There’s a reason the bottle with the little horse-and-jockey stopper turns heads behind our bar. Blanton’s Single Barrel is the whiskey widely credited with starting the entire single barrel bourbon category, and it has a permanent home on the shelf at Camp West, our cabin-inspired cocktail bar and restaurant in the West Seattle Junction. Every bottle is drawn from a single hand-selected barrel, so no two are exactly alike, which makes pouring it feel a little like sharing a secret.
About the Distillery
Blanton’s is made at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, one of the oldest continuously operating distilleries in America. Released in 1984, it was the brainchild of master distiller Elmer T. Lee, who pulled honor barrels from the prized Warehouse H, a metal-clad rickhouse that heats and cools quickly and is said to age bourbon faster and more intensely. The collectible stoppers, eight in all, each show a horse and jockey in a different racing pose, a nod to Kentucky’s deep horse-racing roots.
Style & Mash Bill
This is a Kentucky straight bourbon built on Buffalo Trace’s high-rye Mash Bill #2. Bottled at 93 proof (46.5% ABV), it carries enough rye backbone to give it structure and spice without losing the rounded sweetness bourbon lovers expect. Because it’s a true single barrel, each bottling reflects the character of one specific barrel rather than a blended average.
Tasting Notes
Expect a nose of vanilla, citrus, and warm caramel with a whisper of nutmeg. The palate leans into honeyed sweetness, baking spice, dried orange peel, and toasted oak, with that high-rye spine keeping things lively. The finish is long and gently warming, with lingering caramel and clove.
How to Enjoy It at Camp West
Blanton’s shines neat in a Glencairn or over a single large rock that opens up the citrus and spice. It’s an excellent pour to sip slowly while you settle in by the bar. A pour runs $18. If you’d rather work it into a cocktail, our bartenders are happy to build an Old Fashioned around it.
FAQ
Is Blanton’s a bourbon or a rye? It’s a Kentucky straight bourbon, though it uses a higher-rye mash bill that gives it noticeable spice.
Why are the bottle stoppers different? There are eight collectible horse-and-jockey stoppers, each showing a different stage of a race, spelling out B-L-A-N-T-O-N-S across the set.
Come find your seat and a good pour. Book a table, browse our full whiskey list, or explore the complete beverage menu.