Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof Bourbon

Nose: Big oak, pecan, brown sugar, banana Taste: black pepper up front, sweet and tangy on the sides, juniper on the back. Thin mouthfeel with a medium finish.

Wow. Just wow. This is some seriously elegant and tasty $h1t. It smells like fresh honeycomb and melted butter. The taste is sweet and smooth, almost playful. It's creamy and butter, kind of like a sweet, hot, honey-filled croissant. Despite the high proof this whiskey doesn't have a strong bite. It's warm and sweet on the finish, but quite approachable.

Neat from a Glencairn glass Beautiful amber color. Nose it’s actually surprisingly light on this one. Oak, cinnamon, honey and corn. On the palate, there’s the barrel proof! Spicy toasted oak, dark chocolate, cinnamon and a slight herbal note. The proof is not overpowering. Finish is long, ultra smooth and slowly fades. Spice and oak lingers with a touch of honey for the finale. Not very much sweetness. I love barrel proofs and this one is definitely different and leans to the spicier side.

EHTBP 2018. Pretty solid. Not as hot as other batches but I think it's pretty good.

A little and fluffy Barrel proof whisky. Not oily at all, very easy to drink, surprisingly so. The finish is long and enveloping. Sweet light nose.

This E.H. Taylor expression -- Batch 7, from 2018 -- was my surprise favorite of a night where I also tried three Four Roses Private Selections, Kentucky Owl Bourbon (Batch 8), and 2018's George T. Stagg. I've had pours of earlier batches of this barrel-proof bourbon, and they never left a lasting impression on my mind. This newest release, dating from 2018, is astoundingly good and almost tastes like a sherry-finished whiskey. Raisin is readily detectable from the first sniff, along with dense blackberry preserve or compote. The fruit flavors on this one rival, or perhaps even exceed, the intensity of the Kentucky Owl. Despite being considerably younger than the Stagg, its palate had the strongest oak backbone and the most mouth-watering maple syrup note. It was incredibly viscous and full-bodied. The one slight flaw would be the overwhelming heat on the finish: turmeric, cinnamon, pie, and sweet tea giving just a glimmer of relief from that spice and alcoholic fire.

phenomenal! Carmel char goodness glad I got to have