Every fall, whiskey fans eagerly await the arrival of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, a series of five limited-edition bourbons and rye whiskeys that include some favorites from this beloved Kentucky distillery. Late Friday afternoon, a rep for the distillery reached out to a few media outlets, including this one, to break the news that a sixth expression will join the lineup this year—E.H. Taylor Bottled in Bond Bourbon—and we have the details to share.
The Antique Collection was released 25 years ago in 2000, and consisted of just three whiskeys at the time: Eagle Rare 17 bourbon, William Larue Weller 19 bourbon, and Sazerac 18 rye. A few changes were made over the following years, most notably the addition of George T. Stagg bourbon and Thomas H. Handy rye, but overall the collection consists of Buffalo Trace whiskeys released at cask strength and/or higher age statements. BTAC has become a collector’s trophy, particularly over the last decade or so, with these allocated bottles (each is sold separately) skyrocketing way past their suggested retail price once they hit the secondary market.
The same will likely be true for the newest member, E.H. Taylor Bottled-in-Bond. This brand is already part of the Buffalo Trace portfolio, and indeed is made from the same mashbill as Eagle Rare and George T. Stagg. Regular E.H. Taylor is released as bottled-in-bond whiskey, aside from a few barrel proof expressions, which as you may already know, that means the whiskey was aged for at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, bottled at 100 proof, and the product of one distillery and one distillation season. The BTAC version will also be bonded, but presumably will be released at a higher age than the core expressions. “The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection was originally created to celebrate our legacy brands and the visionaries behind them, giving whiskey enthusiasts access to some of the rarest and most exceptional expressions from our distillery,” said Andrew Duncan, Buffalo Trace global brand director, in a statement. “As a founding figure who helped define bourbon quality—not just for Buffalo Trace, but for the entire industry—it’s only fitting that Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr.’s namesake brand takes its place among the collection.”
While this news is sure to have whiskey fans already marking their calendars for the fall release, it does raise some questions. Eagle Rare 17 is bottled at 101 proof, so given that the new BTAC E.H. Taylor will be bottled at 100 proof and is made from the same low-rye mashbill, will the age statement be significantly different to really separate the two brands, or will this be a more subtle difference? We will have to wait until the fall to see, but the official bottle label has some tasting notes to tide you over: “aromas of vanilla, butterscotch, and aged stone fruit… a balanced mix of spice, sweet oak, and caramel, finishing with a lingering oaky sweetness.” In the meantime, you can find past BTAC whiskeys available to purchase online from websites like Total Wine now.
Authors
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Jonah Flicker