Col. E. H. Taylor Four Grain Bottled In Bond

Producer: Old Fashioned Copper Distillery, Frankfort, KY

Distiller: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY

Age: Reportedly 12 years

Bottled: 2017

Proof: 100

Finish: None

Buffalo Trace distills nearly all of its products from five mash bills. The wheated bourbon, the low rye bourbon, the high rye bourbon (actually medium rye), the high corn rye, and the low corn rye. They do have a few experimental mash bills, and this is one of them. It's a four grain bourbon, meaning corn, rye, wheat and malted barley are used. All Taylor bourbons are bottled in bond, except the barrel proof. The typical Taylor bourbons come from the low rye bourbon mash bill. This bourbon is named after Col. Edmund Haynes Taylor, who was the one time owner of what became the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Much of the Taylor whiskey is aged in Warehouse C, which was built by Taylor himself. Buffalo Trace releases many of its experimental bourbons through the Taylor line. The experimental versions are highly sought after, and therefore expensive. If you don't win the lottery, then you should expect to pay over $2,000 for this bottle.

Color: Golden brown, copper penny

Body: Medium, nice legs, runs long

Nose: Lots of vanilla, candy corn, caramel apple, peach, cloved orange

Palate: Candied apple, caramel corn, pumpkin pie spice, Halloween in a glass, warm muffin, peach, clove, natural cola taste, complex but slightly thin, watery brings out the same flavors

Finish: More orchard fruits, shorter than expected, fades quickly

Score: Ace

Song: I Want Out - Helloween

The Col. E. H. Taylor line is where Buffalo Trace gets to experiment. Of course, the standard, continuously produced versions of Taylor are very good bourbons, but it's fun to see where they can take the whiskey with unique mash bills, distilling techniques, and aging methods. Here, Buffalo Trace has chosen to use a four grain mash bill. You get to see what happens when wheat and rye mingle in the same bourbon. Each grain brings different flavors to the whiskey. The corn brings the sweetness, with candy corn and caramel. The wheat brings the fruitiness and the softness, with candied apples, peaches and warm muffins. The rye brings the spiciness, with pumpkin pie spice and a lot of clove notes. The oak gives it a nice aged flavor with vanilla and a natural cola taste. The complexity is there, but it's a little too thin and it fades too quickly. The Taylor Four Grain reminds me of an autumn harvest or a Halloween party with sweet treats. Hence, I suggest pairing it with I Want Out by Helloween. Buffalo Trace releases three top notch bourbons with their annual Antique Collection. I've always wanted it to be four. So, I propose adding Taylor Four Grain as an annual release to join the BTAC. I did so with my BTAC flight video. Check it out to see how this bourbon stands up to the best of the best. Meanwhile, you can try to find this one off bourbon online, but prepare to pay the price.