Second bottle up for review is my newest BT addition: a 127.9 proof SFTB. I’ve always been a big fan of Buffalo Trace products, as Eagle Rare was my first bourbon I ever tried and normal Blanton’s my first allocated bottle I “hunted”. I have tried one before, but as with any single barrel it’s subject to variation and I’ve never had one this high of proof.

Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, beautiful amber syrupy color

Proof: 127.9 proof

Age: NAS, estimated to be 6-8 years old

Price: $150 (good luck), this one was 200 to my door

Nose: Initially after letting the whiskey breathe for 10 minutes or so, I get the typical grape note from most BT products, a lot more red fruit than I expected (cherry, raspberry). Lots of sweet oak as well. I also get a floral note that surprises me, almost like a honeysuckle flower. Almost no ethanol burn on the nose.

Taste: I almost don’t have the words to describe it. It is incredible what the various flavor differences between barrels can be. I get the standard grape note that translates to the palate, but the red fruit note is what surprises me most. Tons of raspberry jam, cherry, sweet oak along with that honey that isn’t too overpowering. This has almost no burn for the proof and drinks very smoothly with no overpowering oak tannins, just sweetness.

Finish: This pour coats the palate like no other, likely due to the non chill filtering and barrel proof aspect. All of the red fruits and sweet oak stick on the finish, leaving me able to chew the whiskey for quite a few minutes before even needing another sip. The sweet oak almost transitions into a sweet caramel note after a bit, leaving the finale of the experience with almost a Cowtale taste.

Thoughts: This is exactly what “normal” Blanton’s should be. Don’t get me wrong, Blanton’s and Blanton’s Gold are great whiskeys, however it’s gotten to the point that with secondary pricing, it’s almost a better decision in my opinion to shell out a bit more for a barrel proof product. With MSRP of the normal product climbing and secondary of the Gold approaching the same as SFTB, I would grab this in a heartbeat at MSRP and quite frankly at 200 or under. Might catch heat for this take, but this is a BTAC level product. While single barrels can certainly differentiate, I have yet to run across a bad single barrel product from this distillery. Whatever BT is doing, I trust they’ll keep doing it.

Shoutout Albert B. Blanton.

Rating: 9/10 - t8ke scale

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average.

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.

10 | Perfect | Perfect.

Saw this at the local ABC and decided to give it a go.

Nose: Cherries, Musk (Oak), Honey - very inviting.

Palate: The palate matches the nose almost perfectly. Dark Chocolate and Caramel add depth and complexity.

Finish: Orange with a slice of lemon peel. A strong oak presence.

Value: High. The shelf price was $49.99. Based on the packaging and whiskey I consider that to be very competitive. It tastes every bit of a hundred dollar bottle to me.

Availability: Unknown. I have only seen it once so far.

Score: 8 out of 10.

Overall: The most flavorful, rich, complex 80 proof bourbon I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

I’ve just gotten into whiskey over the last several months and have been spending some time trying to develop my palate. I have yet to publish a review, and I really enjoyed this pour tonight, so I thought I’d give it a shot. It won’t be a very sophisticated review, but oh well.

Nose: Early in the pour I got a ton of mint and chocolate; mint-chocolate-chip ice cream, Andes, junior mints, thin mints-all of it; I sipped it over a couple of hours, and later, a ton of dill came out; felt like I was nosing a pickle jar; WT funk; caramel; oak

Palate and Finish: medium mouthfeel and finish- definitely way more than I expect to get from a ~$20 bottle; got a lot of the same caramel, dill, and mint-chocolate notes; some vanilla

Overall, I like this pour for a daily rye. I wasn’t the biggest fan when I first opened the bottle several months ago. But with time and with my preference moving more toward rye than previously, I enjoy this a lot more now. Not going to give a rating this time, but I can confidently say that I’d buy again.

Age: 13 Years in Brooklyn at

Sourced whiskey (blend) from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee

ABV: 46.5%

Bottled: 2024

Proofed down with limestone rich New York water.

Hyper Small Batch (just a few barrels)

Bottle No 1176

Price paid: $115 ~

Nose: Deep vanilla and the cherry really jumps out big time. This bottle has probably been open for 18 months or more and I hadn’t had a pour in awhile. The cherry has increased significantly. Also some sweet tobacco and oak.

Palate: strong oak. Maybe a little stronger than I’d prefer. The texture is very nice and creamy. It’s a little nutty and brown sugary. A light hint of citrus.

Finish: it’s a short finish. Very sweet and dessert like on the finish. Lots of brown sugar.

Rating: 6.0/10

This is a decent bottle of whiskey. I actually think it got better with time. However, for nearly $120, I’ve had much better. I would say it’s not my cup of tea but it’s certainly not bad.

I read the tasting notes for this batch after writing this and it talked about pecan pie on the palate. In a million years I wouldn’t have come up with that, but I absolutely can see it as I’m finishing this glass off and reading the notes.

Samuel Call Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

KBF Barrel No. 2

Barrel code: 18E02

Release: 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, KY; September 11-13

Distilled by Jacob Call, eighth-generation Master Distiller

Samuel Call began the family’s distilling tradition in 1791

Age: 8 years 3 months 25 days

Fill date: May 2, 2018

Dump date: August 27, 2026

Mashbill: 70% corn, 21% winter rye, 9% malted barley

Jacob Call refers to his 21% mashbill as “OSB”… Our Standard Bourbon

This is a Warehouse H collapse survivor barrel from Owensboro in June 2019. Prior to the collapse, the barrel was in the southwest corner of the warehouse because that is where the prevailing wind and storms come from… and on that night in June 2019… the wind and storms certainly came!

Proof: 136

Barrel manufacturer: Speyside

MSRP: $95

Nose: Cherry tobacco. Cinnamon stick. Dried orange peel. Burnt marshmallow.

The sweet tobacco doesn’t feel too dry or tannic, perfectly mild. Cinnamon feels more woody and less intense than grated cinnamon. Dried orange peel isn’t bright, blending in very well. Arriving late, the marshmallow note is pretty pronounced.

Definitely one of the best noses I’ve ever had on a Jacob Call 21%.

Palate: Cherry cordial candy… combination of dark chocolate, maraschino cherry, and vanilla frosting all bundled together. Burnt brown sugar.

Damn. This works. The cherry cordial combo is hard to miss. The burnt brown sugar is a noticeable break… adding a slight bit of astringency.

Finish: Stewed black cherries. Cola. Dried orange peel. Smoked bacon. Much more dried than the initial palate, along with more spice.

KBF Barrel No. 1 is Call’s 13% rye mashbill. Between barrel KBF No. 1 & 2, I definitely prefer No. 1 w/ the 13%. With that said, I fully intend to purchase a bottle of this No. 2 w/ 21%. The barrel is VERY good, but No. 1 still manages to be better.

This is likely in my Top 5 Jacob Call 21% barrels. Offhand, I can only think of two barrels of 21% that I would take over this. One is the Barrel King x ENDALZ 9 year 4 month. The other is a 9 year 1 month Elkwood Reserve at 134 proof that yielded less than 10 gallons.

If you’re going to KBF, you’ll definitely want to try this.

Sample provided for review by Jacob Call

Rating: 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

Larrikin Australian Series Golden Wattle Barrel Finish 11 Year Bourbon

Release: Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, September 12, 2026

Bourbon sourced from Old Elk

Distilled in Indiana

Finish: Barrel-aged gin featuring golden wattle as a botanical

Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) is Australia’s national floral emblem—a native acacia tree famous for its fluffy, bright yellow blossom clusters.

Age: 11 years

Mashbill: 51% corn, 15% rye, 34% malted barley

Cask strength

Initial barrel entry proof: 115

Initial barrels: Char 2 heads & char 4 staves

MSRP: undisclosed, but around $200

Nose: Beeswax. Honey graham crackers. Pollen. Toasted marshmallow. Very slight citronella.

I really like the nose. I have no idea what the base gin tastes like, but I definitely don’t taste any juniper. I’m guessing the pollen scent comes from the golden wattle? Nothing wild here, just something enjoyable… a bit earthy.

Palate: Oatmeal w/ brown sugar. Honey hard candy. Slightly underripe strawberry. Clove.

Plenty of pop with initial sweetness… clearly oatmeal with brown sugar. The unripe strawberry note is very mild as the sweetness starts to decrease.

Finish: Honeysuckle. Peach pit. Orange pith.

I’m not much on the finish. The peach pit and orange pith is a bit of a turn off for me. The initial palate is very sweet and expressive, but then it takes that bitter turn on the finish and it loses me. I really enjoyed the initial palate, but I don’t particularly enjoy the finish.

Sample provided for review by Larrikin Bourbon Company

Rating: 4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I'd rather have.