Blanton's Bourbon

Blanton's, created in 1984 by Buffalo Trace legend Elmer T. Lee, was the world's first commercially marketed single barrel bourbon. Every bottle is drawn from one barrel aged in the famous metal-clad Warehouse H, hand-labeled with its barrel number and dump date, and sealed with the iconic horse-and-jockey stopper. It effectively invented the premium bourbon category.

Each stopper carries a horse and jockey in a different racing pose plus a single letter. Collect all eight and they spell B-L-A-N-T-O-N-S, forming a complete horse race from start to finish. Completing a stopper set is a beloved collecting tradition, and it's a big reason buyers pick up multiple bottles.

Original Single Barrel is bottled at 93 proof. Gold Edition raises it to 103 with a richer, deeper profile, and Straight From The Barrel is uncut and unfiltered at full cask strength, often above 125 proof. Gold and SFTB were long export-only, which is why they remain scarcer and command premiums in the US.

Single barrel production can't be scaled quickly: each barrel yields only around 250 bottles, and demand rose faster than Buffalo Trace's aging stock. Allocations sell out on arrival almost everywhere. That's the entire reason to buy from a retailer with genuine bottles in stock rather than chasing rumors of a delivery day.

At its quality level, yes: creamy caramel, citrus, and baking spice with single barrel character. Because every barrel differs, enthusiasts compare dump dates and barrel numbers, which are printed on each label. Our listings show these details where available, so collectors can pick specific barrels or build comparisons across bottles.