1985 Blanton's Original

[zuckfu]

Hi there y'all...just came into possession of a vintage bottle of Blanton's single barrel, circa 1985. I haven't really drank any of this before, and I was just wondering what exactly I'm going to get myself into when I open this bottle - any tips?

[Deactivated Member]

Stop! For the love of God, stop before it's too late! Your very soul is at stake! You are headed down the road to ruin! You will become...one of us!

However, should you choose to ignore my advice....

Do you drink whiskey now, zuck? If not, maybe you ought to put a bottle like this aside until you know what you're getting into. I don't know much about bourbon generally (although many others here know plenty), but if this is indeed a rarity of a bottle, I'd like to think whoever drinks it will appreciate it. Think of it as your motivation to learn, your holy grail, and work your way up to it. Maybe you'll eventually decide that you don't really like bourbon, and will want to see that it goes to someone who will enjoy it.

Or maybe someone else here will tell you it's a very ordinary whiskey, and drink away.

Are you looking for specific drinking tips? Check out the FAQ pages for a variety of topics that will answer many such questions.

[MGillespie]

Zuck, it's a really nasty bottling, and has probably gone bad now. However, I specialize in handling toxic waste, so if you'll send it to me, I'll make sure it's disposed of properly!

Seriously...T's correct on this. Blanton's is a very good bourbon, and it might well be worth hanging on to for a special occasion (or until you've worked your way up to it)!

Mark

[bamber]

It's a very good whisky, but probably no better than today's Blanton's (whiskey does not age in the bottle, the whiskey inside is aged about 8 years). I would therefore either save it until you have a point of reference -i.e. after drinking many other bourbons or I would sell it, and then buy a current bottling to try.

[jimidrammer]

Buy a current bottle, open them both, then report back here your impressions. How's that for a tip?

There are lots of Blanton's listed in Jim Murray's Whiskey Bible, scoring from 79 to 93. Not sure of the difference between: (Gold Edition, Silver Edition, Single Barrel, Special Reserve, Straight From The Barrel, and Original), no years listed, just different ABV's, but almost all are highly rated. It's one I have yet to get around to purchasing...soon.

Also, there is one listed here in the "Whiskies of the World" section, a 49.5% abv rated 7 3/4 by Michael Jackson and 9 1/4 by Martine Nouet.