National Bourbon Day 2016 - EH Taylor Barrel Proof Bourbon

Since it's National Bourbon Day I thought I would use it as a reason (if one was needed) to open up my brand new EH Taylor Barrel Proof Bourbon that I was lucky enough to grab on Sunday. I am a fan of Buffalo Trace products, barrel proof Bourbon and this one is a little higher in price so I had high expectations. My expectations were shattered!

The color is medium amber with an orange hue.

The nose is fairly effusive. The first thing that stands out is baked or stewed apple, with a little spice and butter. There are caramel notes, some cherry fruit and hay.

There is some heat on the palate, but it is much smoother and there is less burn than you would expect from the 127.5 proof. Right off the bat you get rich caramel, brown sugar, marzipan, more apple and cherry fruit and some butterscotch. The palate is medium plus in weight and is nicely rounded.

The finish is long. The alcohol heat dissipates quickly and you are left with lots of baked apple fruit, some spice and caramel.

With a splash of water it becomes even more rounded with hints of brioche, brown sugar, caramel, butter and butterscotch.

Benjamin Blanton purchased Rock Hill Farm in Kentucky and built a distillery there in 1865.  In 1869 he sold it to Richard Tobin which renamed it the OFC (Old Fire Cooper) Distillery.  EH Taylor products are now distilled and bottled by the Old Fashioned Copper Distillery in Frankfort Kentucky. In 1870 Colonel Edmund Taylor (who at the time owned Labrot and Graham - Woodford Reserve) purchased the distillery, but later sold to George T. Stagg.  This is the distillery that, after going through many owners and name changes, was renamed Buffalo Trace in the year 2000. EH Taylor was said to have fought for the passage of the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 and crafted a distillery that had much design and visual appeal.  Its castle like structure is currently under renovation and will re-open to the public in 2016.

The bourbon is currently made at Buffalo Trace from their mashbill #1 which uses less than 10% of a rye component. The same mashbill is used for Eagle Rare, George T. Stagg, Stagg Jr. and Buffalo Trace.

The only other EH Taylor product I've been able to try is their barrel proof rye. I enjoyed that one, but this is a truly stellar release from the distillery.

What are you drinking on National Bourbon Day?