Blanton's Single Barrel Red Label (Japanese Edition)

Keen on satisfying my current Blanton's fixation I've decided to try two of their Japanese market bottlings this evening, the first of which is Red. The nose is very sweet and rich. Smells of butterscotch and brandied cherries which falls off into some dampened oak chips. Sweet spices hit your tongue strong and fast. Cinnamon and nutmeg and they bring with it a prickling tongue sensation. As the taste fades away into the finish a sweet and delicious caramel and vanilla wave dissipate the spicy heat for a prolonged moment. As you're left with a salted caramel type taste right at mid tongue, the faintest hint of rye spice and a little of that cinnamon and nutmeg spice carries the sip into your memories. I don't know that any bourbon can be as good as Blanton's Original Single barrel but this is special in its own right. Spicier and fuller bodied than its less mature, more common single barrel sibling, this bourbon hits just right on a cold rainy night.

Nose- Sweet cherries, citrus, vanilla, bubble gum Palate- Bubble gum sweetness initially, citrus, tiniest bit of oak Finish- medium, oily finish with notes of sweet citrus A bit simple. Enjoyable pour, but not overly complex and the 2 year age increase from original blanton’s isn’t noticeable in the slightest to me. All sweetness on the nose, a bit of oak on the palate, and a forgettable finish.

First time trying a sample Nose - very similar to regular Blantons. Loads of honey and vanilla. Taste - golden honey graham crackers, vanilla, oak, with a bitter and quick end Overall - I think this is well over priced on the secondary market. Basically it’s Blantons in a Japanese bottle to me. It’s very good but not worth secondary.

Nose is lemon, green apple, sugar. Body is more green apple, vanilla. Might even be some strawberry in there, which is weird to me for Blanton’s. Finish is cinnamon. Bit of chocolate. I really do believe that this is better than regular Blanton’s. In a side by side, I may be wrong, but it’s fun to believe. Loved this bottle.

nose - immediate cherry, candy notes, with a more subtle buttery taste - the cherry candy carrie’s through to the palette, very pleasant and sweet. the tasting ends quickly though, falling off quickly with not much more than a soft vanilla follow through. still, a solid experience!

I definitely prefer this expression to the traditional Blanton’s. The extra 2 years of aging to a total of 8 years makes a huge difference. I also enjoy the extra spice with strong nutmeg and cinnamon undertones. Overall finish is exceptional. I recommend sipping this neat