Blanton's Original Single Barrel Bourbon

For reasons that will become apparent in the coming weeks April is bourbon month. Spring has sprung or if you live in the Yukon like I do it's still springing. Although bourbon is something I often associate with summer, barbecues and the occasional dusty duel at high noon, I can easily associate it with spring as my personal interest in the spirit is blooming. There are so many fantastic bourbons out there that I find myself wanting to learn and experience more and more. For this tasting I will try one of my personal favourites - Blanton's Original Single Barrel Bourbon. I will pair this whiskey with Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever.    

Blanton's claims to be the first Single Barrel whiskey and comes in a really nice looking bottle with a cool stopper. It is produce at the Buffalo Trace Distillery, selected from barrels matured in the middle of warehouse 'H', where apparently Colonel Blanton's preferred stock came from.

I chose Tom Petty for musical accompaniment not because he is awesome (which he is) but because I couldn't think of a more American rocker. I felt that that was important. Tom Petty has written an incredible amount of great songs. Songs that I often don't think of for years yet when I throw the album on I find that I still remember all of the lyrics and can't help but sing along. Full Moon Fever is an entire album of those songs. I will stop singing just long enough to complete this tasting.

Nose:   I get cherries then some mint, a bit of red licorice, oak and vanilla. I also detect some spicy notes and a touch of smoke. As I nose this whisky I giggle to myself as I try to picture some cowboy in a saloon sniffing his bourbon.

Palate: The mouth feel is amazing. There is a creaminess about it. I get notes of vanilla, chocolate and nuts with warm caramel. There are also some really nice spices that develop.

Finish: The finish is really smooth and long. The spices carry on while a juicy sweetness makes its presence known.

As I said at the beginning, this is one of my favorites. Blanton's is absolutely delicious, and that nose just keeps you going back for more. It of course works perfectly with the album. The music drifts to the back of my thoughts and back to the front at varying moments which lets the whiskey shine at alternating moments. In essence the two shared the stage that is my senses well.