Dusty Thursday: Century Old Taylor

I tried some National Distillers Old Taylor on a previous Dusty Thursday. Today's Old Taylor is dusty on steroids. Bottled in 1912, this is pre-prohibition Old Taylor "Kentucky Whiskey." According to bourbon historian Mike Veach, E.H. Taylor thought that many bourbons of the time were inferior so beginning in the 1870s, he started labeling his bourbons as "Kentucky Whiskey."

This bottled in bond bourbon, which I received from a reader, does not appear to have been treated well. It has a mangled tax stamp and comes with the remains of a torn up cardboard tube. The bottled date of 1912 is legible on the stamp, but the stamp portion which would have included the distillation date is torn off.


Old Taylor BIB, bottled 1912, 50% abv.

The nose has some nice caramel and vanilla notes, some marshmallow and rye spice, but also a touch of vinegar. The palate on this starts with some of those sweet bourbon notes with that touch of tang that came off as vinegar on the nose. It goes down quite hot for a 100 proofer; it may be that the acidic quality adds to that. The finish is very acidic, sort of reminiscent of when you throw up a little bit in your mouth but manage to force it back down; it's not that it tastes of vomit but of the subsequent acid in the mouth.

Well, the problem with dusties, especially really old ones, is that you never know how they were handled over the years and whether they have maintained their integrity. Of course, it could have had these qualities to begin with, but that acidic vinegar note suggests to me that this one has gone bad, while some of the underlying bourbon notes hint at what might have been a really good whiskey. Given that this is one hundred years old, it could have spent 60 years in someone's steaming hot attic or woodshed. Who knows? Pity my poor reader who paid a pretty penny for it, but that's the world of dusties for you.

Dusty Thursday: Old Taylor 86 (circa 1982)

Old Taylor from the National Distillers days seems to be one of the more prevalent dusties out there. Back in the 1970s and '80s it was made in at least three versions that I've seen in stores: 80 proof, 86 proof and Bottled in Bond 100 proof. Today I sample an 86 proof.

Like Old Crow and Old Overholt, Old Taylor was a National Distillers brand that was sold off to Beam which promptly ruined it. The brand was recently sold by Beam to Buffalo Trace but the standard yellow label Taylor may still be made with Beam bourbon.

Old Taylor 86 proof (43% abv), 6 years old, 500 ml bottle.

The nose is chock full of caramel and toffee notes...candy all the way with just a touch of spice. The palate is rich and syrupy with maple syrup, vanilla extract and just a dash of clove, followed by some citric acid. It's full bodied and full of flavor. The finish is pure vanilla.

I've had a number of these Old Taylors and they all seem to have a lot of flavor going on. Given that they are among the more available dusties, I would definitely recommend picking one up if you see it.