Erogers100
Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
May 8, 2017 (edited October 9, 2019)
It feels like I went to the ends of the earth to get a bottle of this, as nobody local seemed to be able to acquire it. The bottle was surprisingly inexpensive, but the shipping across the continent wasn’t!
Visual: Deep reddish amber in the glass. Moderate legs form on the side of the glass on swirling.
Nose: Initially cherry coke, leather, oak, and cooked peaches. After 10 minutes the vanilla comes through, giving this whiskey a peach cobbler character.
Palate: A nice, velvety mouthfeel greets the palate. It is rich and substantial. The flavor begins with a sweet, brown sugar attack with a slight saltiness, followed by an oaky mid-palate with lots of baking spice and cola flavors. Then, there is more vanilla and stone fruits.
Finish: The long finish is spicy with black pepper, cinnamon, and anise. The licoricey anise lingers for a while.
Breathing out through the nose, more leather can be sensed, along with tobacco and oak tannins.
All in all, this is a creamy, delightful bourbon. At 100 proof, and with its other characterful qualities, I am certain it would stand up to any mixer and hold its own in a variety of cocktails, but why would I bother? This bourbon deserves to be enjoyed neat, and that is my recommendation to any who wish to try it. I’m teetering between a 4- and a 5-star rating on this, trying not to let my general love of bourbon get the best of me. However, I think I’m just going to have to give it 5. I really like it and will be seeking more. I’m hoping Buffalo Trace keeps this as a regular member of its line-up and also expands distribution so that I can enjoy it more conveniently.
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Interesting, just picked up a bottle after reading your review. For now this seems to be readily available in Indiana for $49. The single barrel just hit the shelves for $89. Glad I purchased this one, very good!
@revkev, the same store here that had the Small Batch for $79 had the Single Barrel for $69 and the Rye for over $100. If memory serves, it was $117. Tampa, FL area.
I was lucky enough to get the bourbon for $39, though it's flying off the shelves around here...I might try to get another before it's all gone. The EH Taylor Rye was $79; kind of pricey for me, but worth it and I'd literally never seen it in a store before. They've got the Single Barrel for $69 at the one location where the rye is on the shelf.
@revkev12 I just saw this locally for $79. Clearly they're capitalizing on the scarcity. The retailer I ordered from on line had it for $36, so it was less expensive even with shopping. The problem is the on-line shop only had one on stock. I might just break down and pay the premium locally. This stuff is really good.
If you ever see the EH Taylor rye, snatch it up. SO good. This might be my favorite product line from Buffalo Trace!
Excellent review...the dried peach on the nose and palate make this one of my favorites.
Nice review, going to have to add this to the buy list
@Rick_M, thanks for the note. I still struggle with the palate. I always feel there are more flavors in there that I can't tease out or relate to anything, and I don't want to just say "this tastes like good bourbon," or a "real scotchy scotch," as I'd violate the rule of using a word in its own definition. In general, I try (generally speaking) to avoid generic generalizations that generalize whisky qualities in vague generalities.
Great job of breaking down the palate! I'm a little weak in that area. :)