The Famous Warehouse Blanton's Bourbon Comes From

When it comes to bottling Blanton's famous single-barrel bourbon, the place in which each barrel is stored has become as important as the booze itself. Taken from the center of the distillery's warehouse, Blanton's specialty bourbons have attracted attention from whiskey connoisseurs striving to get their hands on the elusive libation, even amassing collections worth thousands of dollars.

While a whiskey warehouse doesn't seem to spark much imagination beyond a place to store aging barrels of whiskey, in the case of Blanton's, the warehouse has achieved its own kind of fame. The conditions in a whiskey warehouse (aka a rick or rackhouse) can be key for proper bourbon aging; variations in temperature can help produce a whiskey that offers more nuanced, textured tastes for bourbon lovers to enjoy. In the case of Blanton's, the distillery has taken extra precautions to create an environment that guarantees optimal taste in every bottle. 

The metal-clad storage area that houses Blanton's select single-barrel bourbon has been dubbed Warehouse H, and the structure, which is carefully maintained by Buffalo Trace Distillery, dates back to 1934. Since bourbon stored inside the warehouse is impacted by changing temperatures, Warehouse H is closely monitored by the team there, which strives to keep the area at 45 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. To do this, the warehouse windows are opened and closed during the hot and cold seasons so that each bottle of Blanton's stays cool enough throughout its aging to present the smooth taste for which the label has become known.

"Through the years, we've gathered millions of data points on how the environment affects the whiskey inside the barrel," Buffalo Trace's Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley told Distillery Trail. Even when constructing new sites for bourbon storage, Buffalo Trace is committed to creating a cohesive, reliable flavor profile across its bottles. This dedication, along with the reputation of Warehouse H, is part of the reason why Blanton's has become so difficult to find.