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Old Forester Statesman vs Blanton’s Single Barrel
Comparing Old Forester Statesman and Blanton’s Single Barrel is a closer contest than it looks — both are high-rye bourbons, separated mainly by price (~$50 – $55 vs. ~$80 – $150).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Old Forester Statesman | Blanton’s Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley | 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 95 proof (47.5% ABV) +2 proof | 93 proof (46.5% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$50 – $55 ~$63 less | ~$80 – $150 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- Blanton’s Single Barrel does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Old Forester Statesman
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Blanton’s Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Old Forester Statesman Blanton’s Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: Old Forester Statesman 8 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10
spice 5/6 spice: Old Forester Statesman 5 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10
oak 5/6 oak: Old Forester Statesman 5 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10
fruit 7/6 fruit: Old Forester Statesman 7 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10
nuttiness 2/3 nuttiness: Old Forester Statesman 2 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 3 out of 10
heat 4/4 heat: Old Forester Statesman 4 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The clearest split is how sweet each one drinks.
- Old Forester Statesman: Old Forester's fruit-forward middle child, first made for a spy movie tie-in. Bright cherry and brown sugar lead, with cocoa and a touch of the house banana note.
- Blanton’s Single Barrel: The bottle that invented the single-barrel category and still trades largely on its horse-stopper cork and its scarcity. The whiskey itself is genuinely good — honeyed and citrus-led with nutmeg spice — but at secondary prices you are paying for the bottle as much as the pour.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Old Forester Statesman if you want a bright, cherry-sweet Old Forester that sits between the 100 and 1920 in weight at a significantly lower price point.
- Go with Blanton’s Single Barrel if you want the original single-barrel presentation and a honeyed, citrus-led profile, and the hunt is part of the appeal.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (Old Forester Statesman); neat, rocks (Blanton’s Single Barrel).