Review #931 - Colonel E.H. Taylor Four Grain Bourbon (2026)
Four grain bourbon: a bit of a black sheep in the American whisky industry, at least when compared to the more common ryed bourbon and wheated bourbon styles. Four grain bourbons contain a mixture of corn (at least 51% of the mashbill), rye, wheat, and malted barley; it's generally more of a specialty mashbill, used by quite a few craft brands to create unique whiskies. We do get occasional four grain releases from heritage distilleries, though; here's one from Buffalo Trace, specifically labeled under their Colonel E.H. Taylor series.
Like essentially all Buffalo Trace whiskies, there's no mashbill actually denoted on the bottle or website for this bourbon; all we know is that it contains those four different grain types, and at least 51% of the mashbill is corn. There's no age statement on this bottle either, but we do know that it was distilled in 2015 and bottled at the start of 2026, so we can figure that it's 10 year old.
In line with the bottled-in-bond regulations, this bourbon has a strength of 50% ABV (100 proof).
Colonel E.H. Taylor Four Grain Bourbon (2026)
USA - Bourbon
MSRP: USD 80 (2026)
Available Price: USD 385 (2026, based on recent auction results)
Age Statement: 10 Years
Strength: 50% ABV
Details: Distilled 2015, bottled 2026
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Honey graham crackers, cinnamon, and sweet breakfast cereal - almost like Golden Grahams or Cinnamon Toast Crunch. It leans sweet, and we get some vanilla, soft oak, and a bit of wood spice; cream soda builds, and there's a mild spirity note.
Palate: The texture has a medium thickness. Sharper dry oak starts the palate, followed by cloying brown sugar, orange fruit, cinnamon, and a bit of clove. There are hints of grain, especially a raw barley-like note; time brings tart strawberry and hints of cotton candy.
Finish: Lots of sweet creamy notes - wheat grain, soft oak, vanilla, and some raw sugar. Mild tannins linger in the aftertaste, and we get a hint of a savory side to that oak as well; it's a medium length finish.
Final Note: We'll come right out and say it - four grain bourbons aren't typically our favored style of bourbon, and this one isn't changing that opinion. It isn't a bad bourbon by any means, but it leans heavily into the grain notes - depending on your preferences, that could be a good or a bad thing. We're also a little bit surprised that it's around 10 years old, as we found the oak influence to be quite muted. It's fine, above average bourbon to us, but not much more than that.
At MSRP, the value for this bottle is okay; however, as this is a recent allocated Buffalo Trace release, the secondary price is hovering at 4 to 5 times that suggested retail price. We're not recommending this at anywhere near secondary pricing, at least if the flavor in the bottle is what matters to you.
Our Rating: 6.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating (MSRP): 5.57
Value Rating (Available Price): 3.30
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
