Blanton's Silver

Distillery:		Buffalo Trace
Age:		8-9 Years
Proof:		98 (49% ABV)
Price:		JPY 6000

Blanton's Silver was originally produced for the duty free market only, but has since been discontinued. Because it been discontinued, its is very rare to see it available for sale. I'm not sure how exactly this bottle made it to Japan, but I do see duty-free releases on store shelves from time to time.

As the color may suggest, Blanton's Silver is positioned between Blanton's Original Single Barrel and Blanton's Gold. Both the original retail price and the proof fall between these two bottles.

The bottle was dumped March 24, 2000 and is 98 proof. Like all Blanton's it comes from Warehouse H. The bottle was in OK condition when purchased. The wax was a little dried out and the box was somewhat damaged. I bought it anyway as a gamble, hoping that the bourbon inside the bottle would have survived the damage to packaging. 

The bourbon starts out well with a the normal caramel and vanilla as well notes of citrus and figs. The taste is less sweet than many bourbons, with hints of maraschino cherries. It's a little hot with a dry woody finish. 

This is not nearly as good as Blanton's Straight from the Barrel. The silver is much closer to the flavor of the Blanton's Single Barrel. Given the choice, I would choose Blanton's Straight from the Barrel every time.

This bottle is somewhat interesting because it was distilled during the tenure of Gary Garheart, the previous master distiller at Buffalo Trace. It does taste a little different than the current offerings (i.e., the notes of maraschino cherry), but isn't objectively any better. 

Verdict: If you see it, buy it - it may be your only chance.