The Gift I Didn’t Recognize
January 26, 2026
Source: Reddit
A recent Christmas present caught me off guard. It was a unique Blanton’s cork display that immediately sparked my interest.
There was a piece of wood — thick, roughly foot-shaped, and had eight holes drilled into the top. On the other side was some rough wood. It looked handmade. I put shot glasses into it right away, but they wouldn’t fit in the holes.
The next day I found out it was a Blanton’s cork display — for the horse-and-jockey stopper (each one has a letter) that tops each bottle of Blanton’s bourbon. When you get all eight letters, it spells “B-L-A-N-T-O-N-S.” There is a bottle in the center of this display.
I used to have all eight.
The Bourbon Quest
All of the corks come from bottles I have opened on special nights or acquired online. Duplicates were common. Most of the N’s are doubles. I am missing a single T.
I remember opening one after a long week and I also opened one after a wedding. We kept some others simply because the bottle seemed to be too fine to discard the cork.
I then lost all of these corks, along with the bottle and the display case in a fire. I had no backup corks, nor was I able to replace them via trade.
Blanton’s Isn’t What It Used to Be
I don’t think I will try to start collecting again. Blanton’s is difficult to find, overpriced and is now surrounded by hype. Stores seem to treat it like gold. Many people are flipping it online. The thrill of the hunt has been replaced with the circus.
There are many other great bourbons that taste just as good as Blanton’s without the hoopla.
What Remains
My Blanton’s cork display now sits on my kitchen counter. The display has no corks. It has no bottle. All that is left is the wooden tray. I sent a picture of it to a friend — with a banana as reference — since I really wasn’t sure what it was.
I’ve left it unfinished. I didn’t sand the bottom. I didn’t finish staining the bottom either. However, I do keep it.
I’m keeping it not to refill it again. I’m keeping it because it brings back memories of what I liked about collecting: the search, the conversations, and the simple tradition of drinking a bottle of bourbon for whatever reason.
The Good Old Days Weren’t About the Corks
The tray is unfinished, much like the collection. Nonetheless, it represents something.
It is not about the stoppers. It is about what the stoppers represented — moments we experienced together, quiet victories, and a hobby that was honest.
Although it doesn’t hold the corks, it is worth keeping.