I found this book very interesting. The book covers the history of Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon and its expressions through its history. There is an excellent Foreword by David Jennings, the author of American Spirit: Wild Turkey Bourbon From Ripy to Russell, that tells of the trials and tribulations of writing a brand history. It is well worth the time and effort to read this book.
Warehouse H. Dominic Guglielmi, Boyle & Dalton, Chicago, Illinois, 2023. Contents, Forward, Introduction, Appendices, Bibliography, Index, Illustrations, 223pp.
Warehouse H is a complete history of the Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon and its expressions. It starts with a history of Albert Blanton, the man behind the brand, and continues with the story of how the brand was created and its continuing influence on premium Bourbon and single barrel whiskey in particular. Guglielmi continues his discussion of how it is made and aged in Warehouse H. He then covers all of the multitude of expressions of Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon. He ends with a chapter discussing the legacy of the brand.
The book is well organized and well written. It has plenty of color photographs. Every expression includes a color photograph of the bottle and a chart listing such information as dump date, market, bottle size, and production information. It is well indexed and includes a bibliography. The appendices include a timeline of Blanton’s history, the awards it has won, and information about Buffalo Trace and Takara Shuzo / Age International.
The book is well worth adding to any whiskey library. It will be used as a reference book, but also as a good read on Bourbon history. It is a very attractive book with lots of color illustrations by photographer Nick Francher. It is sure to become a classic reference book for the whiskey scholar, Bourbon fan and Blanton’s lover.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller