Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel Bourbon In the winter of 1881, Albert Bacon Blanton was born on a farm situated just outside of Frankfort, Kentucky. At the age of 16, Blanton began working at the Old Fire Copper Distillery (often abbreviated O.F.C. Distillery) as an office boy. Over the next few years, Blanton reportedly worked in every department at the distillery. By the age of 20, he was appointed the superintendent of O.F.C, and worked there until his retirement in 1952.

Much like his mentor, E.H. Taylor, Blanton was a traditional bourbon aristocrat, wedded to the production of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Blanton identified a certain section of Warehouse H at his distillery, which he believed was the best for aging bourbon, and would personally select individual barrels from the section to bottle for his own private reserve.

Today, Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey is still aged in the same section of Warehouse H as Blanton’s Private Reserve was over 50 years ago. Made from the high-rye Buffalo Trace mash bill of corn, rye, and malted barley.

Blanton’s is a bourbon whiskey which is produced and marketed by the Sazerac Company. It is distilled in Frankfort, Kentucky at the Buffalo Trace Distillery.

The Blanton’s brand was launched in 1984 under the guidance of the distillery’s master distiller Elmer T. Lee, as the first modern bourbon marketed as a single barrel bourbon. The original brand name was “Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon.” The barrels are dumped by hand without using machinery. There are eight different stopper designs, each with a different letter of the alphabet molded into it and topped with a figurine of a racehorse and jockey. When placed in order, spelling “B L A N T O N’ S”, the horse and jockey’s poses display eight different scenes of a horse race, from standing at the gate, to crossing the finish line with a win.

About Colonel Albert Bacon Blanton

Colonel Albert Bacon Blanton was born on a farm near the distillery in 1881.  In 1897, at the (very) young age of 16, Colonel Blanton was hired as a clerk at the distillery.  As he grew older he became very familiar with the distillery’s operations, working in every department.  He started as an office boy at the age of 16, and finally in 1921 he was in charge of the entire operation becoming President of the distillery. Colonel Blanton’s hands-on experience in all aspects of the distillery proved invaluable. His leadership guided the distillery through some of the most trying times of the 20th century, starting with Prohibition. Colonel Blanton’s savvy business acumen allowed bourbon production to continue during Prohibition, keeping the distillery operating when many others were closing their doors.  When Prohibition ended in 1933, the nation was in the throes of the Great Depression. Again, Colonel Blanton’s leadership allowed the distillery to prevail during the lean times of the Depression.  In 1937, the rising waters of the KY river engulfed the distillery. Remarkably within just 24 hours of the flood water receding Colonel Blanton restored the distillery to normal operations. A few years later, during World War II, Colonel Blanton’s gift for guidance kept the distillery intact at a time when it was required to suspend whiskey making and exclusively produce straight alcohol for military purposes.

Colonel Blanton emerged from these trials undaunted because his determination to create world-class bourbons never faltered. Most importantly, he carried the time-honored traditions of Kentucky bourbon making into the modern era.

More About The Blanton’s Bourbon Stoppers

The horse and jockey atop the bottle stoppers are now a recognized trademark of Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon. The rich heritage and tradition of horses in Kentucky parallel that of bourbon. This is our way of paying homage to this Kentucky heritage.  Beginning in 1999 a collector’s set of eight different stoppers was produced. The set features a horse and jockey in different strides and poses resembling the stages of a horse race, from beginning to end. Each stopper is marked with a single letter that spells Blanton’s when the set has been completed.  The final stopper, marked by “S” always finishes the race in victory!