Colonel E.H. Taylor Four Grain Bourbon Whiskey

Four grains. Distilled in 2005. Aged 12 years. Colonel E.H. Taylor's most unconventional release — and one of the most technically interesting bourbons Buffalo Trace has ever produced.

Standard bourbon uses three grains: corn (the majority), a secondary grain (rye or wheat), and malted barley. Colonel E.H. Taylor Four Grain adds a fourth — wheat alongside the corn, rye, and malted barley — creating a mashbill with no precedent in the standard Taylor lineup. Distilled in 2005 at 104 proof and aged 12 years at Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, Kentucky, the result is a bourbon of unusual textural complexity: the wheat rounds the rye's spice while the malted barley contributes a subtle grain sweetness that sets it apart from anything else in the E.H. Taylor Collection.

Like all E.H. Taylor releases, it arrives in the iconic cylinder and tube packaging that honors the Colonel's original 19th-century designs. It is a limited release — the four-grain mashbill is not a standard ongoing expression, and existing stock is finite.

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Rich amber with warm copper highlights.
• Aroma: Caramel, vanilla, clove, and a subtle smokiness. The four-grain mashbill adds a distinctive grain sweetness underneath.
• Palate: Full-bodied with exceptional balance — sweet caramel and vanilla up front, warm spice from the rye, a soft wheat roundness in the mid-palate, and charred oak tannins at the close.
• Finish: Long and dry — burnt sugar, caramel, and barrel char fading into a clean, spiced close.

The Four Grains

• Corn: The majority grain — provides the sweetness base and legally defines it as bourbon
• Rye: Contributes spice, sharpness, and structure
• Wheat: Softens and rounds the rye's edges — the addition that makes this mashbill unusual
• Malted Barley: Enzyme source for fermentation, contributes subtle cereal and nuttiness

Specs

• Distillery: Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, Kentucky
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Mashbill: Corn, rye, wheat, malted barley
• Distilled: 2005
• Age: 12 years
• Proof: 104 (52% ABV)
• Size: 750ml

Explore the full Colonel E.H. Taylor collection or browse all bourbon at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What makes a four-grain bourbon unusual? Almost all bourbon uses three grains. Adding wheat as a fourth grain alongside rye creates a mashbill with competing secondary grain influences — the rye's spice and the wheat's softness interact in a way that produces a more complex mid-palate than either alone. It is one of the rarest mashbill configurations in American whiskey.
• How does E.H. Taylor Four Grain compare to E.H. Taylor Amaranth? Both are experimental Taylor releases using non-standard grains, but in different ways. Four Grain uses wheat as a fourth conventional grain alongside rye. Amaranth replaces rye entirely with an ancient Aztec grain. Four Grain is the more classical of the two; Amaranth is the more radical departure.
• Is E.H. Taylor Four Grain still being produced? No — this is a specific limited release distilled in 2005. It is not an ongoing expression and will not be restocked once current inventory is sold.
• How does this relate to Pappy Van Winkle or W.L. Weller? Both Pappy and Weller use wheat as their secondary grain (wheated bourbon). E.H. Taylor Four Grain uses both rye and wheat simultaneously — a different approach that produces a distinct profile from either a pure rye-mashbill or pure wheated bourbon.