New Colonel E.H. Taylor

[Trey Manthey]

Even the best 7 y/o isn't going to have the complexity of a run of the mill 12 y/o.

I have to disagree. An outstanding 6 year old whiskey like THH can certainly hold its own against a 12 year like EC12.

I also don't believe that BT is planning on seeing how far they can take it. Like selling 4 year old or less mediocre bourbon for $100+. That's your average craft distillery.

Without having tasted the product yet, I doubt BT would release a barrel proof bourbon if it wasn't fantastic. This is the same distillery that produces GTS and WLW, after all.

I really wish that I could have been in the meetings where they hatched the plan to release CEHT. They are in such an interesting position within their market. They almost have the market cornered on highly prestigious/status symbol American whiskey with Pappy and BTAC. Granted, it is also highly delicious, but would you stockpile it and hunt for it and brag about it to your friends if you could buy it any day of the week? So even if they could release those labels year round, it would be a bad move, as the customer's perception of value goes down. So what to do to increase sales volume? Start a new high-end label. But how would they create the perceived value of prestige in the marketplace? Put an old, dead guy on the label and relate his charming, historically significant back story. No, they already did that. Or they could release limited edition bottles of whiskey that is either too unique or too good to dump into any other batch until they've aged enough juice to make a regular release.

[PaulO]

So its like paying the same amount as Stagg for half the age?

Yeah, if it's young Stagg we can call it fawn, or Bambi. I guess I'm a bit disappointed that we haven't seen BT offer something along the lines of the original Taylor recipe. I keep hearing how people love the pre-Beam dusties. Maybe that will come. I don't know. In some ways BT is doing the same thing as Beam did with the Taylor brand. They both put the brand name on stuff they allready had around. The difference is Beam used Taylor as a bottom shelf dogs and cats type of brand. The funny thing is some stores have both the cheap, and expensive Taylors at the same time.

[sailor22]

I have to disagree. An outstanding 6 year old whiskey like THH can certainly hold its own against a 12 year like EC12.

I also don't believe that BT is planning on seeing how far they can take it. Like selling 4 year old or less mediocre bourbon for $100+. That's your average craft distillery.

Without having tasted the product yet, I doubt BT would release a barrel proof bourbon if it wasn't fantastic. This is the same distillery that produces GTS and WLW, after all.

I really wish that I could have been in the meetings where they hatched the plan to release CEHT. They are in such an interesting position within their market. They almost have the market cornered on highly prestigious/status symbol American whiskey with Pappy and BTAC. Granted, it is also highly delicious, but would you stockpile it and hunt for it and brag about it to your friends if you could buy it any day of the week? So even if they could release those labels year round, it would be a bad move, as the customer's perception of value goes down. So what to do to increase sales volume? Start a new high-end label. But how would they create the perceived value of prestige in the marketplace? Put an old, dead guy on the label and relate his charming, historically significant back story. No, they already did that. Or they could release limited edition bottles of whiskey that is either too unique or too good to dump into any other batch until they've aged enough juice to make a regular release.

Well said.
The "only this limited release" represents a response to the current trend in Bourbon buying. I assume the Bourbon market is still mostly people who pick one label and stick to it but the enthusiast market is growing and they are often willing to pay a premium price. There is money to be made and BT is on top of the opportunity.

[jburlowski]

Yeah, if it's young Stagg we can call it fawn, or Bambi. I guess I'm a bit disappointed that we haven't seen BT offer something along the lines of the original Taylor recipe.

It's only been a few years since BT acquired the Taylor brand. How can you expect them to already be offering something along the original Taylor recipe?

[Rughi]

It's only been a few years since BT acquired the Taylor brand. How can you expect them to already be offering something along the original Taylor recipe?

You are quite right, John.
Here's the sb.com post on the first batch in August 2009

[PaulO]

It's only been a few years since BT acquired the Taylor brand. How can you expect them to already be offering something along the original Taylor recipe?

I think they could have waited until the original Taylor mash bill recipe whiskey was ready, then released that. I know BT owns the brand, and can do as they like. Regardless, whatever they do will be better than the barely mediocre Beam version of Taylor.

[p_elliott]

They only made 4 barrels of that original recipe so there won't be much of it to go around.

[Restaurant man]

So it's possible that the limited releases are to build excitement/pass time until the old recipe is ready for roll out. My understanding was that BT was releasing various types of recipes so that one could be selected for a regular offering under the EH Taylor label. But obviously the tornado is a departure from that mold. The single barrel was just dumb. So they haven't really done much beyond the first release that follows what I understood was the original plan (as announced)

[tmckenzie]

Yeah, if it's young Stagg we can call it fawn, or Bambi. I guess I'm a bit disappointed that we haven't seen BT offer something along the lines of the original Taylor recipe. I keep hearing how people love the pre-Beam dusties. Maybe that will come. I don't know. In some ways BT is doing the same thing as Beam did with the Taylor brand. They both put the brand name on stuff they allready had around. The difference is Beam used Taylor as a bottom shelf dogs and cats type of brand. The funny thing is some stores have both the cheap, and expensive Taylors at the same time.

I would love to see BT make a modern dusty if you will. But I am pretty sure that things have been re engineered in the big distilleries that it would be next to impossible. And all micros have pots, but one I know may have a column soon that can produce a modern dusty if you will.

[Bmac]

I have to disagree. An outstanding 6 year old whiskey like THH can certainly hold its own against a 12 year like EC12.

I also don't believe that BT is planning on seeing how far they can take it. Like selling 4 year old or less mediocre bourbon for $100+. That's your average craft distillery.

Without having tasted the product yet, I doubt BT would release a barrel proof bourbon if it wasn't fantastic. This is the same distillery that produces GTS and WLW, after all.

I really wish that I could have been in the meetings where they hatched the plan to release CEHT. They are in such an interesting position within their market. They almost have the market cornered on highly prestigious/status symbol American whiskey with Pappy and BTAC. Granted, it is also highly delicious, but would you stockpile it and hunt for it and brag about it to your friends if you could buy it any day of the week? So even if they could release those labels year round, it would be a bad move, as the customer's perception of value goes down. So what to do to increase sales volume? Start a new high-end label. But how would they create the perceived value of prestige in the marketplace? Put an old, dead guy on the label and relate his charming, historically significant back story. No, they already did that. Or they could release limited edition bottles of whiskey that is either too unique or too good to dump into any other batch until they've aged enough juice to make a regular release.

Oh...i dont know about that. BT has been selling mediocre 10yr bourbon in 350ml bottles for 69.00 here in Texas. These little gems are the Buffalo Trace Project Oak experiments. 70 dollars for a bourbon that has a 90% or more chance of sucking in a 350ml bottle. That's not coming from a craft distiller. At least with CEHT,it has been selected for goodness and comes in 750mls. Same price tag too.