USA · KENTUCKY · SINGLE BARREL BOURBON REVIEW
E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
One Barrel, Bottled in Bond.
One barrel at a time, bonded at exactly 100 proof — vanilla, butterscotch and seasoned oak in the Colonel's own tradition.
A single-barrel Bottled-in-Bond bourbon from Buffalo Trace's low-rye Mash Bill #1: vanilla, caramel and butterscotch over baking spice and seasoned oak, bottled at exactly 100 proof under the 1897 act Col. E.H. Taylor, Jr. himself championed. No age statement — and no two barrels quite alike.
Buy Online FROM $200 Read the full review →
Official site · buffalotracedistillery.com
THE DECISION
A bonded single barrel with collector pricing attached.
The best barrels show polished caramel, baking spice, citrus, and a firm bottled-in-bond spine. The catch is that the market often prices it like a trophy.
OUR SCORE
92/100
BUY FROM
$200
MSRP $70 | MARKET AVG ABOUT $167 | JULY 2026
Worth considering near retail. At secondary-style prices, buy the occasion, not the value score.
I Origin
E.H. TAYLOR SINGLE BARREL — STORY & ORIGIN
The Colonel who wrote bourbon's first law.
Col. Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. — born 1830 — bought the old Leestown distillery on the Kentucky River in 1869, named it O.F.C., and rebuilt it into a showpiece, installing copper fermenters when wooden vats were the norm. The site he modernized is today's Buffalo Trace.
Taylor sold O.F.C. to George T. Stagg in 1879 but kept shaping the industry, championing the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 — the federal guarantee of one distillery, one season, four years in bond and exactly 100 proof. This line is Buffalo Trace's tribute to him, and every bottle still carries his bond.
Single Barrel is the tribute at its most exposed: one barrel of low-rye Mash Bill #1, bottled on its own. No batching to smooth the edges — oak, sweetness and spice shift bottle to bottle, and that variation is the point.
HOW IT'S MADE — IN FIVE STEPS
MASH BILL #1
Buffalo Trace low-rye mash — exact % undisclosed.
NEW CHARRED OAK
Filled into fresh charred oak barrels.
BONDED WAREHOUSES
One distillery, one season, four-plus years in bond.
ONE BARREL AT A TIME
Selected and bottled as a single barrel — no batching.
BOTTLED AT 100 PROOF
Exactly 100 proof, as the 1897 act requires.
E.H. TAYLOR SINGLE BARREL SPECS · AT A GLANCE
Everything, on one label.
Verified by our editors
| COUNTRY | United States (Kentucky) |
|---|---|
| DISTILLERY | Buffalo Trace |
| WHISKEY | Kentucky Straight Bourbon · Bottled-in-Bond |
| NAME | E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel |
| MASH BILL | Mash Bill #1 · low-rye · % undisclosed |
| FILTRATION | Not stated |
| AGE | NAS · ~7 years (unverified) |
|---|---|
| ABV | 50% · 100 proof |
| CASK | New charred oak |
| STYLE | Vanilla, butterscotch, seasoned oak |
| SERVE | Neat · splash of water |
| RELEASE | Ongoing · allocated single barrel |
II On the Palate
E.H. TAYLOR SINGLE BARREL TASTING NOTES — NOSE · PALATE · FINISH
Vanilla, spice and seasoned oak.
Vanilla, caramel and butterscotch on the nose; baking spice and toffee on the palate; seasoned oak on a long, bonded finish. Classic Mash Bill #1 single-barrel character — with the caveat that every barrel tells it a little differently.
I · NOSE
Vanilla & butterscotch
Vanilla custard and butterscotch lead, with caramel corn, soft citrus and a dusting of cinnamon.
VANILLA · CARAMEL · BUTTERSCOTCH
ON THE NOSE9.3
II · PALATE
Baking spice & toffee
Full and structured at 100 proof: toffee, cinnamon and clove over sweet corn, with a firm low-rye pinch.
BAKING SPICE · TOFFEE · PEPPER
ON THE PALATE9.2
III · FINISH
Seasoned oak
Long and gently drying — seasoned oak, tobacco leaf and lingering spice. Some barrels run sweeter, some oakier.
SEASONED OAK · TOBACCO · SPICE
ON THE FINISH9.0
EDITORIAL TRUST
Why this score is defensible.
The grade reflects blind-style tasting notes, current US pricing, range context, and whether the bottle earns its place beside nearby bourbon and rye alternatives.
TASTED NEAT
Glencairn glass, rested before scoring
PRICE CHECKED
MSRP $70 | MARKET AVG ABOUT $167 | JULY 2026
RANGE CONTEXT
Compared against nearby bourbon, rye, and same-brand alternatives
III Is It For You?
WHO IS E.H. TAYLOR SINGLE BARREL FOR?
Who it's for — and who it isn't.
AN HONEST READ
FOR YOU — You'll love it if…
You want the Bottled-in-Bond standard at its purest
You like vanilla, butterscotch and baking spice
You want 100 proof with polish, not burn
You collect single-barrel bourbon and enjoy barrel-to-barrel character
You love Buffalo Trace's Mash Bill #1 house style
You can buy at or near the $70 MSRP
NOT FOR YOU — Look elsewhere if…
You want cask strength or hazmat proof
You want big high-rye spice
You expect every barrel to taste identical
You refuse to pay allocation-market prices
You're shopping for an everyday $30 pour
You hate hunting shelves and lotteries
IV How to Drink It
HOW TO DRINK E.H. TAYLOR SINGLE BARREL
“E.H. Taylor Single Barrel, neat.”
At 100 proof it needs nothing added. If a bar stocks it, ask the pour price first — allocated bourbon is rarely cheap by the glass — and don't mix it: the bond and the barrel are the point.
NEAT FIRST
Pour it neat into a tulip glass and let the 100 proof settle for a few minutes before the first sip.
A FEW DROPS
A few drops of water soften the baking spice and pull the butterscotch forward.
SKIP THE ICE
Ice flattens the bonded structure. If you must, one large cube — and taste it neat first.
THE SERVE
FIG. 02 — THE SERVE, BONDED AT DUSK
Neat, at exactly 100 proof.
BUYING COMPARISON
Where it sits on the American shelf.
92 / 100
| BOTTLE | SCORE | PRICE | ROLE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Rare 10 | 91 | $60 | Softer same-family bourbon |
| E.H. Taylor Single Barrel | 92 | $200 | Bonded single-barrel profile |
| Four Roses Small Batch Select | 91 | $65 | Better shelf availability |
| Michter's 10 Bourbon | 92 | $180+ | Older luxury comparison |
| Elijah Craig 18 | 91 | $160+ | Age-stated oak focus |
V Where to Find It
Where to buy E.H. Taylor Single Barrel — and what it really costs.
PRICES CHECKED · JULY 2026
Frootbat ALLOCATED
ONLINE LISTINGS · SHIPS TO MOST US STATES · +SHIPPING
WHEN IN STOCK · SHIPS TO MANY US STATES
ReserveBar PREFERRED RETAILER
ALLOCATED DROPS · SHIPS WHERE LEGALLY AVAILABLE
MSRP is $70 (NC ABC lists $79.95 effective Feb 2026 — note the creep). Market average is ~$167, range $142–192; online listings start near $200. The markup is the allocation market, not the liquid. Pours and prices change often — call ahead. We may earn a commission on retail-partner links.
VI Ask Forge
ASK FORGE · YOUR WHISKEY GUIDE
Not sure it's your pour?
Forge is your whiskey guide. Tell him what you usually drink and whether you want smooth, bold, oaky, sweet or spicy — he'll tell you if E.H. Taylor Single Barrel is the right pour, or point you to a better fit.
Compares it to bottles you already love
Finds a similar profile at a lower price
Learns your taste as you chat
Forge
WHISKEY SPECIALIST · AI
I can get E.H. Taylor Single Barrel for $200. Worth it, or should I hold out for MSRP?
At the $70 MSRP it's an easy yes — a benchmark bonded single barrel. At $200 you're paying for the hunt, not the liquid. Want the Mash Bill #1 profile without the chase? Eagle Rare 10 gets you close for about $60. If the bond and the barrel matter to you, it won't disappoint.
Ask Forge about E.H. Taylor Single Barrel…
VERDICT · E.H. TAYLOR SINGLE BARREL REVIEW
The bond, kept — one barrel at a time.
A benchmark Bottled-in-Bond single barrel: vanilla, caramel and butterscotch over baking spice and seasoned oak, at an exact 100 proof. Held back only by barrel-to-barrel variation and an allocation market that asks $200 for a $70 bourbon — find it near MSRP and it's among Kentucky's surest pours.
BONDED & EXACTVANILLA & SEASONED OAKBUY AT MSRP, THINK AT $200
Buy Online FROM $200 Our score — 92 / 100
COMMUNITY PULSE
What drinkers tend to agree on.
Worth considering near retail. At secondary-style prices, buy the occasion, not the value score.
CONSENSUS
E.H. Taylor Single Barrel is strongest when judged against its actual shelf price.
WATCHOUT
Availability and markup can move the value score faster than the liquid score.
BEST USE
Pour neat first; add water only if proof or oak starts to dominate.
KEEP EXPLORING · KENTUCKY BOURBON
Continue into oak.
E.H. TAYLOR SINGLE BARREL · FAQ
Questions, answered.
Six things drinkers most often ask us about E.H. Taylor Single Barrel.
ANSWERED BY EVERETT BOONE · THE AMERICAN SEAT
i. Is E.H. Taylor Single Barrel worth $200?
At the $70 MSRP, absolutely. At the ~$200 online listings you're paying the allocation market, not the distillery — the market average is closer to $167. Buy near retail if you can; think twice at triple MSRP.
ii. E.H. Taylor vs Eagle Rare 10 — which is better?
Same distillery, same low-rye Mash Bill #1. Taylor is bonded at 100 proof and bottled one barrel at a time; Eagle Rare gives you ten declared years at 90 proof for about $60. We score them 92 and 91 — the hunt is the real difference.
iii. What does Bottled-in-Bond actually mean?
One distillery, one distilling season, at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, bottled at exactly 100 proof — the 1897 act Col. E.H. Taylor, Jr. championed.
iv. How old is E.H. Taylor Single Barrel?
There's no age statement. It's commonly cited around seven years, but Buffalo Trace hasn't confirmed that — the bond only guarantees four-plus. Treat any age claim as unverified.
v. Why does every bottle taste a little different?
It's a true single barrel — no batching to smooth the edges. Oak, sweetness and spice shift from barrel to barrel; that variation is part of the appeal and part of the risk.
vi. Should you add water to E.H. Taylor Single Barrel?
It carries 100 proof gracefully, so try it neat first. A few drops soften the baking spice and pull the butterscotch forward.