Colonel E.H. Taylor Cured Oak Bottled in Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon 750ml

Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Cured Oak is one of the most coveted and elusive releases in the entire E.H. Taylor lineup, a Bottled in Bond Kentucky straight bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery that puts the spotlight squarely on wood. The Taylor range honors Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr., one of the founding fathers of the modern bourbon industry, who purchased what is now Buffalo Trace and championed the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 to protect authentic bourbon from adulterated spirits. Every Taylor expression carries that Bottled in Bond guarantee: produced at a single distillery in a single season, aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottled at exactly 100 proof. What sets Cured Oak apart is the barrel. Buffalo Trace typically seasons its white oak staves outdoors for around six months, but for this release the staves were air dried in the open for a full 13 months, more than double the usual time. That extended curing draws more tannin and aromatic terpene development out of the wood before the distillate ever enters the barrel, so the oak has far more to give and the bourbon is shaped by the wood as much as by age. Matured in the historic Warehouse C that Taylor built in 1881, it pours a deep amber and opens with apricot, lemon oil, honey and toasted oak. The palate is rich and mature, layering stone fruit, the signature Buffalo Trace vanilla, toasty cedar spice, sesame, caramel, orange blossom and leather, and the finish is long and warming with lingering oak, caramel sweetness and gentle 100 proof heat. A rare, limited offering rather than an annual release, it is a prized collector's bottle. Sip it neat in a Glencairn, or add a few drops of water to open its vanilla, dark fruit and baking spice.

ABV / Proof

Tasting Notes

Color: Deep amber.

Nose: Apricot, lemon oil, honey and toasted oak.

Palate: Stone fruit with Buffalo Trace vanilla, toasty cedar spice, sesame, caramel, orange blossom and leather.

Finish: Long and warming with lingering oak, caramel sweetness and gentle 100 proof heat.

FAQ

What makes Colonel E.H. Taylor Cured Oak special? Its barrels are built from white oak staves air dried for about 13 months, more than double the usual seasoning, which pulls extra tannin and complexity from the wood.

What proof is it? As a Bottled in Bond bourbon it is exactly 100 proof, which is 50 percent alcohol by volume.

What does Bottled in Bond mean? It is a federal standard requiring production at one distillery in one season, at least four years aging in a bonded warehouse, and bottling at 100 proof. Colonel Taylor championed the 1897 act that created it.

Is it a collectible? Yes. Cured Oak is a rare, limited release, absent for years at a time, and is highly sought after by bourbon collectors.

How should I drink it? Neat in a Glencairn, or with a few drops of water to open the vanilla, dark fruit and baking spice.

Where can I buy Colonel E.H. Taylor Cured Oak Bottled in Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon online? Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.