Blanton's Black Label is the Japan-market bottling of the original single barrel bourbon, bottled at 80 proof for a light, rounded style. This is a 2022 bottling, collectable for its black label and Japanese back label.
About This Bourbon
Black Label, often called Takara Black, is a Blanton's single barrel bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) for the Japanese market, and first appeared in the mid-1990s. It is widely said to use older barrels than the US bottling, though the brand does not publish an age statement. At the lower strength it is soft and very easy to sip. The 2022 in the name refers to the bottling year on the label; as with every Blanton's, each barrel will differ a little.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Vanilla, caramel and honey, with orange peel, soft spice and polished oak.
- Palate: Smooth and rounded, with sweet corn, toffee, light pepper and a touch of cherry.
- Finish: Medium, easy and clean, with fading spice, caramel and a gentle oak note.
Serving & Food
Sip it neat from a small tumbler, or cool it with a single cube; at this strength water is rarely needed. Try it with chicken karaage, teriyaki salmon or a bowl of Japanese rice crackers.
How to Enjoy
A well-presented gift, or a side-by-side tasting against the 93 proof US Original.
Product Details
Producer: Buffalo Trace Distillery, for Age International (Blanton's)
Expression: Blanton's Black Label (Takara Black)
Release reference in product name: 2022
Region: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
Mash Bill: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #2 (higher rye)
Volume: 750mL
ABV: 40% / 80 proof
Style: Single barrel Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
About the Distillery
Blanton's was the first modern bourbon sold one barrel at a time. Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee created it in 1984, a year before he retired, in honour of Colonel Albert B. Blanton, who joined the Frankfort distillery as an office boy in 1897, became president in 1921 and led it until 1952. The Colonel liked to pick his own "honey barrels" from Warehouse H for guests, and Lee built the brand on that habit.
Warehouse H is a metal-clad building, so it warms and cools faster than the brick warehouses around it and the spirit works in and out of the oak more actively. Blanton's is distilled at Buffalo Trace from its higher-rye Mash Bill #2, and each bottle is hand-labelled with its barrel, rick and dump date. The brand itself is owned by Age International, part of Japan's Takara group, which is why several versions exist only outside the US.