E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Rye, 126 Proof

Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey — Uncut and Unfiltered, 126 Proof

Price

$549.95

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

Age: NAS (Likely 7-9 Years) | Region: Frankfort, Kentucky | Proof: 126.0

Secure payments

Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

126

Proof

63%

ABV

None stated

Age

Jun 2024

Announced

$77.99

SRP

Unfiltered

Filtration

Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof Rye is a limited-edition release from Buffalo Trace Distillery, bottled uncut and unfiltered at 126 proof, 63% ABV. Buffalo Trace announced it on 27 June 2024 as the thirteenth release in the Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Collection. Unlike the standing Taylor expressions it is not Bottled-in-Bond — the bond standard requires exactly 100 proof, and this one goes into the bottle at whatever the barrels gave.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

126 proof, 63% ABV, uncut and unfiltered — nothing added, nothing taken out.

The thirteenth release in the Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Collection, announced 27 June 2024.

Not Bottled-in-Bond. It is the Taylor expression that steps outside the standard the Colonel wrote.

A rye recipe rather than the low-rye bourbon mash behind the Taylor bourbons.

No outturn: Buffalo Trace has not said how many bottles were made.

Released at a suggested $77.99 for 750 mL — modest for the collection, and it has not stayed there.

Nº 02

How It Was Made

Barrel Proof Rye

Uncut means no water was added between barrel and bottle, so 126 proof is what the barrels held on dump day rather than a target. Unfiltered means the whiskey skipped chill filtration, the process that strips the fatty acids and esters responsible for haze in cold conditions and, along with them, some of the texture. Both choices place this outside the pattern of the rest of the Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Collection, which is built on the Bottled-in-Bond standard and its fixed 100 proof. Buffalo Trace describes the liquid as a rye recipe and has not published the mash bill, the age or the outturn. What the distillery has said is that Taylor was producing straight rye whiskey at the O.F.C. Distillery, which he bought in 1869, more than a century before rye's modern revival — the historical hook the release was built on.

Nº 03

At a Glance

The defining facts

Mash bill

Not disclosed

Buffalo Trace describes it only as a rye recipe.

Strength

Barrel proof

Not proofed down

Class

Rye whiskey, uncut and unfiltered

See the note on classification below

Proof

126

Nº 04

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Distiller notes & position

Sensory Profile

Nose: White pepper with nutty undertones, a touch of fresh floral and candied apricot.
Palate: Sweet dried stone fruit set against pepper and an oaky dryness.
Finish: Lasting and full, closing sweet as honey.

Strategic Position

Every other standing expression in this range is built around a legal ceiling — bonded, therefore exactly 100 proof, therefore comparable bottle to bottle. This one removes that ceiling on a brand whose entire identity is the ceiling, which is a stranger decision than it first appears and the reason the release drew attention. At 126 proof the white pepper that sits politely behind the fruit in the bonded rye comes forward instead. It shelves with the uncut and unfiltered bottlings we stock, directly against the bonded rye at exactly 100 proof.

Nº 05

Collector Note & Index

Vault provenance

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Collector Note

One thing to know before you buy, because no retail listing mentions it: Buffalo Trace's own release materials are not consistent about what this whiskey is. The product is named and sold as Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey, the distillery's page calls it a rye recipe, and the quote from the brand director in the same announcement calls it Rye Bourbon Whiskey. Those are three different things under federal labelling rules, and the distillery has not resolved which applies. It does not affect what is in the glass, but it does mean any listing stating a firm category is stating more than Buffalo Trace has. Worth checking the label yourself if the classification matters to you. Separately, a release price under $80 on an allocated Taylor bottle is the kind of gap that closes quickly on the secondary market, and this one has.

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How to Taste It

Neat first, then water, and expect to want the water. Sixty-three percent is high enough that the candied apricot and floral notes Buffalo Trace describes sit underneath the alcohol until you open it up, and unlike the bonded rye this one genuinely rewards dilution rather than merely tolerating it. Add a few drops at a time and stop when the pepper stops stinging and starts tasting. Ice works against it — the oil that unfiltered whiskey carries is what gives it weight, and cold thickens it into something dull.

Collector IndexMW VAULT

Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Class: Rye whiskey, uncut and unfiltered
Proof: 126
ABV: 63%
Age statement: None stated

Nº 06

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
Class	Rye whiskey, uncut and unfiltered — see the note on classification below
Proof	126
ABV	63%
Strength	Barrel proof; not proofed down
Filtration	Unfiltered
Bottled-in-Bond	No
Age statement	None stated
Mash bill	Not disclosed. Buffalo Trace describes it only as a rye recipe.
Collection position	Thirteenth release in the Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Collection
Announced	27 June 2024
Suggested retail	$77.99 at release, 750 mL
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

What proof is Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Rye?

126 proof, or 63% ABV. It is bottled uncut and unfiltered, so that figure is the natural strength of the barrels rather than a target Buffalo Trace proofed down to. That makes it the highest-strength expression in the Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Collection, well above the 100 proof carried by the bonded Taylor bourbons and the bonded Straight Rye.

Is Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Rye bottled in bond?

No. The Bottled-in-Bond Act requires bottling at exactly 100 proof, and this release goes into the bottle uncut at 126. It is the expression in the collection that steps outside the standard, which is notable given that Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. campaigned that standard into law in 1897 and most of the range named after him is built on it.

When was Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Rye released?

Buffalo Trace announced and released it on 27 June 2024 as the thirteenth release in the Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Collection. It was issued at a suggested retail of $77.99 for a 750 mL bottle; Buffalo Trace did not publish how many bottles were made.

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E.H. Taylor, Jr.

The Elemental Distinction

How It Was Made