On Thursday, Kentucky’s Buffalo Trace Distillery announced the newest release in its Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. collection: Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey.
Uncut and unfiltered, this 126-proof, limited-edition expression strikes a balance between barrel-proof heat and rye spice. According to a press release, the nose carries aromas of cracked white pepper that give way to notes of nougat and candied apricots. The palate is said to follow up with more pepper accented by stone fruit flavors and a tannic, oaky finish.
“Enthusiasts know that there is no experience quite like tasting a whiskey in its truest, untouched form — straight from the barrel,” said Buffalo Trace Distillery master distiller Harlen Wheatley in the release.
This expression marks the 13th release in the Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Collection, which also includes the Single Barrel Bourbon, Straight Rye Bottled In Bond, and the Warehouse C Tornado Surviving Bourbon to name a few. The new offering arrives in the brand’s tall, iconic bottle, inspired by those used at the distillery in the 1800s featuring Taylor’s ornate signature.
Like all whiskies in the Colonel collection, this release pays homage to its namesake whiskey legend Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr., who purchased the Old Fashioned Copper Distillery (now Buffalo Trace Distillery) in 1869. In addition to crafting top-tier straight rye whiskey long before the rye renaissance, Taylor revamped the distillery with modern grain equipment and a pioneering steam-heating system that’s still used in the distillery’s barrel warehouses. He also constructed the distillery’s famous Warehouse C and played a pivotal role in the passage of the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897.
Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey is available now in limited quantities nationwide for $77.99 SRP.