E.H. Taylor Four Grain 2017, 12 Year

Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain-2017- Kentucky Straight Bourbon — 12 Year, 100 Proof

Price

$1,799.95

✔ Authenticated by the house — seal, fill level, and label inspected before release
✔ Documented provenance on every bottle
✔ Climate-safe, collector-grade packaging

Age: 12 Years (Vintage 2005 - Released 2017) | Region: Frankfort, Kentucky | Proof: 100

Secure payments

Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

100

Proof

50%

ABV

12 years

Age

2017

Released

Kentucky

Region

$69.99

SRP

The 2017 Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain is the debut release of Buffalo Trace's four-grain bourbon and the ninth release in the Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. collection. Distilled in 2005, entered into the barrel at 104 proof and bottled twelve years later at 100 proof, Bottled-in-Bond, from a mash of corn, rye, wheat and malted barley. Jim Murray named it 2018 World Whiskey of the Year in his Whisky Bible, after which it sold out worldwide.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

The debut. Ninth release in the Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. collection, out in spring 2017.

Distilled 2005, into the barrel at 104 proof, bottled at twelve years.

Named 2018 World Whiskey of the Year in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible.

Four grains in one mash — corn, rye, wheat and malted barley — where bourbon normally uses three.

Bottled-in-Bond at 100 proof. No age statement on the label; the twelve years comes from Buffalo Trace's own disclosure.

Released around $69.99 and gone from shelves almost immediately after the Murray award.

Nº 02

How It Was Made

Four Grain 2017

Bourbon requires at least 51% corn and effectively requires malted barley, which leaves one decision: rye or wheat. Buffalo Trace runs both recipes and treats them as opposites. For Four Grain, Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley combined them — in his words, taking what the distillery liked from both its rye and wheat mash bills and putting them together to see how they would react, which he said added complexity. The four grains were chosen historically: they are what Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. could obtain at the O.F.C. Distillery in the late 1800s, and Taylor spent the 1860s trading grain and learning how much it varied between farmers and harvests. This batch was distilled in 2005, entered the barrel at 104 proof and came out twelve years later at the bonded 100. Packaging follows the collection's pattern: a vintage label inside a canister modelled on Taylor's own from more than a century earlier.

Nº 03

At a Glance

The defining facts

Designation

Bottled-in-Bond under the Act of 1897

One distillery, one distillation season, federally bonded warehouse, exactly 100 proof

Mash bill

Corn, rye, wheat and malted barley

Buffalo Trace has not published the proportions.

Batching

Small batch

Age

12 years

Nº 04

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Distiller notes & position

Sensory Profile

Colour: Deep amber running to aged bronze, with the orange cast long-aged bourbon picks up.
Nose: Sweet cinnamon, custard and pecan pie, with charred orange, salted caramel, vanilla and nutmeg behind them.
Structure: Disciplined rather than sprawling — reviewers noted the four grains resolve into a focused profile instead of a muddle.

Strategic Position

This is the bottle the reputation is built on. A four-grain mash bill was not new in 2017 — Woodford had done one in 2006 and craft producers were experimenting — but almost none of them carried twelve years of age or Buffalo Trace's distilling behind them. The Whisky Bible award turned a modestly priced release into a global sell-out in weeks, and every later Four Grain is measured against this one. It sits on our award-winning bourbon shelf.

Nº 05

Collector Note & Index

Vault provenance

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Collector Note

Three Four Grain releases exist and they are not interchangeable, so confirm which one you are holding. This is the twelve-year 2017 debut and the only one carrying the World Whiskey of the Year association, which is what the secondary market actually prices. The 13-year second bottling came from the same 2005 distillate a year later, and the ten-year revival of 2026 is a different vintage entirely. One caution on provenance: the award belongs to this release, and listings for later years sometimes borrow it.

→

How to Taste It

Neat, in a glass you can nose properly. Twelve years on a four-grain mash gives a dense, dessert-leaning nose that is most of the experience, and it opens over several minutes rather than immediately. Water is unnecessary at 100 proof and costs you aromatic detail here. If you own more than one Four Grain year, pour this one first — it is the reference the other two are arguing with.

Collector IndexMW VAULT

Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Class: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Bottled-in-Bond
Release: 2017
Proof: 100
ABV: 50%
Age: 12 years

Nº 06

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
Class	Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Bottled-in-Bond
Release	2017 — debut; ninth in the Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. collection
Proof	100
ABV	50%
Age	12 years
Distilled	2005
Barrel entry proof	104
Mash bill	Corn, rye, wheat and malted barley. Buffalo Trace has not published the proportions.
Batching	Small batch
Award	2018 World Whiskey of the Year, Jim Murray's Whisky Bible
Suggested retail	Around $69.99 at release
Designation	Bottled-in-Bond under the Act of 1897 — one distillery, one distillation season, federally bonded warehouse, exactly 100 proof
Region	Kentucky
Distillery	Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky

Nº 07

Records & Assurance

Authentication & Vault Preservation

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is the 2017 Colonel E.H. Taylor Four Grain?

Twelve years. The label carries no age statement, as is usual across the Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. limited releases, but Buffalo Trace disclosed a 2005 distillation date and the bourbon was bottled in 2017. It entered the barrel at 104 proof and was bottled at 100 proof to meet the Bottled-in-Bond standard.

What is the mash bill of the 2017 Four Grain?

Corn, rye, wheat and malted barley. Buffalo Trace has never published the proportions. The unusual part is the combination rather than the count: bourbon normally uses three grains with a single secondary grain that is either rye or wheat, and Four Grain carries both in the same mash.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Four Grain 2017

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E.H. Taylor, Jr.

The Elemental Distinction

How It Was Made