Bourbon Review · E.H. Taylor
E.H. Taylor Four Grain
Bottled in Bond Four Grain Kentucky Straight Bourbon — Limited
⚑ Placeholder review — tasting notes to be updated after the pour.
The Story
Most bourbons are made from three grains: corn, rye (or wheat), and malted barley. E.H. Taylor Four Grain adds a fourth — wheat alongside the standard corn, rye, and malt — creating a mashbill that's unique in the Buffalo Trace portfolio and produces a bourbon with a noticeably different character. Released in limited quantities, it's among the more unusual and interesting expressions in the Taylor lineup, appealing both to those who love the standard high-rye Taylor character and those who lean toward the softer, sweeter quality of wheated bourbons. The four-grain mashbill is genuinely something different.
Nose, Palate & Finish
Nose
Distinctive on the nose — the four-grain complexity is apparent immediately. Caramel and vanilla are present but there's also a richer, more complex grain character with dried fruit, a faint herbal note, and both the rye spice and wheat softness pulling in different directions. Fascinating to nose.
Palate
Medium-full body with a uniquely layered character. The competing grain influences make the palate more complex than either a pure high-rye or pure wheated bourbon — you get the spice of rye and the softness of wheat together, anchored by the standard Taylor caramel and oak. It shouldn't work as well as it does.
Finish
Medium-long with a nuanced mix of spice and sweetness. The four-grain character carries into the finish in a way that keeps it interesting longer than most 100-proof bourbons.