Blanton’s Single Barrel vs Woodford Reserve Very Fine Rare: Head to Head!

Discover the differences between Blanton’s Single Barrel vs Woodford Reserve Very Fine Rare Bourbon and decide which bourbon is better for You!

Blanton’s Single Barrel

Nose	Vanilla, caramel, oak, old leather
Palate	Creamy vanilla, honeyed, baking spice, oak
Finish	Long, honey, brown sugar, caramel
Alcohol content	93 proof (46.5% ABV)
How to drink	Neat
Similar to	Four Roses SB, Elmer T. Lee, Basil Hayden’s

Blanton’s (Best Bourbon) is crafted by Buffalo Trace using a mash bill a bit higher in rye while selecting the barrels from warehouse H which Colonel Blanton discovered to be the place to age whiskey.

Nose is rich in honey and caramel, with an old leather hint and a whiff of oak coming behind.

On the palate, Blanton’s offers traditional bourbon flavors, is rich in butterscotch, vanilla and moderate rye spice only than richer and creamier than your typical bourbon.

The Blanton’s Single Barrel is just so smooth with the right amount of sweetness and oak making a super easy yet complex and interesting pour.

The finish is long, sweet and pleasantly warm with a bit of a NyQuil note coming late to the party.

Blanton’s Single Barrel (Alternatives) is worth the hype, this is a super smooth and perfectly balanced bourbon with a creamy body making an entirely rewarding sipper; the best of all is that it is still reasonably priced and widely available.

Blanton’s Single Barrel drinks beautifully neat with no need to add water or ice to it.

There are a few facts worth knowing about Blanton’s Single Barrel:

• Mash bill is undisclosed but apparently carries 15% rye in the mash.

• Blanton’s Single Barrel does not have an age statement but is typically aged for 6 to 8 years.

• Earned the Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2012.

• Named “liquid gold” in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

Woodford Reserve Very Fine Rare Bourbon

Nose	Baking spice, tobacco, old leather, toasty oak
Palate	Oak, ripe fruit, vanilla and honey
Finish	Oak, fruit, brown sugar
Alcohol content	90 proof (45% ABV)
How to drink	Neat
Similar to	Old Forester Single Barrel

The nose brings a big hit of baking spice, followed by notes of tobacco, old leather and toasty oak making an incredibly rich aroma.

On the palate, the Very Fine Rare feels creamy with a very good texture.

Flavor delivers oak and ripe fruit up-front, followed by vanilla and honey. There is a bit of oak spice and barrel spice bringing balance to the dram.

The finish is long, with toasty oak and fruit and a tad of brown sugar.

The Very Fine Rare has is a full-flavored bourbon with no heat making a remarkably good sipper. No need to add water or chaser as it goes down easy.

This bourbon is beyond good, perfectly balanced, with not one off-putting note. Due to its extended aging I was expecting to be too high in oak, but wood is just present playing a secondary role.

It checks in all the right boxes providing a great sip and the Best Woodford Reserve Bourbon!

There are a few facts worth knowing about the Very Fine Rare Bourbon:

• This bourbon blends in undisclosed amounts barrels from 2003 and 4 year old whiskeys.

• Made from a mash comprised of 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley.

• Woodford Reserve is owned by Brown-Forman along the Jack Daniel’s and the Old Forester Bourbon Whiskey; they are crafted at their own distilleries.

Blanton’s Single Barrel vs Woodford Reserve Very Fine Rare: Price comparison

Prices are approximate and stated in USD:

Whiskey	Price
Blanton’s Single Barrel	$130
Woodford Reserve Very Fine Rare Bourbon	$110

Blanton’s Single Barrel vs Woodford Reserve Very Fine Rare: Which is better?

Both make two of the best two bourbons in this price range

Whiskey	Blanton’s	Very Fine Rare Bourbon
Nose		✅
Body	✅	✅
Palate	✅	✅
Finish	✅	✅
Value		✅

• Blanton’s is a crowd-pleaser and the favorite bourbon of many as it’s incredibly rich and flavorful, yet quite smooth.

• The Woodford Reserve goes toe to toe with it in many aspects and a bourbon I recommend trying if you have already tried Blanton’s.

If you are new to both adopt “flipism” and let Lady Luck decide.