- BrandColonel E.H. Taylor
- CountryUSA
- RegionKentucky
- TypeBourbon
- Size750ml
- SKU 210000014830
Highlights
Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr. Cured Oak 17 Year is the original 2015 release of one of the most coveted limited-edition bourbons ever produced in the E.H. Taylor collection. Aged for an exceptional 17 years and bottled in bond at 100 proof (50% ABV), this rare Buffalo Trace expression was created to explore the profound influence that extended oak seasoning can have on mature Kentucky bourbon.
The defining feature of Cured Oak begins before the barrels are even assembled. Buffalo Trace worked with Independent Stave Company to produce barrels from white oak staves that were air-dried outdoors for 13 months, more than twice the approximately six-month curing period typically used for the distillery's bourbon barrels. The additional exposure allowed the wood to season more extensively before being coopered, creating a different balance of compounds available for extraction during maturation.
Once filled, the bourbon spent 17 years aging in Buffalo Trace's historic Warehouse C. The extraordinary combination of extended stave curing and nearly two decades of maturation produced a whiskey with tremendous depth while preserving the structure and balance expected from the Colonel E.H. Taylor name.
The aroma is rich with tobacco and dried fruit. On the palate, layers of vanilla, toffee and ripe fig unfold alongside mature oak, with the extended barrel aging contributing a distinctly dry and seasoned character. The finish is long and dry, allowing oak, dark fruit and lingering sweetness to gradually recede.
Released in 2015 as a highly limited expression, the original 17 Year Cured Oak quickly became one of the most difficult E.H. Taylor bottlings to acquire. Its unusually advanced age, experimental 13-month stave-curing process and Bottled-in-Bond presentation distinguish it from virtually every other release in the collection.
For collectors of rare Buffalo Trace whiskey and historic Colonel E.H. Taylor releases, the original 2015 Cured Oak represents an important chapter in the series and remains dramatically different from the younger Cured Oak expression reintroduced in 2026.
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Release: 2015 Original Release
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: 17 Years
Proof: 100
ABV: 50%
Designation: Bottled in Bond
Mash Bill: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1
Barrel Stave Curing: 13 Months
Aging Location: Warehouse C
Size: 750ml