Blanton's - Takara Gold (Japan) - 103 Proof
$150
Blanton’s – Takara Gold (Japan) – 103 Proof
Barrel Info: Dumped 5/19/21 – Warehouse H – Rick No 32 – Barrel 108 – Bottle 160
Proof: 103
Age: 8 Years
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – Single Barrel
Mash: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #2 (Estimated around 15% Rye)
Website: Buffalo Trace Distillery
*Disclaimer: A score of 5 is the midpoint for my reviews. Above 5 I like it. Below 5 I didn’t for some reason. Most of my reviews are between 4-7. It takes something really really special to go above 7 or below 4. See the methodologies for rating at the end of the article
Nose: Wet Oak, Orange Pushup, Vanilla Custard, Sweet Tobacco, Anise, Cinnamon, & Clove.
Taste/Palate: Oak, Raisins, Anise, Cinnamon, Rye Spice, & Caramel Chews. Ethanol is present but is very subtle.
Finish: The Ethanol steps up on the finish. Coating the mouth. The Spice steps aside and makes way to Butterscotch, Tanned Leather, & Anise.
Verdict: I expected this bottle to be my hands down favorite. I like the proof and with an extra 2 years should be great. I liked this one quite a bit, but I expected more. What’s most disappointing is that this bottle was the most expensive of the 7 being reviewed. Takara Gold is now starting to sell for $150-$200 in Japan. That means by the time it makes it way back here you can expect to see double that or more on secondary. I’ll put a spoiler, this bottle did not win the showdown. It held it’s own, but for $150 more than any of the other bottles it should be the clear cut winner. This is another warning regarding single barrels.
Price Ceiling (The Most I’d pay for this bottle): $150-$200 this is not based on the juice alone, but the value of getting it from Japan when it’s even hard to find there. If this were offered in the US I would put this at $100-150 price ceiling.
The Story: It took me a while to amass the entire “standard” collection to do this head to head (times 7) review. I even had to borrow the bottle of Takara Gold on loan from a friend. After finally getting all 7 in my collection I had the wife put all 7 in random order for a blind tasting. I took my tasting notes on each as I went and I ranked them all prior to revealing which one was which. After I release all 7 reviews I’ll do one final write up that consolidates all 7. I can say that there were some surprises in the results, but nothing too crazy.
If you know anything about Bourbon I’m sure that that Blanton’s name is not new to you. What might come as a surprise is the different variations of Blanton’s that go across the pond that never see the light of day in the US. Here’s a breakdown of what I reviewed in the 7 Bottle Blanton’s Showdown. (All are Single Barrel)
– Japan – Blanton’s Gold – 103 Proof (Aged 8 Years)
– Europe – Blanton’s Special Reserve – 80 Proof (Aged 6 Years)
– United States – Blanton’s – 93 Proof
– Japan – Blanton’s Black – 80 Proof (Aged 8 years)
– Europe – Blanton’s Gold – 103 Proof (Aged 6 Years)
– United States – Blanton’s Straight From the Barrel – 129.2 Proof (Aged 6 Years)
– Japan – Blanton’s “Red” (Label looks cream color, but the box is red) – 93 Proof (Aged 8 Years
Blanton’s Takara Gold is a 750ml bottle that is proofed to 103 and (rumored) to be aged at least 8 years vs many standard offerings that are around 6. Blanton’s does not carry an age statement and I don’t think they have ever publicly clarified this but this is pretty common word on the street. Blanton’s was originally released for Japan since they had a taste for Bourbon when we in America did not. That was obviously before it caught on here like wild fire and now everyone is hunting for Bourbons. When Blanton’s was designed to be sent oversees around the time Pappy Van Winkle was sitting on shelves with Stitzel Weller juice sitting inside.
The Distillery’s Story: “Named after former distillery president Colonel Albert B. Blanton, who always had very special supply of bourbon – his private reserve – handpicked and stored in legendary famous Warehouse H. The Blanton’s brand was launched in 1984 when Elmer T. Lee introduced the world to Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon a year before he retired. In doing so, he revolutionized the industry with the world’s first single barrel bourbon.”
Blanton’s is one of the highly sought after lines coming out of Buffalo Trace Distillery. Other high demand brands coming out of Buffalo Trace are Eagle Rare, Sazerac, Weller, E.H. Taylor, The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, Pappy Van Winkle, Old Carter, Elmer T Lee, & George T Stagg. Even the standard line of Buffalo Trace and their Bourbon Cream are hard to come by. Buffalo Trace pumps out a lot of high quality bourbon at usually a more than fair MSRP.
For Blanton’s specifically I asked myself the question “Why the heck does Japan get all the 8 year Blanton’s? Why does Poland have a special Blue label Blanton’s (Not included in the head to head)? Up until 2020 the United States, the only country that can produce bourbon had only one variation of Blanton’s. That was the Standard Tan Label, 93 Proof aged 6 years. In 2020 Blanton’s released on a very limited supply, Blanton’s Gold 103 Proof and Blanton Straight from the Barrel in the US. Both are 6 year offerings though. So once again, why is Europe and Japan getting all these variations on proof and extra age?
I went down a bit of a rabbit hole, but here’s what I found out. Blanton’s is distilled with Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #2. This Mash bill is said to be the “high rye” at around 15%. In my opinion that’s not “high rye” but at Buffalo Trace it is. Anywho, It’s said that Ancient Age actually owns that Mash Bill and has ties back to Japan. The older “good stuff” is sent oversees to Europe and Japan and here in the US we are left with the one variation. In 2020 that did change slightly when the US added on a very limited supply the Blanton’s Gold and Straight from the Barrel. I’m not sure if there was a change of heart here in the us, a change in ownership, or what, but it’s good to see. From what I hear Blanton’s is well liked in Europe and in Japan, but not like it is here. It’s much easier to find on the shelf and you don’t have to sell your first born to get it.
Methodologies for Rating:
1. Dump it down the drain or regift it to someone you don’t care for.
2. This doesn’t even belong in a mixed drink. Use in case of an emergency.
3. It’s really not for me, but I heard some people like it.
4. Its only good when I’ve had too many and it’s decent in a mixer.
5. Average. Not bad, but not special.
6. Above average. Good to bring to an event and you wouldn’t expect any guff from it.
7. Buy two if you see it to make sure you have one on reserve.
8. Very Very good. Constantly a GREAT POUR.
9. Superb. If I were to drink this and only this from now on I’d be a happy person.
10. Perfection is impossible. But this really comes as close as you can possibly get.
Reviewer: David S
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