EH Taylor Barrel Proof Batch 9, 130.3

Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Batch 9, 130.3 Proof

Price

$749.95

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

Age: NAS (Estimated 8–10 Years) | Region: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA | Proof: 130.3

Secure payments

Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

130.3

Proof

65.15%

ABV

None

Age

2020

Year

750 mL

Format

L20

Code

Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof Batch 9 is the 2020 release at 130.3 proof, 65.15% ABV, uncut and unfiltered. It was the first release in seven years to clear 130, and one of only four in sixteen to have done so at all. It also shipped into a year when the retail channels allocated bourbon normally moves through were largely shut.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

130.3 proof, 65.15% ABV. Unique in the line.

One of only four releases in sixteen to exceed 130 proof.

The first above 130 since 2013 — a seven-year gap.

The fourth-highest figure in the line's history, behind the 2012 and 2013 openers and the 2023 release.

Released in 2020, into a market where in-person allocation had largely stopped.

The highest proof the line produced between the 2013 opener and the 2023 release.

Nº 02

Barrel Proof, Explained

Barrel Proof Batch 9

Nothing in this line carries a published number. Buffalo Trace does not release outturns for Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof, so scarcity here is a distribution outcome rather than a disclosed quantity — the whiskey is allocated, which means wholesalers receive a share and retailers receive a share of that, with no figure attached at any point. That is a different thing from a limited edition, where the producer states how many exist. It has a practical consequence: nobody can tell you how rare a given batch actually is, only how hard it proved to find. In 2020 the mechanisms that normally distribute an allocated release — in-person lotteries, shop lists, on-premise accounts — were substantially interrupted, which affected where bottles went without changing how many there were.

Nº 03

The Identifiers

What separates this release

Strength

Barrel proof

Uncut, not proofed down

Filtration

Non-chill filtered

Proof shared with

No other release

130.3 is unique in the line.

Batch numeral on label

None

Colonel E.H. Taylor labels carry no batch number.

Nº 04

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Distiller notes & position

Sensory Profile

Where 130.3 sits: 65.15% puts this closer to the two openers than to the middle years it follows. Structurally it belongs with the high end of the line, not with the 127s that surround it in the modern era.
On the absence of a note: Buffalo Trace published no tasting note for the 2020 release.
What is documented: 130.3 proof, a 2020 bottling, hand-selected barrels, no water added, no chill filtration.

Strategic Position

Allocated bourbon reaches people through physical retail — store lotteries, waiting lists, relationships with shops and bars. In 2020 most of that stopped working, and this release went out into it. That is worth registering separately from the whiskey, because where an allocated release ends up is partly a function of how it was distributed, and 2020 was not a normal distribution year for anything. The bottle itself is an outlier for a different reason: at 130.3 it broke a seven-year run below 130 and remains one of only four releases in the line's history to clear that line. It sits among the barrel-proof releases either side of 2020, after the 129.3 close of the settled years and before the 127.3 release of 2021.

Nº 05

Collector Note & Index

Vault provenance

→

Collector Note

Of the four releases above 130 proof, two are the 2012 and 2013 openers that trade as first editions and one is the 2023, which is recent enough to still be moving through allocation. That leaves 2020 as the accessible way into the top of this line — the only 130-plus release that is neither a collector's first edition nor current stock. If the high end of the range is what interests you, this is where it is actually buyable. Two cautions. The pandemic year is a real variable in provenance rather than a colour note: bottles that moved through irregular channels in 2020 are worth the same scrutiny as any other, and the L20 code is what establishes the year. And 130.3 belongs to no other release, so no proof twin exists to confuse it with.

→

How to Taste It

Use it to find your own ceiling. Only four releases in this line clear 130 and the other three are hard to get, so if you want to know whether three proof points meaningfully changes what you can taste, this is the practical way to test it — set the 2020 against any of the 127s and the gap is three points, the largest step between two releases you could realistically own together. Work upward, the 127 first. If the higher glass mostly reads as heat, that is useful information about which half of this range is worth your money, and it will save you chasing the openers above 134.

Collector IndexMW VAULT

Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Class: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Batch: Batch 9
Release year: 2020
Proof: 130.3
ABV: 65.15%
Age statement: None

Nº 06

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
Class	Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Batch	Batch 9
Release year	2020
Proof	130.3
ABV	65.15%
Strength	Barrel proof — uncut, not proofed down
Filtration	Non-chill filtered
Laser code	L20
Proof shared with	No other release. 130.3 is unique in the line.
Position in the range	Fourth-highest of sixteen releases; one of four above 130 proof
Batch numeral on label	None. Colonel E.H. Taylor labels carry no batch number.
Age statement	None. Buffalo Trace publishes no age for this line.
Mash bill	Not disclosed. Buffalo Trace does not publish mash bills for its brands.
Region	Kentucky
Distillery	Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Brand owner	Sazerac Company
Format	750 mL

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 E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Batch 9?

130.3 proof, or 65.15% ABV, bottled uncut and unfiltered. It is unique in the line, and one of only four releases in sixteen to exceed 130 proof — the others being the 2012 and 2013 openers and the 2023 bottling at 131.1.

Is Batch 9 the strongest recent E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof?

It was the highest in seven years when released, breaking a run below 130 that had held since 2013, and it is now the fourth-highest figure in the line's history, behind the two openers and the 2023 release at 131.1 proof. Of the four releases above 130, the 2020 is the only one that is neither an early collector bottle nor current allocation.

How many bottles of E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof are made each year?

Buffalo Trace does not publish outturns for this line, so there is no figure for any release. The whiskey is allocated rather than numbered — wholesalers receive a share and retailers a share of that, with no quantity stated at any stage. Scarcity is therefore something observed in the market rather than a specification.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Barrel Proof Batch 9

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E.H. Taylor, Jr.

The Elemental Distinction

Barrel Proof, Explained