E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Batch 14a 127.2 Review
Barrel Proof Releases
2025 brings two batches of E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof, one at 127.2 proof and the other at 127.4 proof. This is unusual because prior to 2025 Buffalo Trace has always released just one batch of E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof each year. Perhaps they are following the trend that they have set with Stagg (Jr), which has also been releasing more batches than usual for the past 3 years.
Series: Barrel Proof
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: nas, but typically 6 – 8 years
Proof: 127.2
Proof Designation: Barrel Proof
Filtered Status: Non-Chill Filtered
Mash bill: Undisclosed: Buffalo Trace Mashbill #1
Barrel Char Level: 4
Barrel Entry Proof: 125
Still Type: Copper Pot Still
Distillate Source: Buffalo Trace
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Company: Sazerac
Bottled By: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Distilled/Aging Location: Frankfort, Kentucky
Master Distiller: Harlen Wheatley
Release Date: October 2025
MSRP: $90
Secondary Market: $150 $250
Availability: Some hunting
E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Batch 14a 127.2 Proof Review
January 30, 2025
My tasting reviews are unique in that I include the notes of several well-known whiskey critics. The hope is that this format will help me and others to explore and expand their tasting experience. After you have taken your own tasting notes, read the reviews and see if there is a flavor note that others discerned that now you can detect as well.
For this tasting: Opened Bottle (about 1 week), Glencairn Glass, Neat, Room Temp, Breathe: 5 minutes
Legs
Beads formed on the crown at about 10 seconds, the first legs began to fall at about 27 seconds, and the first legs reached the bowl at about 52 seconds.
Nose
Honey, light caramel, fresh apples, mild cherry and light scents of oak. I would rate the nose a 2 out of 4.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Distiller: The nose is sweet grain and vanilla, grassy, with a whiff of spice in the far back.
Bourbon Kingdom: Very soft on the nose. Sugary caramel. Doesn’t seem to have much fruit. Smidge of oak and baking spice.
Amongst the Whiskey: Prevalent level oak leads the way before crushed red grape and macerated cherry bubble to the surface, bringing with it a light tingle in the nostrils. Rolling the glass to coat the entire surface produces rich chocolate Swiss roll cake aromas before loud raspberry roulade swings in as an agreeable compliment. Long inhales offer slight hints of anise, vanilla saltwater taffy, and oak sprinkled with flecks of black pepper. After a sip, things only get more comfortable as gobs of caramel flood into my nostrils. There’s a slightly drying, crisp cleanliness characteristic here. Earthiness builds with time as the oak influence makes itself known, and this remains quite consistent and mellow throughout the latter half of the glass. My empty Glencairn smells of Play-Doh, horse barn hay, truffle butter, and leather.
Palate
Light caramel, orchard fruits, fresh red apple, mild vanilla extract, light brown sugar, some barrel char, baking spices, black pepper, and a hint of cherry. Overall, it is a pleasant blend of fruity and light flavors.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Distiller: On the palate, brown sugar and then a whoosh of ethanol and mint. Ethanol lessens on later sips and sweet tannic vanilla oak takes over, some dark fruit, dark chocolate, and then baking spices and a mint tingle. Full mouthfeel, lightly oily and chewy.
Bourbon Kingdom: Very sweet and kind of tannic. I like the spice that follows on the backend. It does not drink like it’s 127.2 proof, it seems lower. It has a ton of dessert, candy sweetness. Almost like a natural fruit sweetness, but it’s not fruity at all. A smidge of chocolate and white chocolate. It’s good, but it is very off profile for EH Taylor. It’s easy to drink. It’s crushable.
Amongst the Whiskey: Right away this glass feels well balanced between fruit and wood spice. Cherry cordial tones are immediately bolstered by pumpkin pie and graham cracker layers that feel well integrated from the very first sip. I’m surprised by how soft it lands on the tongue despite being an uncut and unfiltered bourbon bottled at 127.2 proof; there’s basically no heat to this, even as a first sip of the day. Another taste offers more cherry tones, now leaning more into a cherry wine feeling as some tannins creep across the tongue. A long sip and swish elevates spiced tea tones like cardamom, cinnamon stick, and clove over black tea. Sipping near the bottom of the glass, I find cinnamon and nutmeg tones leaning in a bit harder, and the fruitiness subsiding. Light cherry tones can still be found as a strong undertone; it just doesn’t deliver as crisp and clean as maybe a Taylor small batch or single barrel would. While never venturing too far into any one category (sweet, creamy, or oaky), this demonstrates the core range of a Kentucky bourbon quite solidly. My last sip is a rush of all fruit again, which is a lovely surprise as raspberry, plum, and cherry tones proliferate in an effervescent send-off.
Finish
The finish is medium-long with light caramel, mild vanilla, red apple mild spice, and some cherry.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Distiller: The finish is long, carrying on with tannic, spicy, pepper, tingling mint. Dry sweet, not sour. Very pleasant. An ice cube tames the ethanol and oak tannins, leaving a silky sweet/spicy feel.
Bourbon Kingdom: The finish is pleasant and is not flat.
Amongst the Whiskey: The linger is medium-long with caramel apple pie and ganache tones that are both comfortable and enjoyable. The linger is also red licorice and snickerdoodles.
Mouthfeel
The mouthfeel is Silken but not creamy or rich.
Mouthfeel Rating Guide: Thin = Watery | Silken = smooth & slippery, but not mouth coating | Creamy = coats the tongue like heavy cream does. | Rich or Unctuous = coats the entire palate like quality olive oil
The Burn
The burn is Low. This means that the burn from the alcohol is a bit lower (5% to 9%) than what I would expect it to be. I would guess this to be around 120 proof, not 127.2 proof.
The Burn Rating Guide:
Very Low = it drinks like it is a much lower proof
Low = it drinks like it is a little lower proof
Average = the heat is about what I would expect
Hot = it is hotter than what I would expect
Scorching! = it drinks much hotter than what I would expect
Tasting Summary
This is very sweet forward. The fruity sweetness of orchard fruits mixed with light caramel (as opposed to dark caramel) hits the palate first and is quickly followed with mild baking spices and some barrel char. It is easy to sip and not very complex, but the flavors that are here are potent and balanced. This gives the impression of a spring or summer whiskey.
For me, batch 14b at 127.4 is more enjoyable due to its darker, richer flavors.
My Rating – 8.2
The higher the score the better the whiskey is in my opinion. For reference, my best rated bottle so far is the George T. Stagg 2022 (138.7p) with a score of 9.7.
| Score Type | Score | Examples |
| Likability Score | 8.2 | 1.0 – 10.0 |
My Tasting Notes
A blank version of this tasting notes wheel is available in both a color and a black & white version in the member’s area.
Notes and History
The Colonel E.H. Taylor brand as about 13 different expressions. Batch 1 of Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof was launched in 2012 clocking in at 134.5 proof. As of 2025 the highest proof was 135.4 in 2013 and lowest proof is 127.2, which happens to be this year’s release. However, there was also another 127.2 that was released in 2015.
The Buffalo Trace website states this about the E.H. Taylor brand:
E.H. Taylor, Jr. is a premium bourbon whiskey line named in honor of Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. The brand is a tribute to one of bourbon’s most innovative 19th-century figures, blending historical techniques with modern craftsmanship.
Buffalo Trace Distillery
If you found this E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Batch 14a 127.2 review helpful, forward it to a friend!