🥃 Blanton's
Kentucky single barrel bourbon brand introduced in 1984 by Elmer T. Lee at Buffalo Trace in Frankfort; Sazerac lists it among its bourbon brands.
Blanton's is a single barrel bourbon brand made at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. According to Buffalo Trace, master distiller Elmer T. Lee introduced it in winter 1984, and the distillery calls it the world's first commercial single-barrel bourbon. Sazerac, whose Frankfort site is Buffalo Trace, lists Blanton's among its bourbon brands.
History. The name honours Colonel Albert B. Blanton, who joined the distillery in 1897 as a 16-year-old office boy and became company president in 1921. According to Buffalo Trace, Blanton favoured special "honey barrels" from Warehouse H, and Elmer T. Lee used barrels from that warehouse for the brand, bottling them one barrel at a time.
How it is made. Each bottle comes from a single barrel. The barrels are aged in Warehouse H, the only metal-clad warehouse at Buffalo Trace; the distillery says this construction amplifies temperature fluctuations, which promotes faster maturation.
The bottle. There are eight unique stoppers, each showing a stage of a horse race and marked with a letter of the name Blanton's; they are applied at random.
Why it matters to you. Under US rules bourbon is made from a mash of at least 51% corn and aged in new charred oak barrels; straight bourbon is aged at least two years (27 CFR 5.143). The producer's page does not state the strength, so check the label. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Year founded | 1984, Elmer T. Lee, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | 27 CFR § 5.143 (USA): bourbon whisky |
| Raw material | bourbon mash of at least 51% corn under the US rule; the producer does not give the mash bill |
| Cask type | new charred oak barrels (under the bourbon rule); aged in Warehouse H; each bottle comes from a single barrel |
What it includes
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Blanton's → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Sazerac Company
- Packed in
- 🐝 American white oak, 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Rye and corn in whisky
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Bourbon whiskey, 🥃 Whisky
- Related to
- 🌍 North America
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Buffalo Trace, 🥃 Four Roses Single Barrel
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Blanton's was the first single barrel bourbon?
Buffalo Trace calls it the world's first commercial single-barrel bourbon, introduced in winter 1984 by Elmer T. Lee.
Who makes Blanton's?
It is made at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky; Sazerac lists Blanton's Original Single Barrel among its bourbon brands.
What is Warehouse H?
The only metal-clad warehouse at Buffalo Trace, where Blanton's is aged. The distillery says its construction amplifies temperature fluctuations, which promotes faster maturation.
Why is there a horse on the stopper?
There are eight unique stoppers, each showing a stage of a horse race and marked with a letter of the name Blanton's; they are applied at random.
Who was Blanton?
Colonel Albert B. Blanton, who started at the distillery in 1897 as a 16-year-old office boy and became company president in 1921.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🐝 American white oak — A North American oak that gives wine strong vanilla and coconut notes.
- 🌍 North America — US and Canada: 9.5 million US cows gave 232 billion lb of milk (2025); Wisconsin makes a quarter of US cheese; Canada runs on dairy quotas.
- 🥃 Sazerac Company — Privately held American spirits company of New Orleans origin, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky; Buffalo Trace, Southern Comfort, Fireball, Peychaud's.
Similar
🥃 Baker's · 🥃 Old Crow · 🥃 Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve · 🥃 Michter's · 🥃 Elijah Craig · 🥃 Bulleit
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Buffalo Trace Distillery: Blanton's Original Single Barrel (winter 1984, Elmer T. Lee; world's first commercial single-barrel bourbon; Warehouse H, the only metal-clad warehouse; Col. Albert B. Blanton from 1897, president 1921; eight stoppers)
- Sazerac Company: Our brands (Blanton's Original Single Barrel listed among its bourbon brands)
- 27 CFR § 5.143 Standards of identity for whisky (bourbon: mash min. 51 % corn, new charred oak containers; straight: min. 2 years), text via Cornell LII
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)