American Whiskey Review #84: Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof (2019 Release)

Distillery: Buffalo Trace

Region: Kentucky

Age: NAS

ABV: 64.65%

Price: Sample courtesy of a very secret Santa

Color: 1.6, Mohogany/Henna Notes.

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Nose: (according to the wife) There’s a very nice scent of toasted vanilla followed by something that smells an awful like sujeonggwa/Korean cinnamon punch (수정과). There are notes of persimmons, cinnamon, some sugar and a hint of something nutty.

Palate: As expected, at full strength it is quite strong and hot. It is quite oak forward with a “you’re biting on a piece of wood” level of flavor. There’s notes of cola, pure sugar, and some more of that cinnamon punch. The persimmons stand out a decent bit as well. With water, it doesn’t change a whole lot. Seemingly, no matter how much water I added, it never quite calms down either.

Finish: Medium to short in length. There’s more persimmon and more toasted vanilla.

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Conclusion: And here we have yet another Buffalo Trace whiskey that has just too much oak influence going on. When it tastes quite like you’re chewing on a piece of wood, it stops being pleasant. Which is a downright shame, because of the rest of what comes long with this whiskey is a lot of fun and quite flavorful. The combination of toasted vanilla, cinnamon, persimmon, sugar, and bits of cola are delicious. If those notes were the centerpiece and highlight here, I’d want to guzzle this on the regular. Unfortunately, they aren’t and it’s a shame. Would I buy a bottle? No.

Final Score: 76.

American Whiskey Review #84, Bourbon Review #62, Whisky Network Review #371

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Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection (if feasible).
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.