From the bottle, “The end of the 19th century saw the passage of the Bottled-In-Bond Act of 1897. Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. was instrumental in passing this law, which safeguarded legitimate whiskey labels from bogus producers, who in his words, “polluted and diluted” their whiskey. “Bottled-In-Bond” mandates that such whiskey must be from the same distillery, made in the same season, aged no less than four years and bottled at 100 proof. This spicy and full-bodied 100 proof Straight Rye Whiskey pays tribute to the classic American whiskey style and the Bottled-In-Bond Act of 1897.”
Bourbon Review: E.H. Taylor Straight Rye
ABV: 50% (100 Proof)
Age: At least 4 Years
Mash Bill: Not Disclosed (No Corn, only Rye and Barley)
Distilled By: Old Fashion Copper Distillery
Location: Frankfort, KY (USA)
The Nose: As expected there are notes of oak and rye that dominate the olfactory system. After letting the glass sit for a bit additional aromas of mint and pear with a touch of caramel.
The Taste: The initial sips offers an incredible array of flavors including rye, pears, caramel and an abundance of vanilla that especially lingers on the long finish of this tasty rye.
The Pairing: I recently left the cigar industry after 25 years to become a 9-1-1 Dispatcher. RoMa Craft Cigars reached out to me with this bottle and some cigars as a gift wishing me luck in the next chapter of my life. I felt it was only proper to pair with one of their cigars. I opted for Wunder|Lust which is almost as rare as the bottle we are reviewing today.
Wunder|Lust was first released in 2016 as an exclusive cigar for the European market, and in particular the German market. The cigar features a Brazilian Nata Fina wrapper, Indonesian binder, and an unspecified filler. The cigar features cedar, pepper, and spice, which give way to more complex flavors of chocolate, coffee, and nuts
When paired together the E.H. Taylor loses some of it’s rye spice while enhancing the pear and caramel notes while introducing a definitive licorice. While our pairing never affects our final score, the addition of licorice was quite pleasing with the cutting of the rye spice so we would add 2 points if we did allow it to influence our score.
The Conclusion: E.H. Taylor Bourbon is my favorite bourbon. If it was always on the shelf this website would probably not exist. But as I search out new bourbons I share my thoughts mainly for myself, but also for anyone who wants to read this website. As a result of that, I have recently ventured into the world of rye and this one stands above. Its smooth, complex and extremely enjoyable. Sadly, it’s a bottle you need to chase and I am not into the chasing game.
Score: 93
Price: $69.99 (750 ml) (received as gift)
