Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof is the uncut, unfiltered member of the Taylor family from Buffalo Trace. It is drawn from hand-picked barrels and bottled at the strength it leaves the cask, always above 125 proof, so each batch differs slightly.
About This Bourbon
The whiskey is made from Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1, the distillery's lower-rye bourbon recipe, and goes into the bottle with no added water and no chill filtration. Proof varies by batch; the distillery's current page lists 127.5 proof (63.75% ABV), and past batches have fallen roughly between the high 120s and low 130s. Unlike most Taylor bottlings it is not bottled in bond, because bonded whiskey must be exactly 100 proof.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Cooked berries and rich caramel, with a slightly floral lift and toasted oak.
- Palate: Bold and spicy, with toasty vanilla, dried oak and black pepper over dark fruit and brown sugar.
- Finish: Long and satisfying, with a firm rye-spice edge and lingering hints of fruit.
Serving & Food
A small snifter suits it. Start with a sip at full strength, then add cool water by the teaspoon; the berry notes open up as the strength drops. A large clear ice cube is fine too. It pairs well with grilled ribeye, smoked duck breast or a sticky toffee pudding.
How to Enjoy
Experienced bourbon fans who enjoy cask strength and like to adjust their own dram with water.
Product Details
Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Mash Bill: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 (low rye)
Bottling: Uncut and unfiltered barrel proof release; batch proof may vary by release (over 125 proof)
Volume: 750mL
Country: USA
Region: Kentucky
Producer: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort
About the Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, is owned by the Sazerac Company, and the Taylor range pays tribute to a former owner of the site, Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. Taylor was a banker, mayor of Frankfort and grain trader as well as a distiller, and he was a leading voice behind the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897.
Some of the brick warehouses Taylor had built more than a century ago still hold whiskey today, and the barrels for this bottling come from them. The Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. collection itself was launched in 2011 and now includes Small Batch, Single Barrel, Straight Rye and this Barrel Proof, together with occasional limited releases.