Colonel E.H. Taylor is a series of special release bourbons from none other than Buffalo Trace. The first entry was an old time sour mash bourbon, where there was a more natural souring process that distillers no longer use due to the difficulty of safely controlling it. The bourbon I am reviewing here is named "Warehouse C Tornado Surviving." In 2006, a tornado whipped through the Buffalo Trace Distillery, destroying a couple of warehouses. Amazingly, the ricks of bourbon remained standing. The barrels selected for this release were exposed fully to the elements for several months until repairs were made, causing a high percentage of angel's share. This bourbon states "Bottled in Bond" on the label. In order to claim this, the bourbon must be aged in a federally bonded warehouse and bottled at 100 proof. I suppose that Warehouse C meets this mandate, but couldn't find any validation. The packaging on the whole is pretty cool, and includes a throwback looking tax stamp label over the cork. For some reason I can't get a photo on here though I tried on multiple devices. Sorry. About $75. Let's get down to business.
Color-Rusty
Nose-The nose is something special. Sweet and juicy, yet oaky and dry. Even with no ice or water, I could take a deep sniff without singing any nose hairs. Jason Pyle describes the nose as rum soaked dried fruits. To me it smells like candy and vanilla.
Taste and Finish-You taste the proof all the way through, it stings with cinnamon early and finishes with a long slow burn down the gullet. Midway through the palate: a lot of vanilla sugar, there is a moment of richness and typical bourbon sweetness but on the whole I find it very dry. Though the finish builds with each sip, on the whole it's a little lighter than I would expect, frankly.
Intangible/Overall-This bourbon is so much fun. The concept is cool, and the product is very good. But if this were readily available, I'm not sure it would be worth the price tag.
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