Buffalo Trace Releases Col. E.H. Taylor Cured Oak Bourbon

Buffalo Trace Distillery continued its homage to former Distillery owner Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. with a special release bourbon whiskey aged in cured oak barrels on Tuesday.  This 100 proof, Bottled-In-Bond, small batch bourbon was aged in Taylor’s warehouse “C” at Buffalo Trace Distillery.

The barrel staves used for this special release were allowed to dry outside in the open air for 13 months, more than twice as long as standard barrel staves. Most white oak barrel staves used for Buffalo Trace’s bourbons are placed outside for 6 months before being fashioned into whiskey barrels.  Collaborating with barrel manufacturer Independent Stave Company back in 1998, this extra aging curing process allowed the wood to dry even longer, eventually allowing the whiskey to extract more rich and complex flavors deep within the oak.

After crafting and filling these unique barrels, they were then aged inside of Taylor’s iconic brick and limestone warehouse “C,” built in 1881.  After seventeen years of aging in the cured oak, this bourbon whiskey delivers an aroma rich with inviting tobacco and dried fruit. A complex flavor meets the mouth with well-rounded notes of vanilla, toffee, and figs, followed by undertones of dry oak. The body is medium with a long, dry finish.

This Cured Oak Bourbon is the seventh and latest release in the collection of  E. H. Taylor, Jr. whiskeys, rounding out the collection of Old Fashioned Sour Mash Bourbon, Single Barrel Bourbon, Warehouse C Tornado Surviving Bourbon, Barrel Proof Bourbon, Straight Rye Whiskey, and Small Batch Bourbon. The Sour Mash and Warehouse C Tornado Surviving bourbons were one time only releases and are no longer available.

The Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. collection was first released in early 2011 and several subsequent releases have followed.  Like some of the previous releases, this one-time-only bottling is very limited.   Also consistent with past releases, Cured Oak Bourbon displays a vintage label and is offered inside a distinct canister reminiscent of Taylor’s whiskey package from one hundred years ago. Uniquely new for this release, each 6 bottle case will be shipped in an impressive wooden box, modeled after the wooden crates used by Taylor to transport goods during the days before Prohibition.

Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr.  is widely considered one of the founding fathers of the bourbon industry, fighting for the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, nearly three decades after he purchased the distillery that is known today as the Buffalo Trace Distillery. During his time, Taylor implemented several innovative methods still used today by Buffalo Trace, such as climate controlled aging warehouses. In addition to his bourbon interests, Taylor had political ties. He was the great-nephew of President Zachary Taylor and elected the mayor of Frankfort, state representative to the Kentucky General Assembly and a member of the State Senate.

This special bottling of Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Cured Oak Bourbon Whiskey will be available late March in limited supply.  The suggested retail price is $69.99 per 750ml bottle.