Here we go with Colonel E.H. Taylor’s Four Grain. They have been releasing these specialty Bourbons every year for about 5 years now, and they haven’t disappointed me yet. Let’s look into a bit of backstory before we get going on this review.
“This special edition Four Grain bourbon is crafted just as Taylor would have wanted. Using the highest quality grains and a distinct combination of corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley, to create a flavor that is sweet with hints of caramel and vanilla, yet spicy with notes of clove and pepper. After twelve years of aging, this impeccably balanced bourbon embodies the character of the man that would expect no less.”-buffalotracedistillery.com
Four Grain Bourbons can be tricky to accomplish well, in my opinion, so let’s how well Buffalo Trace does it…
Company: Sazerac
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Location: Frankfort, KY
Mash bill: Buffalo Trace mash bill #1 (low rye)
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 50% (100 proof, BIB)
Released: April 2016
Price: $90
Color: Ginger girl
Nose: Banana bread! I could smell banana bread before I even started to nose it. Maybe this is a good time to say I love the smell of banana bread, but don’t actually like the tasted of it. Caramel, vanilla, very sweet nose, I could smell this nose all day, yum. Acidic sweet fruits, like strawberry, and a bit floral.
Taste: Baking spices, sweet cinnamon, very fruity. I get that sweet strawberry flavor in the taste as well as the nose, candy-like, it has some bitterness and heat to balance out the sweet, and is just o-so delicious. Nom nom. There is some cherry in there as well as some dark chocolate and tobacco too.
Finish: Medium finish, lingers with warmth for a bit on your tongue and throat, starts off sweet and ends with dry notes.
Overall: Four Grain is on point. If you see it, buy it. You can see from my notes I love it and its balance is really nice. So far, these special release E.H. Taylor’s have yet to disappoint. I want to just sit here with this lovely, calm, perfect weather morning, drink this and and enjoy it, and stop writing about it. So, that is what I’m going to do. And, probably take a nap after, thanks summer break! (Also, watch bad movies, what can I say? ;)) Cheers.
