Blanton's Bourbon Showdown: Comparing Bottles and Barrel Picks; Ep. 59

Dan and Bob: Good evening. How's everybody tonight? Welcome to Bourbon Brass and Beyond. special night tonight. ⁓ boy. We got a lot to go through. Why we do this? We need to be more careful with these. Well, y in order cover everything to be thorough. In all all fairness. A little bit of a series of blantons. Taters But hey, here we are. We've got a decent variety though. I mean I I think we've got years bottles to be able to try and see if there's anything different here. Yeah. So I think we'll start with the just the regular single barrel. 17th, 2019. geez. May 25th 23. ⁓ So we've two technically I guess And this one's from March, I'm sorry, April 8th of 26. But that's a barrel select. This is a barrel select. That was yeah. And it was the bottle. Yeah. Thank you. And I'll be honest, the this bottle's been open for so long because it is I when you've got options, ⁓ pick what you like best. Everybody's got one of these sitting on their shelves because you it to have around. Yeah. I I I'd be willing to bet I've had two or three pours out of this. Everything else is just somebody come over and Yeah. So My Uncle Dan, the chiropractor, Blanton's Yes. You know, so it's always funny to me. There's a guy at Chalet when we do our normal who everybody else is there for whatever's allocated. And he literally will say, I'm just here for my green. And literally says, I love special reserve. It's my preference. So will buy that over an antique one seven every single time that he's there. It's hilarious to me. And there's guys come from Pennsylvania just to get eagle rare. Yeah. Eagle rare 10-Year Which is a a great deal for the drink, but they don't see it in Pennsylvania, so they show up here for it. Yeah. But other things, h more highly allocated bottles could be on sale and they don't even look. Skip it. Yep. Yeah. It's crazy. Little fruity. This still has a little bit of ethanol in the nose to me. Yeah. ⁓ l You know it's funny that when we were down there last, we bought some of the Blanton's chocolates that have the pecan on the top. pecan? Yeah, pecan. Pecan. Pecan. A nut on top. This it's funny because that's it smells identical ⁓ those chocolates. See, we always get those I've not gone back to something I've had the chocolates more recently than I had. The Blanton. So we get those Blanton's caramel balls. Yep. And we love those. ⁓ yeah. But I I mean, it's a decent sipper. I I ⁓ yeah. I mean it's Bill number one. Exactly you expect. You get that ⁓ butterscotch, a little bit of the rye. It's consistent. They produce a bunch of it. Yeah. Yeah. You know exactly what you're gonna get. Yep. I'm curious w once we get all the way over here, I'm curious to see what this ends up looking like. I mean that that was good. Yeah, you that's what you said. So I'm actually excited to get to it. I just don't know if it's the bottle, but that looks darker. Looks darker. I think the derby bottle. The glass is smaller, something, I don't know. Yeah. Yeah, you know, you're right. I mean for that matter these both look darker. Yeah. Yeah. So what is the difference between the gold and the S F T B? It's great question. I honestly don't even know. That one might be really good being a bad It's a store pick, yeah. Yeah. Different proof, one ⁓ three proof. I mean maybe I don't know. Okay. Part of it. Mm. We were doing something the other day and you were talking about how it just didn't ⁓ you what it was when we were it was the other night when everybody was over. And it was somebody was drinking something, I can't remember what it was. And they were like, you know, this doesn't have any it doesn't last. It doesn't I feel like this one does. Give Blanton's credit, it it's got flavor that lasts. Yeah, and it does got really good legs. Yeah. Nice. Decent place to start. Yeah, I'd say. Hmm. I didn't even zoom in. see. I see you now. I'm already slacking. Next Next one. this one is Two years Two years newer? ⁓ four years newer. Twenty three. Three years Yeah. Mm-hmm. Least these are a little bit lighter proof. Yeah. Yeah, you were pouring heavy the other day. That was a problem. was a fun night. It was a fun night. Thursday night was a fun night. Nick came over, we did the the last podcast. And and we just kept trying stuff. ⁓ And when you Nate showed up Nathan and I showed up, you guys were already messy. It was funny. I don't normally do that. Yeah, well Nick said the same thing. It's one of them nights. One of those nights. Hmm. A little less ethanol y is that what that is? I would say. getting more of the Yeah, I get way more on the nose here. Yeah, more butterscotch? Yeah. I mean the other one was to your point was that it had a strong ethanol on it. I l I fully expected the older stuff to be better, especially pre COVID. Yeah. Yeah, I think this has got a much more Candied fruit. Yeah. I'd agree. Maybe I just had a bad bottle. Or just, you know It wasn't bad, but it wasn't I mean this one and this one's been open at least two years. I mean obviously it was Drink smoother too. Yeah, a little sweeter. Yeah. So there's a lot of talk about the older Blanton's bottles were around eight to ten years old. the normal single barrel. And now they're between four and six years old. Yeah. so I think the only thing you can get an age statement on really is going to be the SFTB, ⁓ or don't I don't even know if the gold's Bottle number two or three. Mm mm. Yeah, I like yours is definitely better, more flavorful. Go figure out richer. Yeah, I and again maybe it's there was less in the bottle, more air. I don't know what it could be. I don't know. though. And it does have a much better nose than that first. Yeah. Hmm. Go figure. Different batch. Barrel number nine ⁓ nine. And of course they're all single barrels. So they're all gonna be Who knows? Yeah. There's gonna be one good one, bone bad one. Yeah. Yeah. this is the Derby bottle. Derby. We went down for my birthday. And Oaks Day, which is the day before the Derby, was my birthday. And we stood line. It was raining that too, wasn't it? Was that the rainy day you were down there? That was I think that was the next day. Okay. So the next day I went back. that's right. That's right. Yep. Came out easy. Thank you. And this is supposed to be a barrel select. So same three proof. But specific for the derby. Yeah. Does it give it? was ⁓ on April 8th, 2026. Does it say warehouse? H. They're all They're all H. They're all H. Rick number? 23. 42. That one's Okay. Hmm. So when standing in line in the in the ⁓ doing the S's, ⁓ you're right beside H. Okay. And they'll normally come out about seven thirty, eight o'clock and start unloading barrels and you'll see them going through. Yeah. Now is a fresh crack. ⁓ It's even better than the last one. Yeah, that's much better. It's much butterscot f butterscotchy, caramely. Yeah. Yeah. I agree. I'm never I was worried I was like, ⁓ we're gonna have to leave this open for a couple of minutes. Yeah, see what happens. But I'm I'm pleasantly happy with that. Yeah. I'm gonna go this is the part of this that always surprises, weirds me out about this. They know. They know where these w rick houses do best and I don't go figure. Yeah. That's nice. Man. Yeah. That's a lot better. So I it's sweetness goes back in the palate. It stays sweet from tip to tip of your tongue to the back. nice You get the the classic caramel, the vanilla, a little bit of just a hair of the rye pepper. Yeah. And still it it's the flavor holds, it still tastes good. Yeah. Yeah. Boy, that's yeah, that's really good. Th the it it is a night and day difference from the first Blanton's. Single barrels. But you're right. Yeah. Got lucky with one and not lucky, I don't who kn again, that's not a bad drinker, but right. And I guess if you're not comparing them all, you're never gonna know. So y y you wouldn't. No. This one holds too. It's nice. Mm-hmm. Hmm. Derby bottle for the win. I agree. Good call. I mean you were buying that thing no matter what anyways while you're down there, but Right. Luckily Steph was with me and nice. So you wouldn't do figure open that one. Gold? Gold. So do you have to get the gold stave and the Yeah, do you get yeah, do I have to get the whole set of these? I'm not doing that. I I think you do. I'm not doing that. This is an S. Or you could just buy all of ⁓ Yeah. Can you buy the golds? I don't know. I don't know. Yeah. So this one is since we're talking about it. ⁓ number thirty one. So that was close to twenty-three. is forty-two, not This is thirty this one's thirty six. 103 proof. Barrel number sixty-four, four twenty nine, twenty six. So about the date as mean, what is it, two weeks later than this one? Yeah. They were busy. Good score on that. Hmm? Good score on that one. Yeah, ⁓ yeah. Barrel barrel choice too? Yeah, and it was was basically for the store pick, it was ⁓ think we paid almost regular retail for this. So I'm getting more floral notes on this? Yeah. Yeah, it's a little bit a little sweeter, a little more caramel on the nose. Yeah, f definitely Brown sugar, you're right about the sweeter. Yeah. Hmm. Go figure. Okay. A little more ryebite Yeah. I it is the the sweetness is dulled by the ryebite, I think. Yeah, I would agree with this. It's ten points higher, right? One ⁓ three versus ninety three? I for remember I said it, I don't remember. Yeah, one ⁓ three. Yeah, it's a little more of the wood spice I'd say. And ⁓ rye spice. Hm. I don't know. mean it's really good. I ⁓ this I mean if we're just doing early rankings, I'm gonna put this down with the first one though. I think these two regular small batches are I'd and again, fresh crack, who knows? ⁓ But I mean just on firsts I the palette's pretty darn nice on this, but the the palette's nice. ⁓ I do like the ⁓ the bit of the sweetness. The rye Strength is a little bit stronger. Yeah, and I'm not a rye person, but I would say the derby bottle is the most enjoyable so far. So far. I agree. On the list things I'm gonna let set for a little while, see how goes. So I let that that four grain I heard that's what Nick said the other day. I let it sit for for like five days in a night and day difference. Yeah. Hmm. You haven't had a chance to try that yet. Yeah, we yeah, we did it. We did it. Yeah, and you've been busy on that thing though, too. I've sent out some samples. okay. I was say my goodness. So when I pick up the second four grain bottle. Like, all right, I know, yeah. It's always nice to have back up. Yep. Yeah. What I will say is that the flavor holds really well on this. Yeah. I think you have a little bit of brown sugar in there too. I do. And then you get that that rye breadiness the back end of the palate. Yep. And I I I think the the sweetness stays longer 'cause there's not as much rye the the derby bottle. I agree. That derby bottle's it's pretty damn good. Yeah. Yeah. I I would say that that's But yeah, if you like ryes, I think that gold will they're all easy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. These are easy. The gold will be ⁓ everybody's favorite if you like Rye. I agree with that. Last not least, SFTB. 127. Go figure. They ⁓ turned it on for these, right? Yeah, this was dropped February twenty second, twenty twenty four. Okay. Rick number thirty one. So same Rick is Yeah. it this one? ⁓ so confused. Thirty one. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ Barrel number four ⁓ six. Okay. Thank you. And you've had this for a couple of weeks at least, right? Yes. ⁓ it I'd say it's been open for a month. Yeah. I brought it back from vacation. So we opened it when we got back from in April. All right. Spring break week, yeah. Or no, you were a week earlier than me, I think. Hmm. That's got a great nose. Yeah. It's way more caramely now. Yeah. Little bit ⁓ a little bit of marshmallow in there too. Yeah. The toasted. Hm. Is it the proof? Is it the barrel? Is it the Is there an age statement on that one? I can see it if there is. Nope. Just dumped on. No, it agrees. Is this a foreign bottle? Where'd you get that? I got that in the Grand Cayman. 'Cause it's labeled announces. Now I'm curious. Milliliters? not. I'm crazy, right? Yeah. So a centiliter would be Point one of the milliliters. But it's not so this is a seven hundred then, right? Right. These are so this is got this is probably a foreign bottle then. now who knows what's gonna happen. Is it different because of that? We need to get the Japanese bottles. I really just need to figure this out and get the Japanese bottles now too. Yeah, but they're all bottled in They're all bottled there, but the I the nose on this one's way better than W ⁓ true. This was dropped in twenty twenty four. Yeah. Yeah, so we're all over the place. I think no nose is crazy good on this. ⁓ way hotter. Way hotter. At Rye. way sweeter. that's different. That reminds me of like a the Thomas Handy or I mean there is a sweetness to that. Yeah. No, you're right. It is a lot hotter. Clear your sinuses. You get the Kentucky hug from it. Yeah. But I would say that that drinks all of the hundred and twenty seven proofs. For sure. But I I also think That sweetness just lasts. Yeah. I mean the I Yeah. Wow. Yeah, that's I guess I don't think I was ready for that. Yeah, I don't know because you don't notice it on the palate at all. Or on the on the nose. No, no, no. I don't catch it there at all. And plus we had been drinking much All the way up. Well still well, yeah, but it's our fifth sa pour. It's not like this is true. Yeah, I don't notice it on I don't notice the on the nose at all. I think it's oakier too. I'd agree. I I would say that that's the first one that we've had that had a taste of oak. It's got a it's dry too, as opposed to these others that I listen, I you're not drinking these to start the day or on a hot beach or anything else, but one's got that fireside like warm you up, keep you warm. Yeah, and it's got that that middle of the tongue. ⁓ yeah. Heat and rye, but also the sweetness just just stays. Yeah. Yeah, it lasts. I'll agree with this. Yeah, I mean I think I think once you adjust to it, I mean this is fantastic. something else in between. I mean at at this point, what is that Thomas H. Handy? What is that? That handy one twenty four. This is hotter than the handy. Yeah. Go figure. Hmm. Hm. Or the stag. I guess it would depend. ⁓ I've got the one thirty five. They're one thirty fives. I think the Yeah, those I guess those are but still it's not that much of a difference. Yeah. Didn't we have there's another one floating around too. What is the other one? Sazerac foolproof? What is that one at? One twenty five. Hmm. Go figure. ⁓ the nose on this is crazy good. I will say that. Yeah. Four point nine for the handy. Hmm. Go figure. I was texting Jason and I were texting back and forth today, and he was talking about the handy. And I said, I there's not a lot of difference between the handy and the Sazerac full proof to Yeah, I agree. think they're they're very, very similar. I mean they're almost identical proofs. Proofs and why would they do that then? ⁓ no age statement on either. ⁓ So I I don't know. Well the the mystico is just gonna be all the barrels dumped into one. Yeah. And then at a hundred and twenty five proof. Whereas the handy is supposed to be ⁓ barrel. Yeah. Premium barrels. Go figure. Selected for taste. Yeah. But it's still, it's not like they're producing single barrel of that. They're producing a bunch I mean Yeah. B Tac, but still. Hm. Go figure. Listen, they're all good. Don't get me wrong. Flavor wise, not talking proof. I mean the S F T B think I like the derby bottle best. Yeah, I as far as enjoyability. Yeah, ⁓ y yeah, yeah, yeah. Flavor, I guess. No, you're right. The flavor on this is really good. Yeah. The nose on this is pretty good as well. But you're right. I I think the Derby bottle is gonna be the favorite. Yep. Yeah, it's good. Yeah. interesting. And again, we w ⁓ ⁓ of these technically are I mean that barrel per picks. They keep the s their best stuff back for derby bottles? Maybe. What's retail on that? they more per ounce? What's the math on this? I don't remember what we paid for it. If anybody if anybody remembers what we paid for the Derby Drew this year, put it the comments please 'cause I bought a lot of bottles that day. Yeah. Well, you know though they charge I betcha that was fifty five bucks. Which that put it more per ounce than the regular blands. Probably. Could make a case for keeping better stuff. I don't have my phone. I got it. I gotta I'm gonna Google that. Much we're I need to be on your wi fi, I'm super slow here. ⁓ wait, no. ⁓ wait. Forty four. So no, I mean it puts it at eight well, maybe smidge, eighty eight. What are they charging? Eighty five right now for the regulars? Here at least. I don't think you're making I mean, the bottle's not significantly less expensive. The margin's not that much different. Yeah. Is my take. I would say I mean it was worth it. ⁓ yeah. It was great. Yeah. Again, it's my favorite pour of this group. Yeah. I mean for that matter, the straight from the barrel and the gold are more expensive by double than the regulars. Yeah. Right. And that's my first time having the gold. Yeah. And I I just I it's the same as four grain. I think I gotta let that back to it. Probably. Yeah. And and like I s that that four grain, it it it's fantastic. Yeah. You know, but i it needed to air. It needed to air for a couple of days. 'Cause I'm glad you got them. I I think I've got the bottles up, you know, on on the the shelves now. got the T V going. With the logo. I have reintroduced the new ⁓ wait a minute. Table of shame. table of shame. I love it. Is on ⁓ it is on camera too. You can't you can't tell what it is from there. Let's keep it that way. You may be able to guess by bottles ⁓ shapes sizes, but Well, you know what? ⁓ wait. We're gonna we're gonna we're gonna Shame the shamers. Yeah. The the table of shame. So the table of shame came about from Things that we tasted that were not good, we did not think were good, right, that weren't gonna make it back onto the regular shelves, that were going into the prohibition bar for a while, but then we're like, no, let's just leave it there. So here is the table of shame. And what so I I I think we can talk about the castle and key. Listen, Nathan and I had a conversation about this and he said that he asked if I'd had it. I'm like, yeah, it's on table shame. He goes, What you mean? But we didn't like it. He's like, I thought wait, is it the wheated one? It is the wheated, right? It is the wheated one. It Yeah. It was it was it was s the nose and palate. Yeah. Just horrible. Don't be the table of sh don't be the table of shame. Don't be the table of shame. Welcome back from the table of shame. Even the table of shame's like, I'm gonna keep you here. Yeah, you're stuck. but I'm the technology. It it's getting better. But I would say that ⁓ it's a learning experience. Yeah. There's no escaping this. No. Luckily, I also have the power of editing. Think we can go Two. There we go. we're back. Just like that. Gump, you're a goddamn genius. Figure it out. of these days. One of these days. Yeah. Well, hey. Thank you. Thank you. This is a good one. That is. That is. I'm happy with that. Yeah. Happy with Derby bottles. ⁓ heck yeah. And it's great fine. Think that ⁓ Hopefully we don't add anything to the table. Don't be the table shame. inevitable. Right. Listen, we do a good job of finding decent bottles. I think as much as OHLQ gets a knock, we talk about how their special their barrel picks of we've I mean the couple that we've got, that Eagle Rare Ten that was a barrel pick was crazy good. So Yeah. And I have a different Eagle Rare Ten barrel pick that we haven't done yet. Yeah. from Crescent Springs down in ⁓ Kentucky. But I have that. we have a lot to do. Yeah, ⁓ yeah. Yeah, I still got a bunch of stuff downstairs we gotta open yet too, let alone whatever we see here. So yeah, we got a lot to do. Yeah. We'll be busy. So in other words, stick around 'cause we got lots more bottles open. ⁓ yeah. The Star Hill Farms. ⁓ that's right. ⁓ I'm ready. You teased me with that today. I did. I know. ⁓ we had to do we got a lot of these. Yeah. You know. But I'm I'm ready. All right. So I did try the Star Hill Farms. Twenty twenty six. You had it as a dinner, right? With Bill Samuel Junior. Yeah. And ⁓ yeah. So June twenty fifth, I am going to dinner with Wally and Chris Okay. Very nice. Master distiller for ⁓ Brown Foreman. So very cool. Looking forward to I don't know what they're gonna bring that up. Yeah. Yeah. I'm looking forward to that. Although I was looking at hotel room costs for a for Louisville for that night. I'm like, what else do they have going on? Yeah. Must be something else. Six hundred dollars a night. Wait, is it d what is it? June. Do they have World Cup games? I don't know, but now I'm curious. I don't know. I mean maybe I should book that room. Yep. Ugh. I didn't have just short on points. So I've I've booked everything else on points or reward nights, but So if anybody knows what's going on June twenty fifth in Louisville's busy. Yeah. Louisville's not on the list. I guess I'd be a little bit surprised, but Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle. All doing the Louis yeah, ⁓ yeah. Soccer. Yeah. Two in Canada, three in Mexico, it says. Wow. Yep. No Louisville. Well, gotta be something else hiding there. Yeah. Well, I'll drive down that morning. Yeah. Spend that night. hundred bucks you gotta find cheap one if you can. Right. Something I can u ⁓ so the I stayed last time was like half a block from the Monks Road Boilerhouse. Whereas maybe I need to plan to Uber Yeah. Or at least back yeah. Yeah. I mean there was no ⁓ there was no chance of me driving at all. Well brought enough, plus you had some yeah. Well you'd gone to lunch that earlier that day too, right? Right. I did with my buddy Alex. Yeah. So Alex says he's gonna come up in July. Okay. So seventeen ninety two ⁓ we'll an entire that's right, he has yeah. He's got quite the collection. They got four or five, which means I've got about a quarter of ⁓ He's got a bunch. Yeah. gonna need a moving truck to get ⁓ all here. Probably. Probably. got big Ford F three fifty, so Well, in August we're going to we're with the Van Winkles. So we could not said this before. I I've not said it publicly, but ⁓ August seventeenth we're gonna be with the Van Winkles. So ⁓ looking forward to that one. Yeah. I don't know where else we're gonna go that trip 'cause that's the week that Steph and I are doing the Cincinnati open. ⁓ that's right. Yep. So we'll spend four days down there. Okay. Jason invited me on a barrel pick. ⁓ nice. In July. So we're going down to Kentucky. Traveling again. Yeah. Yeah. and up ⁓ doing a weller pick. Yeah. And oaked and aged. ⁓ Oaked ore. ⁓ Oaked aged. And then we might trying to fit one or two more on that trip. a lot of barrel picking. Yeah. Gotta make count when you're down there though. Right, right. It's it's such a well it's a six hour drive. Yeah. And w have done it ⁓ times. Back and forth, not fun, yeah. Yeah. But ⁓ I'm ⁓ looking forward to that. Yeah. So we should have some good stuff coming up. Yeah. please like, subscribe, share, ⁓ and ⁓ leave a comments. Anything. You know where to find us because you found us here once. Right. Right. I take constructive criticism very well. So if there's something we can do that makes this a little more enjoyable for you, we appreciate it. And we're we're learning every time. So everybody have great night. Have a good night. Thanks. We'll see ya.