Colonel E. H. Taylor Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Old Fashioned Sour Mash Bourbon Whiskey Bottled in Bond

Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. was a principal player in the history of American whiskey. He became invested in Old Crow—the first great sour mash bourbon—in 1860, and eventually assumed partial ownership of its namesake distillery in 1867, after the deaths of the previous owners, Dr. James Crow and Oscar Pepper. He helped establish or operate at least six other distilleries, including the OFC distillery, which became the George T. Stagg distillery, and is now called Buffalo Trace. Taylor also fought successfully for the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, and had been Mayor of Frankfort, Kentucky, as well as a Representative and a Senator of the Kentucky State Legislature. He died a Kentucky Colonel at the age of 93, having left an indelible mark on American whiskey.

The sour mash process pioneered by Dr. Crow should be familiar to most, as it is now in widespread use: a portion of spent mash (also known as “backset” or “setback”) from the previous distillation is added to the new mash prior to distillation. This process lowers to pH and provides additional nutrients for the yeast in the new mash. Interestingly, there is another interesting way to sour a mash, one that fell out of use about a century ago.

In the alternative souring process, the newly cooked mash is held in the drop tub, a vat normally meant as something of a holding station for the mash until it’s ready for fermentation. After some time—say three to five days, as in the case we’re about to discuss—the pH naturally lowers, an effect likely attributable to lactobacillus infection. After meeting with several distillery retirees (all 80 years old or more) and learning more about this technique, this is precisely what the folks at Buffalo Trace did in 2002. And, after nine years in the barrel in a bonded warehouse, they released this limited run of whiskey.

The nose is sweet and sour, like crêpes topped with sour cream or unsweetened yogurt. It is rich and creamy, with dominant notes of vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, black cherry, and oak. There are also more subdued touches of banana, apple, and butter.

The palate is initially sweet and quite smooth, though heat begins to mount. There are hints of orange peel and menthol. The menthol carries through the finish alongside some spice and cherry. The finish eventually becomes slightly tannic, transforming to fermented apples.

The Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. Old Fashioned Sour Mash is a surprisingly subtle and complex whiskey. The differences between it and other Buffalo Trace expressions using (presumably) the same mash bill, such as Eagle Rare and Buffalo Trace itself, are fascinating. Although it will be difficult to find and, if found, will undoubtedly command a high price, it is very much a unique bourbon that deserves to be tried and tried again.