Blanton's Silver Edition is a single barrel bourbon bottled at 98 proof, sitting between the 93 proof Original and 103 proof Gold. It was made for duty-free and export markets and has never been sold in the US, so it turns up far less often than its siblings.
About This Bourbon
Silver Edition was created for international travel retail and sold outside the US at 49% ABV (98 proof). Like every Blanton's, each bottle comes from one barrel aged in Warehouse H and carries its barrel number and dump date on the label. It has become hard to find in recent years, and older bottles are now traded mainly between collectors. The extra strength over the Original gives it a rounder, oilier texture.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Honey and vanilla with pineapple, orange peel and a little mint.
- Palate: Smooth and fairly rich, with toffee, mandarin, cinnamon and soft rye spice.
- Finish: Medium-long and sweet, with barrel char, dried apricot and gentle pepper.
Serving & Food
Pour neat at room temperature. If the spice feels sharp, add water sparingly, a little at a time. Honey-glazed ham, roast pork belly or dried apricots with walnuts all work.
How to Enjoy
Blanton's collectors completing the proof range, and drinkers who find the Original a little light.
Product Details
Producer: Blanton's / Buffalo Trace Distillery
Expression: Silver Edition single barrel
Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Region: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
Mash Bill: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #2 (higher rye)
ABV: 98 proof / 49% ABV
Format: 750mL
Edition: duty-free and export-market release
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.