Blantons Takara Red  

Blanton’s Single Barrel Takara Red Japanese Edition really is one of the most mysterious and elusive Bourbons to get your hands on anywhere outside of Japan. A real showstopper to pull out of your collection and drink at your pleasure. It might be the same principal Bourbon you can find at your local retailer and online, but its beauty comes from it being aged much longer and bottled at a higher proof. So that’s eight years in the barrel rather than two at the same spectacular 46.5% ABV.

Back in 1987, Ancient Age (currently Buffalo Trace) established Blanton Distillery, an affiliate company, and released Blanton’s Single Barrel Takara Red Japanese Edition. From the autumn to winter when the temperature is stable the fermentation and distillation are carried out. The unblended whiskey packed in barrels is aged while constantly moving between high and low shelves ensuring the temperature remains constant. Blanton’s whiskey is aged for 4 years, then tasted by Elmer T. Lee, where only selected barrels are then further aged for another 4-6 years and bottled in single barrels. It has a mellow richness.

In 1881, Albert Bacon Blanton was born into one of the first families of Bourbon. Albert became an office boy in the distillery at the age of sixteen, very quickly becoming a leading pioneer in the development of Bourbon. Albert was made company president in 1921 and until his retirement in 1952, his Distillery expanded from 44 to 144 buildings, becoming the largest Distillery of its day. It was during that period that Colonel Blanton created his very distinct and limited supply of bourbon, his private reserve, both handpicked and stored in what now is known as the famous Warehouse H. Colonel Blanton died in the spring of 1959, though his legacy lives on. Announced in 1984, Blanton’s bourbon was the first ever Single Barrel Bourbon to be sold commercially. Today, Blanton’s is a division of Sazerac Company — one of the largest privately held liquor companies in the world. They distill the unique standalone Blantons brand in their Buffalo Trace Distillery.