The Col. Taylor juggernaut continues rolling from Buffalo Trace. For this sixth expression, Taylor plays it comparably simple and unchallenging: a small batch bourbon, made from batching seven-year-old barrels from the hallowed sixth floor of Buffalo Trace’s brick warehouse. Like the other Col. Taylor bottlings, it’s bottled in bond at 100 proof.

Heavy and almost hoary lumberyard notes fill the air when you pour a glass. Fortunately, this fades after a time, leaving behind more citrus and light vanilla notes to mingle with the wood.  Similar notes on the body: Heavy barrel influence, unlike most of the other Taylor bottlings, but with a distinct citrus character (which is in keeping with most of the other Taylor bottlings). There’s lots of sweetness right at the front of the whiskey once you push past the wood character. But this becomes more bittersweet as it rolls to the back of the throat. Salted caramel and those “chocolate orange” candy balls that your grandmother gives you for Christmas are the impressions that linger on the finish.