most bourbons get better after having been open for at least a few weeks. I did have 2 Blantons from the same barrel though so I opened one 9 months later and blinded them and I couldn't tell the difference. Could have just been that barrel, that my palate wasn't tuned in enough to pick up a difference that day, or maybe Blantons isn't a bottle that gets better with some air.
Fun video! We have a great bar nearby in the SF Bay Area. I just checked and, while they don't have the barrel proof one available to taste, they do have the Gold Edition, and that's $30 for an ounce pour. Maybe that helps with the estimation on the price for the barrel proof one? They have a 23 page "Whiskey Bible" to peruse...
Got my first ever bottle of Blantons a few days before Thanksgiving 2022. It was a store pick in Elkhart, IN for $70
I was at my local store that I never go to and I saw a bottle of Blanton's. I went back and was like "Wait isn't that the good stuff everyone is after?" I said maybe I can't remember. I didn't think about it until I came back home and saw one of your videos of the bottle and I was soooo upset with myself not getting that bottle. It was the last one left. The price was $89 I believe, but that was at quick glance. Perhaps the bottle was not placed where it should have been? but $89.
SLB Drinks! What’s up. I got my store pick Blanton for $69.99 here in Dallas,TX. Got it from Specs which is a large chain company similar to Total Wine. They had it at their end of the year release, had to camp out for it though but got couple of other bottles on top of it. Cheers 🥃
I've seen it in our area a few times, always for about $100. I'd love to see some store pick videos
This inspired me to finish off the end of my 2020 bottle of Blantons that's been hanging around. Mine is oaky, which I'm totally cool with
You can get Blantons here in Ontario, Canada for $70CDN. Both LCBO store pick and regular were both $70 when released a few months ago. Only available once maybe twice a year though and gone within the first day it arrives
We loved this video!!! Please do more like this 👍👍
I know it's 7 months later but I paid 69 for a Blanton store pick today in Colorado. Keep up the good work on the videos... Super enjoyable!
Blanton’s is a decent bourbon, at MSRP. Collecting the toppers is fun. But anything over $70-80 for them is ridiculous. I agree that it isn’t worth the hype, but I don’t buy hype, I buy whiskey. At MSRP, it just fine and people like to hate the hype which is sad in my opinion. I got into whiskey 3 years ago, I have all the toppers, have a store pick, even gave 1 away as a gift. They aren’t that hard to get at or close to MSRP with some effort. Cheers guys
Love this lineup comparison. Just picked up my first SFTB and can’t wait to crack it 🥃