From despair
sometimes comes great things.
In spring of
2006 a severe storm and a violent tornado twisted over Buffalo Trace
Distillery, damaging two barrel aging warehouses. Warehouse C (which was built by E.H. Taylor Jr. in 1881), had significant damage to its roof and north walls. The aging
barrels of whiskey within Warehouse C were exposed to Kentucky’s extreme
temperatures for the majority of the summer while the structure underwent
repair. Such exposure no doubt created a once in a lifetime bourbon, rich in
flavor and character. In 2011, 93 barrels aged in the top two levels of
Warehouse C were bottled as Tornado Surviving bourbon, marking the third
release of E.H. Taylor Jr whiskey.
In 2013 I acquired
this bottle of Tornado Surviving Bourbon and have been holding it for a special
occasion. On February 9th,
2018 my wife and I welcomed Conley Elyse Blundon into the world. It’s been a
trying year, my wife had a difficult pregnancy. Every OB visit foreshadowed a
sense of helplessness and anxiety as fetal measurements were not looking typical,
and these stressors were compounded by many emergent hospital stays for fetal
monitoring. All we wanted was for our baby girl to be okay, but we were
constantly told that things were not. I am grateful that my daughter was born
healthy and is thriving. Since her birth it’s been a whirlwind of sleepless
delight. I love being a father, and watching my wife transform into an amazing
mother has been pure bliss. It's wild how difficult situations can result in amazing outcomes. I’ve found comfort in the similarities of these
stories, and Warehouse C Tornado Surviving Bourbon is the perfect bottle to
celebrate such an experience.
Details:
100 proof
Price: Unavailable at
MSRP ($75 in 2011)
No Age Statement- 9
years/8 months to 11 years/11 months old, bottled together
Nose: Apple pie, vanilla
cream, and rich dark fruits (plums, figs). Clove and tobacco. Each note is
bright and apparent, yet the whole bouquet seems effortlessly balanced.
Taste:
Complex with a rich, yet delicate profile. Jelly
jam, butter, and caramel deliver a bold sweetness. Heavy spice, with cinnamon and rye at
the forefront. There is a hefty amount of oak/cedar that brings a thick dryness.
Finish: Baking spices,
caramel, and hints of tobacco.
Conclusion: If you're a habitual reader of my blog, you're well aware of my love affair with Buffalo Trace, and that I haven't tasted an E.H. Taylor whiskey I didn't enjoy. As with any limited bourbon now a days (especially those coming out of Buffalo Trace), you can imagine the soaring demand for Tornado Surviving bourbon on the secondary market. Even with all the hype, Tornado Surviving bourbon far exceeded my
expectations. No it's not worth current secondary prices, but it's a rich, complex, spicy, and fruity delight.
Rating: A (Great!)