I tasted this alongside an Heaven Hill BiB 7 year as a bit of a bottled in bond battle. I had tasted the E.H. Taylor many more times before the Heaven Hill offering. I will include a note on my preference between the two after the rating. See the Heaven Hill review here.
Company on Label: Old Fashioned Copper (Buffalo Trace)
Whiskey Type: Bourbon
Mash Bill Percentages: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 (Low Rye < 10%)
Proof: 100°
Age: 4 years
Further identification: Late 2019 purchase
Nose: Chocolate & molasses. Brown sugar that layers into a sweet silky cherry. Slight spice when you dig through the caramel. Light cinnamon that isn't biting. Vanilla here is sweet... cake or dessert-like. An orange zest and slight tannin forming later in the nose. After sipping, some light oak can be found. No ethanol to be found here, deep inhales are exceptionally sweet & satisfying. The chocolate & molasses sweetness is indomitable.
Palate: Mmm. Explosive candy sweets. Sugary molasses melts into liquid strawberry, apple and cherry. Drinks in a wave from front to back, and lingers most near the very back of the tongue. Some pepper and a hint of deep, dark red grape. A touch of citrus gives this a complexity that turns this from a candy novelty to an exceptional (relatively) accessible sipper.
Rating: 4/5
Due to the lower age producing a more explosive and complex experience I have to give a nod to the @buffalotrace offering over the Heaven Hill tonight. Both pours were thoroughly enjoyable and I would recommend having each on your shelf.
