Tasting note

Blanton's, in the distinctive spherical bottle topped with a racehorse figurine, specializes in single-barrel, superpremium bourbon. It's the idiosyncratic and generally pricier side of the business, where each bottle contains whisky tapped directly from a specific cask rather than from a large tank into which multiple casks have been emptied and blended for flavour consistency. Single-barrel whiskies tend to be more robust, but this excellent entry-level Special Reserve bottling, with the green label, achieves remarkable smoothness while retaining considerable single-barrel character. Bottled at 40-per-cent alcohol (lower than Blanton's three other offerings), it's big on smooth caramel and peppery spice along with hints of orange, vanilla and charred toast topped with melted butter. Score - 92. (Beppi Crosariol, theglobeandmail.com, Nov. 3, 2015)

Premium Spirit Release product. Available to purchase starting November 2. “Leather and buttered popcorn on the nose, along with vanilla, dried cherry and oak notes. The texture is oily and fat, while the taste is buttery, rich and sumptuous. It finishes with notes of toasted wood and butter. An incomparable whiskey that unfolds in the glass.” 97 points Chairman’s Trophy – Ultimate Beverage Challenge 2013