BOTM: 6/12 Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Warehouse C Tornado Surviving Bourbon

[callmeox]

BOTM up early two months in a row, huh? :falling: I hope you all don't get spoiled.

June brings us back to rye recipe #1 specialty line from Buffalo Trace with Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Warehouse C Tornado Surviving Bourbon. While the full name of this release is quite a mouthful, the deep flavors of this bourbon makes it an enjoyable one.

There was quite a bit of talk about this one during the Sampler weekend gatherings in Bardstown, including discussions about geographical differences in the bottlings.

Now it's your turn, SB. Tell us what you think of the Taylor Tornado.

[LongBeachScott]

Wow! I happened to pour some of this one a few minutes ago and fired up the laptop and lo and behold, it is BOTM!

So, I am going to post some thoughts on the fly. I haven't done that a lot so be kind!

The nose has a lot of orange peel and maybe some lemon right up front. I get a lot of rye spice on the nose. It has a nice creamy feel on the tongue, notes of caramel, some wood, and citrus again. The rye spice is there but softer than I would expect from the nose.

I really like this bourbon, but I paid $72 for it. That invites comparison to the BTAC releases. I would prefer any of the GTS or WLW to this bourbon for the price.

Scott

[BourbonJoe]

I agree with Scott, although, when I handed it out to all my bourbon friends, they all wanted to buy a bottle or two.

Joe :usflag:

[gburger]

I got a bottle of this last month. Just the name "Tornado Surviving Bourbon" was a great come on along with the back story.

But I do not buy on name or uniqueness alone. I did some research before I plunked down $70. Most of the reviews were positive so I got one.

I find the nose has a bit of spice with the orange that Scott did with some spice and fruit flavors along with heat when it first hits my mouth. It has a nice long finish.

I also agree that the price should be $15-20 less, $55-60 and I would buy two more as backups. However if you really like it, does price matter? I guess yes as long as you can find the Weller's or PVW's at those same $70-90 range. Which for me in Texas is almost impossible to find.

So in the end this is a very nice bottle.

[moose]

Just got this in at the store, may have to grab one since it is the BOTM after all.

[Bourbon Boiler]

I've continually passed on the Col. Taylors, based on a single experience that was good, but just not worth the cost.

[Clavius]

I've continually passed on the Col. Taylors, based on a single experience that was good, but just not worth the cost.

Agreed. I liked the BIB well enough. I just think the price is too high.

[Vosgar]

Love this bourbon, enough so that I've purchased multiple bottles. Sure, I wish it was priced lower, but I've never had any regrets in buying them. IMHO, this one is worth the money.

Gary

[mosugoji64]

Just had a pour of this last night and got a big hit of honey on the first sip. There's something new in each return to this bottle and I'm having a great time with it. I don't know that I would have bought this one had I not had the opportunity to sample it first due to the price, but I now think it's worth it. Looking forward to the barrel-proof release.

[sailor22]

There's something new in each return to this bottle and I'm having a great time with it.

That has been my experience also. Never fails to entertain and is always enjoyable. For me the balance of sweetness and barrel character is spot on. YMMV. Nothing fancy or overly complicated just delicious and balanced with a great mouth feel.

After comparing bottles sold in different parts of the country while in Kentucky I didn't form any firm conclusions about any one being significantly better than any others.

A friend sourced multiple bottles for me from Maryland where the price was less than $55 each so I bunkered a few.

[compliance]

I'll have to get mine out again tonight. I haven't been very impressed with my bottle. It's hot and dry. The flavor disappears at the beginning of the sip and then comes back, but not enough. I will see if the air has done anything to help it improve. It might just not be my style.

[BillP]

This is definitely at the top of any bourbons I've had. A bit pricy but worth it.

[Ejmharris]

The price initially caused me to buy only one bottle when it first came out. I am still not liking the $65-$70 I have seen it for around here but didn't stop me from eventually buying 5 more. I really enjoy this one. On some nights I even pick up some Smartie candy flavors. I will disappointed when I finish these bottles.

[LongBeachScott]

There's something new in each return to this bottle and I'm having a great time with it.

I meant to mention this also. There is a lot of different stuff going on here. Something different jumps out every time. Especially since it has been opened awhile.

Scott

[AaronWF]

I emptied my bottle a month or two ago, but I have seen fit to grab another one to enjoy at a later time. I wrote up some tasting notes at the time, but two things stick out for me: 1) the sooty palate that is part of the whiskey's satisfying body and keeps the sweetness in balance, and 2) that Cracker Jack note that sometimes jumps out on the finish. I remember that nice sootiness from ER10/90 barrels from '09 (I think it was '09). (Sadly, ER10 has lost just about all its charms for me since the CEHT releases started coming out.)

That Cracker Jack note is really delightful though. It's a light and creamy sweet corn hit with caramel and a bitter nuttiness that adds an exotic flair.

I wonder if BT has any plans to recreate the aging conditions that resulted in this release? They should make a program out of it and charge $55.

[LongBeachScott]

I wonder if BT has any plans to recreate the aging conditions that resulted in this release? They should make a program out of it and charge $55.

It seems to me that BT may be using the CEHT label to create a program of rye bourbons to parallel the Van Winkle wheated bourbons. If that is the case, $55 for this age class seems reasonable.

[HP12]

That has been my experience also. Never fails to entertain and is always enjoyable. For me the balance of sweetness and barrel character is spot on. YMMV. Nothing fancy or overly complicated just delicious and balanced with a great mouth feel.

After comparing bottles sold in different parts of the country while in Kentucky I didn't form any firm conclusions about any one being significantly better than any others.

A friend sourced multiple bottles for me from Maryland where the price was less than $55 each so I bunkered a few.

Thanks for the insights and well played! I need to get off the schneid and crack one of mine open and experience it!

[Trey Manthey]

I've had a bottle open for over a month and I regret buying it a little, but I couldn't find it at any bars, and the reviews/hype made me take the plunge. $66+tax here.

I like the nose just fine, but only after it sits for about 10 minutes in a Glencairn and the heat dies down a bit. First sip is too hot on the tip of the tounge, but subsequent sips tamed my taste buds and let me taste the flavor more. Long, lingering finish.

I'm looking forward to the forthcoming barrel proof, despite my lukewarm feelings for this release.

[Trey Manthey]

I almost killed my first bottle of this at a family dinner tonight, sharing with my brothers and fathers in law. I no longer regret having an extra bottle of it. I think my taste buds were off last time I tasted it.

[White Dog]

It seems to me that BT may be using the CEHT label to create a program of rye bourbons to parallel the Van Winkle wheated bourbons. If that is the case, $55 for this age class seems reasonable.

Chuck has said that's BT's intention, but for me there's not enough continuity in the releases for that parallel to work. Given the huge swings in style for the CEHT bottlings, I tend to put it in the PHC box. That said, it's got nothing on PHC as far as quality, IMHO.

[LongBeachScott]

Chuck has said that's BT's intention, but for me there's not enough continuity in the releases for that parallel to work. Given the huge swings in style for the CEHT bottlings, I tend to put it in the PHC box. That said, it's got nothing on PHC as far as quality, IMHO.

I would agree about the continuity issue. I just wonder if they are using the special releases to get the name out there and get some buzz on it and then let it settle into a regular release. On the other hand, there is some merit to the idea of continuing it the way they have been. If you didn't like the last release, but the new release is a different style you might be more likely to give it another chance.

[DaveOfAtl]

I believe someone said (maybe Chuck as well) that they were going to do the single barrel as a regular release in addition to regular special releases under the CEHT label.

[Wryguy]

After reading through this thread I decided to bite the bullet and grab the one bottle I've seen in the area. A big fan of BT's standard release. Excited to crack this and see how it compares. I'm struck by how no one has mentioned the similarity in backstory to the Glennfiddich Snow Phoenix. That never was released in the states, but it seems like it was put together by the same marketing team. The culprit with the Snow Phoenix was the snow though, not a tornado. Wish I had grabbed that when it showed up locally after a liquor store owner's annual trip to Scotland. Got to taste that though and it was incredible. Here's to hoping the Tornado is just as good!

[Shuboy]

After reading through this thread I decided to bite the bullet and grab the one bottle I've seen in the area. A big fan of BT's standard release. Excited to crack this and see how it compares. I'm struck by how no one has mentioned the similarity in backstory to the Glennfiddich Snow Phoenix. That never was released in the states, but it seems like it was put together by the same marketing team. The culprit with the Snow Phoenix was the snow though, not a tornado. Wish I had grabbed that when it showed up locally after a liquor store owner's annual trip to Scotland. Got to taste that though and it was incredible. Here's to hoping the Tornado is just as good!

But Snow Phoenix did get released in the States. I recall seeing six bottles in a California BevMo (which all disappeared soon after). I was able to get only one bottle before they sold out.

Which reminds me, I grabbed a bottle of the Tornado release a while ago. Maybe it's time to crack it open.

[Wryguy]

But Snow Phoenix did get released in the States. I recall seeing six bottles in a California BevMo (which all disappeared soon after). I was able to get only one bottle before they sold out.

Which reminds me, I grabbed a bottle of the Tornado release a while ago. Maybe it's time to crack it open.

After a bit of research it seems I was wrong indeed. Snow Phoenix has been and will be released in the states. Apparently there are 60,000 bottles of the stuff!!