Colonel EH Taylor Single Barrel Review

Hannah’s Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Review

Original review written on December 24, 2019

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

The first time I had this, I was a little disappointed – not because it was bad, but just not all I had hoped for. However, it does/did improve greatly, and I’d buy it again. Read my Colonel EH Taylor Single Barrel Review here! 89/100

VITALS:
Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Review

– Made In: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Buffalo Trace Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Single Barrel; Bottled in Bond
– Age: nas; indicated that aging occurs only in Buffalo Trace’s Warehouse C (est. 1881 by Colonel E.H. Taylor himself) and is likely at least 7 yrs old.
– Mash Bill: undisclosed but assumed to be Buffalo Trace recipe #1
Corn=75%; Rye=<10%; Malted Barley=15%
– Casks: undisclosed char
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 50% (100 proof)
– Price: $69.95 USD in Idaho

Visit buffalotracedistillery.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

Pull out your favorite flask and take E.H. Taylor Single Barrel with you and explore and enjoy an outdoor adventure with your best friends. Pass it around and make sure to have lots of laughs.

Photo by Cristina Cerda on Unsplash

NOSE:

Vanilla jumps out the most for me, followed by the classic flavor combination of cherry and almonds. So much so that it could even be called cake-ey. At 100 proof, there isn’t a great deal of alcohol burn, aside from the deep inhales where there is a bright citrusy element, possibly mandarin orange. But it seems candied with a dusting of sugar. Again, I only get it on deeper inhales. I find a sweet oak underneath, mixed with a HINT of white pepper.

PALATE:
Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Review

– Mouth Feel: Oily and very pleasant.
– Balance: Simple. Tried and true. Don’t fix what isn’t broken.
– Visual: Auburn in color, I love the clarity of this one! Coats the glass with slow-dropping legs.

– Taste: The first sip is a game of tag – with maraschino cherries chasing after the mandarin orange from the nose. The vanilla is light, dominated by a simple syrup/fruit cup syrup. The alcohol is once again subtle, giving just a tickle at the back of the palate. The lack of any distinctive spice to balance the low alcohol concentration makes me feel a little that there is a floor or foundation that’s a little unstable. Luckily, the oak component is more seasoned, making the tongue tingle with warmth.

A Kentucky chew gets the alcohol and white pepper churning into the vanilla which creates a lot of excitement, but pushes the fruit to the side. I feel like there’s something small missing, but this remains very enjoyable nonetheless.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Long. The bourbon sensation just lingers and lingers in the mouth, but doesn’t go beyond that to the throat or chest.
– Between Sips: Almonds and cherries sit comfortably in the pauses between sips along with vanilla if you’re really looking for it.

– No More: The flavors really don’t change much in this one, and while I appreciate its uniformity throughout all of the categories, it does put this spirit in a one-trick-pony category. At least it’s a good trick!

– The empty Glencairn is a soft oak with just a touch of alcohol, but it won’t hurt you.

WORTH THE PRICE?

If you’re an E.H. Taylor/Bottled in Bond fan, this is one to grab, even at the price point. I’d buy again.

RATING: 89/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 89/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.
To see other whiskies from this brand, click EH Taylor, Jr.

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Col EH Taylor Single Barrel Bourbon Review

Brian’s Col EH Taylor Single Barrel Bourbon Review

written on 06-October-2019

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

In this Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel (EHTSiB) Bourbon review, I note how the whiskey from this barrel produces an apple bomb.  I wanted so much to like it, but the pours from this bottling are just good; and the purchase price may not be justified.  There is so much to like but in the end, this barrel only offers a simple and gentle sip.  Maybe a dram from a different barrel would be better?

COLONEL E.H. TAYLOR SINGLE BARREL VITAL STATS:
Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Bourbon Review

Category: Bottled-in-Bond Single Barrel
Region: Frankfort, KY, USA
Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Mash Bill: Unknown but believed to be Buffalo Trace mash bill #1:
Corn: 75%; Rye: <10%; Barley: 15% (approximates)
Barrel Char: #4
Barrel entry proof: 125
Age: nas (Internet sources indicate EHTSiB is aged exclusively in Buffalo Trace’s exceptional Warehouse C, built by Col. E. H. Taylor himself in 1881, and believed to be 7 years old or more.)
Bottled-in-Bond
ABV: 50% (100 Proof)
Price: $69.95 USD in Idaho
Unfortunately, there are no batch or bottle number identifiers

https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For this Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Bourbon review, I shared the juice neat from Glencairn glasses with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

NOSE:

Col. E.H. Taylor Single Barrel greets the nose with no burn and a gentle hint of apple blossoms.  Its apple nectar sweetness blends with fresh citrus, grilled pineapple and bananas.  There is also a little vanilla custard and an apple turnover pastry sweetness which mixes with nicely with red licorice, buttery caramel and loads of honey.  But this bourbon is simple, with only a touch of fresh cut, toasted sweet oak.

PALATE:

In the mouth, EHTSiB is dry and warm.  There is a surprising hint of apple flavoured pipe tobacco along  with sweet and sour dried Montmorency cherries mixed with the ever present fresh apples.  There is no spice on the palate but plenty of white pepper on the back of the throat and tongue.  The honey detected on the nose remains simple but gentle and a little light oak begins to peek in.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
This bourbon is well balanced and offers a smooth and pleasant mouthfeel.  Its light tickle nearly masks an unusual savory but sweet dried fruit-Thanksgiving stuffing aftertaste.  In the Glencairn, many long and clinging toothpick sized legs give way to an ill-defined reversed crown.

Auburn, polished mahogany

FINISH:

EHTSiB offers a warm, medium-to-long finish.  The apple pipe tobacco sensed in the mouth carries through to the finish as does light cinnamon and honey drizzled banana bread.  An earthy finish also offers hints of leather and toasted, seasoned wood … In fact, only when the dram is gone does any significant oak waft from the Glencairn … and of course it closes with pecks of apples.

MY RATING: 86/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? Yes
At first read it would seem Col EH Taylor Single Barrel would not be a must have in the bunker – BUT this is a single barrel offering. The next bottle from barrel will be different (and maybe better). When another is found at MSRP I will certainly buy.
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

Click 86/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To see other whiskies from this brand, click EH Taylor, Jr.

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