Do you have a hard time finding a bottle of Blanton’s? Whether you believe Blanton’s is overrated or not, whiskey enthusiasts will agree that it is not easy to find a bottle of Blanton’s.
Follow along as we will give you some alternative bourbons similar to Blanton’s, so you don’t need to waste time and resources to score one.
Table of Contents
Toggle10 Bourbons Similar to Blanton’s To Try
10. Ezra Brooks Distillers Collection
Average Price: Around $39.99
Alcohol Content: 53.5%
Why It Tastes Similar:
Ezra Brook Distillers Collection has a similar taste profile as Blanton’s, so it can be a nice alternative. It is distilled using premium quality ingredients, and it is matured and charcoal filtered for a complex, smooth, and mellow finish.
Ezra Brooks can be easy to find compared to Blanton’s. Online liquor stores like Drizly that are selling bourbon, so you can easily grab one for your whiskey shelf.
9. Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
Average Price: Around $53.67
Alcohol Content: 60%
Why It Tastes Similar:
Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve is a high-proof bourbon that can be one of the great alternatives for Blanton’s. The premium product was carefully handpicked and crafted to enjoy its full, unblended glory.
Knob Creek has a deep amber color and features complex nuts, oak, and vanilla flavors, similar to Blanton’s. Knob Creek can be easy to find since it is available in most stores (online and in-store).
8. Jim Beam Single Barrel Bourbon
Average Price: Around $39.99
Alcohol Content: 47.5% – 54%
Why It Tastes Similar:
If you are looking for a bourbon similar to Blanton’s, Jim Beam can be a nice alternative.
Unlike single barrels like Hancock’s President’s Reserve, it has distinct tasting notes and personality. It is one of the great bourbons we had because it is well-aged and has a nice balance of oak, cherry, dried fruit, and caramel.
7. Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon
Average Price: Around $62.99
Alcohol Content: 55%
Why It Tastes Similar:
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon is matured in alligator char barrels for ten years for guaranteed maximum flavor.
It has rich oaky notes and a robust taste similar to Blanton’s.
Russell’s Reserve can be one of the great alternatives for Blanton’s bourbon because of its spicy, deep, complex, and bold tasting notes.
Read: Russells’s Reserve Single Barrel & 10-Year Bourbon Compared
6. Four Roses Small Batch Select
Average Price: Around $63.99
Alcohol Content: 52%
Why It Tastes Similar:
If you are looking for a bourbon similar to Blanton’s, you should check out Four Roses Small Batch Select. It is made from six recipes for unique, complex, and herbal-forward tasting notes.
Aside from the brand’s price points on their whiskey selection, whiskeys from Four Roses are made from ultra-premium ingredients, just like Blanton’s. But what’s the difference between Four Roses Small Batch and Single Barrel?
5. Elijah Craig Single Barrel
Average Price: Around $289.99
Alcohol Content: 45%
Why It Tastes Similar:
If you are looking for other choices, you can go with Elijah Craig Single Barrel by Heaven Hill.
While it can be a bit expensive, it is worth every dollar because it is an award-winning whiskey expression. It can give you the fine, smooth yet complex tasting notes that Blanton’s offers.
Unlike other bourbons, the whiskey bears an age statement (18 years). Due to its long aging process, it is not surprising that it is a well-rounded spirit.
4. John Bowman Single Barrel
Average Price: Around $39.99 (A.Smith Official Website)
Alcohol Content: 50%
Why It Tastes Similar:
John Bowman Single Barrel is made to honor the founder of A. Smith Bowman Distillery. John Bowman can be an excellent choice if you prefer bourbon similar to Blanton’s.
Aside from being one of the store picks, it has nice notes of leather, figs, cherry, toffee, and almonds.
The bourbon is widely-acclaimed and has received various awards from different spirits competitions. Different online stores and local liquor shops sell bourbon, so it would not be hard for you to stock your whiskey shelf.
3. Four Roses Single Barrel
Average Price: Around $49.99
Alcohol Content: 50%
Why It Tastes Similar:
Four Roses Single Barrel is a high rye whiskey hand selected by the Master Distiller and made from the OBSV recipe, one barrel at a time. It has a complex taste because of its grain recipe and maturation.
Unlike other brands like Smooth Ambler, High West, Belle Meade, and Wild Turkey, Four Roses can be one of the great alternatives because of its slightly similar tasting notes.
2. Evan Williams Single Barrel
Average Price: Around $32
Alcohol Content: 43.3%
Why It Tastes Similar:
If you have been drinking stuff from Blanton’s, you will notice that Evan Williams Single Barrel has an almost similar taste and aroma. It has a nice golden color, and the aromas of sweet oak, vanilla, and dark caramel are evident.
Evan Williams has nice spicy, sweet oak, dried fruit, and charred wood-tasting notes.
1. Bowman Brothers Small Batch
Average Price: Around $35.99
Alcohol Content: 45%
Why It Tastes Similar:
If you are looking for a bourbon similar to Blanton’s, another brand you should check out is the Bowman Brother Small Batch. The alcoholic beverage is hand-crafted and undergoes three times distillations to ensure purity.
Factors Considered
Availability
One of the factors we considered is the availability of the product. Blanton itself is hard to get hold of, so we made sure that all of the bourbons mentioned above are widely available and have a great store inventory. But is Blanton’s available at Costco?
Similar Taste
We conducted tasting and comparison with the selections above to ensure that it has an almost similar taste to Blanton’s. Generally, the expressions mentioned above have deep satisfying caramel, vanilla, honey, corn, and nutmeg.
FAQs
Why is Blanton’s so hard to find?
Blanton is hard to find because of its increased popularity and demand. The supply chain issues caused by the global pandemic, the authority of liquor control boards, and the nature of making single-barrel bourbon affect the supply of Blanton’s.
Is there a bourbon with a similar mash bill as Blanton’s?
Yes, Buffalo Trace has a similar mash bill as Blanton’s. The distillery uses the Mash Bill #2 of Buffalo Trace, known as the high-rye grain bill [2].
What makes bourbons similar to Blanton’s?
Bourbons similar to Blanton’s share characteristics such as a high quality, rich flavor profile, and complexity, offering a premium drinking experience for bourbon enthusiasts.
Are there specific characteristics to look for in bourbons similar to Blanton’s?
Yes, look for bourbons with similar flavor profiles, including notes of caramel, vanilla, oak, and spice, as well as a smooth and satisfying finish, reminiscent of Blanton’s unique taste.
What are some notable bourbons similar to Blanton’s?
Several bourbons are considered similar to Blanton’s, including Rock Hill Farms, Elmer T. Lee, Hancock’s President’s Reserve, and Ancient Age 10 Star, which share similarities in flavor profile and quality.
How do bourbons similar to Blanton’s compare to other bourbons?
Bourbons similar to Blanton’s typically offer a balance of sweetness, spice, and complexity, similar to Blanton’s signature taste, distinguishing them from other bourbons in terms of flavor profile and overall drinking experience.
Final Thoughts
Blanton’s is like a unicorn that is mystical and all-too elusive, and scoring one is not an easy task.
It may be frustrating not to get hold of it and its horse toppers, but there are bourbons similar to Blanton’s that will not let you down. They are cheaper, similar in taste, and, most importantly, widely available.
References:
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultalbot/2019/09/18/a-new-golden-age-for-marketing-bourbon/
- https://www.pastemagazine.com/drink/whiskey/buffalo-trace-bourbon-rye-buying-guide-prices-brands-value/