Buffalo Trace is releasing a one-time only edition Warehouse C Bourbon in the E.H. Taylor, Jr. lineup, available this spring.
The 10-year-old Bottled in Bond bourbon was aged in Warehouse C, built by Col. Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. in 1885, and the barrel warehouse he was most proud of – the final piece in his “model distillery.”
Taylor highlights Warehouse C twice in the lithograph book he commissioned, and it is the only warehouse in the book to get its own feature.
“We know Col. Taylor had a lot of pride and affection for Warehouse C, as evidenced by his attention for detail, especially on the exterior with the architectural features,” said Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. “Fortunately, it’s a really good aging warehouse for bourbon too, so not only does the warehouse look good, it produces some of our best whiskies. This year’s release of the Warehouse C bourbon is no exception.”
Warehouse C is a favorite of the Buffalo Trace team and has become the focal point of tours and advertisements. The 136 year old brick and limestone warehouse has withstood floods, blizzards, 100 degree Fahrenheit days and even a tornado.
Originally built before elevators were available, ramps were used inside Warehouse C to manually roll barrels to each floor. Its six floors held a total of 24,000 barrels, with each barrel weighing approximately 500 pounds when filled!
In more modern times, a barrel elevator was installed, and Warehouse C was re-ricked and re-floored to maximize capacity. The redesign now allows for good air flow throughout the floors, making for an excellent all around aging warehouse for new and old barrels.
The barrels in the E.H. Taylor Jr. Warehouse C release were all aged for 10 years in the center of Warehouse C, with half of them coming from the second floor and the other half from the fifth floor.
The second floor is an outstanding aging floor for older barrels; the ricks are very tight, making it slow and difficult to put in new barrels. It’s also very dry, making it ideal for 10 to 15-year-old products.
The fifth floor of Warehouse C is a well-rounded aging floor with windows all the way around, providing excellent air flow throughout the floor. The ample sunlight helps speed the aging process.
The aging locations for these barrels led to a wonderful flavor combination, with a nose of cherry cobbler with rum sauce and a hint of oak; a palate of cherry cola, vanilla bean and toasted oak; and a finish that is long and lingering with a hint of spearmint, coffee, raisin bread and anise.
This special bottling will be available in early June with a suggested retail price of $69.99 per 750ml bottle.
Want to purchase a reproduction of E.H. Taylor, Jr’s lithograph book? Click here.
