Colonel E. H. Taylor E. H. Taylor Single Barrel

There is lots of information on the canister that holds this bottle, and much of it is repeated on the bottle. This is a single barrel from a special part of the warehouse, bottled in bond (diluted to 50%), with no indication of age (at least 4 years).

I opened this bottle in April 2015 at the home of @Talexander and it has seen limited use since that time. I think the last time I poured it was for @paddockjudge. It’s been gassed after each pour, and was about half full tonight.

This expression is reviewed in my usual manner, allowing it to settle after which I take my nosing and tasting notes, followed by the addition of a few drops of water (1/2 a cap to a ~25cc pour), waiting, then nosing and tasting.

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Nose:

Neat – Rich, inviting nose, full of mid-range fruits, caramel and vanilla. Some brown sugar too. Some warm baking spices. Good start. 22/25

With water – light syrup, slightly higher pitch, the spices have faded. A little less interesting. (21/25)

Taste:

Neat – Sweet arrival with lots of caramel. Some vanilla. A little hot at 50%. Not as complex as the nose had suggested. Very unidimentional. 20/25

With water – Not much different. The alcohol nip maybe transforms partly into a spiciness. With time it becomes smoother and more pleasant. (21.5/25)

Finish: Short. Oaky. Astringent. 21/25

Balance: Very unidimentional. The palate does not come close to the promise of the nose. 20/25

Score: Neat - 83 /100 With Water: 83.5 /100

Score with water and lots of time: 84/100

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I think if I were in a particular mood I might have a glass of this, but that mood does not come around very often. I have many other open bourbons that I like better.

Probably one that would have been better to get as a sample than a full bottle for $85 CAD.