The History Behind Blanton's Iconic Jockey Bottle Stoppers

Folks familiar with Blanton's Single Barrel bourbon may already know that it has been produced by Buffalo Trace since 1984. This highly coveted and elusive spirit earned a spot on our list of the best Kentucky bourbons of all time. The draw for some could be the fact that each batch is taken from a single barrel (most bourbons are blended from several barrels) or that it was featured as John Wick's booze of choice on the big screen. But, for many, the ultimate goal in purchasing and drinking Blanton's is to get their hands on the famous bottle stoppers.

Each stopper features a racehorse and jockey in various forms of motion and is emblazoned with a different letter from the name "Blanton's." Collecting them all is typically easier said than done, since the brand can be hard to find, and the letters are created at random.

Blanton's has used racehorse-topped stoppers since it originated, but the idea of collecting them to spell out the brand's name didn't begin until 1999. Some people spend years trying to complete a set while those with little patience can simply purchase the whole thing online.

Serious collectors might notice that there is a difference between the two "N's" on the stoppers, with one containing a colon. Additionally, the "S" stopper is emblazoned with a horse and jockey that has a raised fist to symbolize that the duo has won a race. For comparison's sake, the "B" top contains a jockey sitting upright on their horse, as if the race hasn't yet begun. If you're looking to accumulate a set of letters on your own, you'll find that there are only letters printed on the stoppers for 375-milliliter and 750-milliliter bottles, but not 50-milliliter sizes. There is also a Blanton's Gold edition of the bourbon, whose bottles have gold colored stoppers, complete with letters as well.

Those with deep pockets might consider purchasing an entire collection of eight Blanton's bottles with all of the letters, but be prepared for a steep fee. Rare Bourbon Shop sells such a set for $1,080.99 (at the time of this writing), or a little over $135 for each bottle. Meanwhile, you can expect to pay about $75 per bottle at the Blanton's distillery in Kentucky. Bourbon fans might be surprised to know that the best Buffalo Trace bourbon (that's not impossible to find) isn't Blanton's, but rather, Eagle Rare.