The Single Blanton's Collection Worth Almost $100,000
Blanton's has become something of an industry icon, offering one-of-a-kind single-barrel bourbons to collectors and connoisseurs. Since 1984, Blanton's has redefined premium bourbon as their master distillers age and carefully select barrels to bottle one at a time. The distiller was the first to do so for select lines, and other brands have since followed their lead.
The bourbon bottles can be tough to track down, but collectors are well-rewarded when they do. Each bottle of Blanton's single barrel bourbon is adorned with a small horse and jockey, a nod to Kentucky's horse culture, and each bottle top is printed with an individual letter that, when collected as a whole, spells out the name of the brand. This treasure hunt component to the brand has only added to its elusiveness and prestige in the market. The rare, vintage bottles are so prized that folks have taken the risk of counterfeiting bottles and trading in them illegally. Yet for Dominic Guglielmi, his stash of over 40 Blanton's bottles remains well protected in his Ohio home.
In pursuit of bourbon
"I don't even drink it or like it for the flavor," Guglielmi admitted to Gear Patrol. "It's all about the collectability." It seems that while others are standing in line trying to score a bottle to take home, Guglielmi knows exactly where to look. His first bottle was a gift from an employer, and after a trip to Japan, where Guglielmi scored several more bottles to add to his growing stash, the hunt and his investment in these appreciating assets continued.
Like many collectors, Guglielmi admires the horse toppers and the ability to piece together the letters of the Blanton brand. He estimates his collection is worth nearly $100,000, and he's managed to get his hands on both the Sterling Silver, one out of fewer than 100 bottles labeled with misspelled names, and the 2012 Le Maison Du Whisky, a bourbon so select only one barrel of it was produced. You can check out Guglielmi's latest additions to his impressive collection on his blog Warehouse H.