Vintage bottlings, or “dusties,” are often considered some of the most highly-sought after bourbons in the world, but tracking them down can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Thankfully, Buffalo Trace is bringing a beloved dusty back to life for the modern market. On Wednesday, the distillery announced the launch of Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Distiller’s Council: a new limited-edition bottled-in-bond Kentucky Straight bourbon crafted with a nearly-identical production process to the one E.H. Taylor himself used in the 1880s.
The idea for this recreation dates back to a 1996 meeting at the Buffalo Trace Distillery when a group of industry professionals and retired George T. Stagg Distillery craftsmen sat down and brainstormed how they would go about creating the world’s best whiskey. After sampling through over 30 expressions across a range of proofs, mash bills, and ages, one attendee proposed that they “make whiskey the way we used to.” The group, now known as the Distiller’s Council, then went on to re-discover the ingredients and production methods E.H. Taylor employed at the O.F.C. Distillery (now Buffalo Trace) in the late 19th century, including his iconic sour mashing process, and used them to create a modern bourbon with a vintage spirit.
