Up next for tasting this afternoon is one of our favorite brands, Colonel E. H. Taylor. Much like High West or Weller, you really can’t go wrong with anything you select from the Colonel.
E.H. Taylor is considered one of the founding fathers of Bourbon, and an interesting side note, he is related to the 12th President of The United States, Zachery Taylor.
Today we are reviewing Taylor’s Small Batch Bourbon. CTSBB comes in the same cool old fashioned corked bottle that the rest of the line comes in, and like the rest it is then packed in a cardboard tube which makes for great presentation. Bottled in Bond which means it is 100 proof, goes for around $40 and is widely available.
NOSE
Ron: I really, really like the nose on Taylor’s Small Batch. I get the usual suspects of caramel, vanilla and oak, but also pick up some apricot, toffee and praline.
Todd: Also got some of the standard aromas as well as the apricot. After that we go our own ways. I get a more of a toasty, tobacco type smell, along with some corn and a little mint.
TASTE
Ron: I tasted the caramel, vanilla and praline that I got on the nose, but not the apricot or toffee. Also got a bit of a spicy leathery taste.
Todd: Real smooth neat but comes alive with a cube or two. I also tasted the leather that Ron spoke of along with a fruit that I could not identify at first but later nailed down as cherries. Also got a little bit of a grain taste, maybe corn?
FINISH
Ron: Long finish ending with some sweet spicy notes.
Todd: Medium-long to long finish with some sweetness as well as the mint I got on the nose.
OVERALL
Ron: Not extremely complex with some atypical flavors and aromas, but still has a lot going on with the standard Bourbon flavors. Very smooth for 100 proof.
Todd: No, not terribly complex on the taste, but it definitely is on the nose. I found it a joy to sip on.
Nose 4.75 out of 5
Taste 8 out of 10
Finish 4.25 out of 5
Total 17 out of 20 Barrels
While we both really enjoyed tasting Colonel Taylor’s Small Batch Bourbon and would never turn down a glass, at $40 it is getting up there in price. The nose was fantastic, and while we love the aroma of a good bourbon, we don’t buy the bottles to smell. The taste, while good, probably doesn’t warrant the price. Don’t get us wrong, it was very smooth, drinkable and good, but there was something missing.
Having said all that, if money is no big issue, you should go out and get a bottle and try for yourself. It makes a good cocktail and as mentioned above, the bottle makes for a great presentation.