‘Whiskey in its Truest, Untouched Form’: Buffalo Trace Unveils Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel-Proof Rye

Buffalo Trace unveiled a barrel-proof rye whiskey from its Colonel E.H. Taylor, J.R. brand. (Photo: Buffalo Trace)

Buffalo Trace announced on Thursday the latest release within the brand’s E.H. Taylor, Jr. collection, it’s a barrel-proof rye. The unfiltered rye features a new recipe and was bottled at barrel proof and celebrates Taylor Jr., known as the “Father of the Modern Bourbon Industry,” according to the brand.

“Colonel Taylor’s impact on the bourbon industry is immeasurable, more than 130 years after the construction of his famous and innovative Warehouse C, Buffalo Trace Distillery remains committed to producing exceptional whiskey with the finest quality ingredients,” Buffalo Trace Global Brand Director Andrew Duncan said in a news release. “Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr. Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey is an exceptional, uncut, unfiltered expression that pays homage to E.H. Taylor’s pioneering vision.”

Taylor bought O.F.C. Distillery, the ancestral home of Buffalo Trace Distillery, in 1869. He was ahead of his time, according to Buffalo Trace, and made rye whiskey a century before it was popular again and was a major figure in passing the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897.

Bottled at 126 proof, Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof Rye hosts a suggested retail price of $77.99 per 750-milliliter bottle. The barrel-proof rye is the 13th whiskey in the  Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr collection.

In May, Buffalo Trace unveiled Weller Millenium, an experimental whiskey that’s a blend of vintage wheated bourbons and wheat whiskeys. The oldest liquid in the blend dates back to 2000 and the 99-proof whiskey hosts a suggested retail price of $7,500. The brand is rolling it out in limited quantities starting in June.

This latest release within the E.H. Taylor, Jr. collection hosts a much more affordable suggested retail price, though it’s highly likely the whiskey will sell for significantly higher on the secondary market.

“Spirits enthusiasts know that there is no experience quite like tasting a whiskey in its truest, untouched form – straight from the barrel,” Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley said. “Barrel Proof Rye takes the beloved recipe of Colonel E.H. Taylor Straight Rye Whiskey to a new level and brings a new release that perfectly complements the E.H. Taylor, Jr. Collection.”

Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey Tasting Notes, Via Buffalo Trace

Nose: White pepper with a nutty base, coupled with flowers and apricots.

Taste: Stone fruit, pepper, with well-integrated oak.

Finish: Lingering and sweet.

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