Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon

Thanks to Lee----as part of our sampling team, this was a bonus, in addition to the regular Scottish distilleries. Wow. That's all I can say. Thick candied corn, all wrapped in vanilla sugar. I just did a search for pricing...it's amazing to see the difference between retail and manufacturer's. I can see why...

I was able to land this rare bottle of E.H. Taylor SKBW Four Grain through the state of Virginia's limited edition bottle lottery system. I won the ability to purchase it for $70, which at the time seemed rather expensive, but looking online tonight I see that it's going for $300-400 at several online retailers. Perhaps I shouldn't have opened this one so quickly. Anyway.... It's Bottled In Bond, meaning it's a perfectly rounded 100 proof. It's copper colored and smells fantastic. There's a bit of rye spice up front with a nice, sweet candied corn aroma that pushes through when you inhale deeply. Oddly enough, there's no presence of heat on the nose, even for 100 proof. The malty and sweet aspect keep the rye in check, which is a plus to me. I'm not a big fan of rye whiskey. On the tongue, the initial sweet corn and smooth wheat flavor meld perfectly through mid sip, where the rye spice makes an appearance as it mingles perfectly with the vanilla and oak tannins. There's just enough bite on the back of the tongue- pepper, charred oak and vanilla. It rounds out a near perfect whiskey pour. The finish is exquisite- even to a Scotch snob like myself. It's long and warming. Oak, rye and sweet corn. A slow exhale really pushes everything forward and finishes the experience wonderfully. My bourbon loving friends brag about Pappy, Weller and EH Taylor being the epitome of American whiskey and I will confess that it's pretty damn good for the Scotch lovers out there, as well. I could sip this one all day. 4.75 stars. It would be hard for me to justify the current price of $300+, but for the $70 I paid I feel like I stole it from my local liquor store. Cheers, my friends.

- Tasted at Proof on Main in Louisville, Kentucky on August 11, 2017 - Whiskey is made with wheat and rye, in addition to corn and malted barley - Dark amber color

8/15/17 Cork & Bottle, Fremont $382.36 = 349 + tax