Libation Review: E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon

• 750mL Bottle 
• ~$40
• Purchased at Total Wine

Background

I first encountered a Bourbon by the name of E.H. Taylor while at the 2015 IPCPR show in New Orleans. I went to the RoMa Craft party one evening and saw it on the table. Inquiring about it from Skip Martin, he said I would be better to ask another attendee at the party, Jeff Mouttet. I had known Jeff on Twitter and Facebook for some time, but this was the first time I had the opportunity to actually meet him. Jeff is the owner of Riverside Cigar Shop in Jeffersonville, Indiana…right across the river from Louisville, Kentucky, where practically no smoking is allowed. He also owns Match Cigar Bar, where the focus is on the spirits…so he knows a thing or two about good whiskey.

I told him that I had pour the Taylor because it was something I’d never seen and I like trying new things, but that I had almost immediately regretted it because right after pouring I saw the bottle of Booker’s Bourbon sitting on the table and wished I had done that. He said, “If the choice is between Taylor and Booker…take the Taylor.” My regret was short-lived.

When I saw some E.H Taylor at Total Wine while I was in California, I decided I should go for it, even at $40 a bottle, which is more than I normally spend. Turns out this is the “Small Batch” expression and what I had in NOLA was more likely the “Single Barrel,” but it’s still pretty great.

As for history of the brand, it is owned by Buffalo Trace and here’s what their website had to say:

As founding father of the bourbon industry, Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. left an indelible legacy. His dedication to distilling began at the close of the Civil War when he purchased O.F C. Distillery. There, he developed innovative techniques that are still in use today. Made by hand, this Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey has been aged inside century old warehouses constructed by E.H. Taylor, Jr.  Barrels are evaluated and selected to create a perfect blend of distinctive character that is like no other. This bourbon is a true sipping bourbon that honors the uncompromising legacy of E.H. Taylor, Jr.

Along with the Small Batch that I bought for this review, and the Single Barrel that I sampled earlier this year, other available E.H. Taylor whiskies are: Barrel Proof, Straight Rye, Old Fashioned Sour Mash, Warehouse C Tornado Surviving, and Cured Oak. I have to say, I’d love to get my hands on the “Tornado Surviving” whiskey as that has a great story with it…but if anyone wants to get me anything for Christmas, I’d certainly not refuse a bottle of Single Barrel or Barrel Proof…or even another bottle of Small Batch.

Notes

The E.H. Taylor appeared a medium amber in the glass and on the nose it had notes of honey, fruit and vanilla, along with a touch of oak and some alcohol vapors.

The first very small sip started off woody before exploding into sweet fruit and vanilla flavors and finishing with some spice.

I paired the Taylor with a Montecristo 75th Aniversario No. 4, which mixes Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers with a Nicaraguan binder and an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper leaf.

The cigar started off a bit bitter and very earthy…not exactly what I was hoping for, but I just kinda lucked into this cigar, so I figured I would give it a try. Taking a sip of the bourbon definitely helped the cigar flavors to sweeten up and become more enjoyable.

Sadly, the cigar I chose for this pairing just wasn’t very good. The Bourbon definitely elevated it, but only to the “I didn’t pitch it in the yard” level.

That being said, I paired this whiskey with several other cigars in the couple weeks before I wrote this review and it went very well. Those include Tatuaje TAA 2015 and S&S 2015 blends. Basically, it definitely goes well with a good solid Nicaraguan-based blend.

E.H. Taylor proved to be a wonderful Bourbon with or without a cigar. It is quickly becoming one of my favorites, although I’m not a big fan of the price tag. As funds permit, I’ll probably pick up a bottle or so per year and try to make myself go through it very slowly.