For the first time since 2006, the highly-coveted Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BATC) is expanding its iconic lineup. The collection typically includes five bottles — Sazerac 18, Eagle Rare 17, George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller, and Thomas H. Handy — but for the fall 2025 release, a brand new whiskey is slated to join the BATC: E.H. Taylor Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon.
First launched in 2000, the Antique Collection pays homage to some of the distillery’s most historic brands and the people who brought them to life. The E.H. Taylor expression is no different. Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. (Colonel Taylor) purchased the distillery now known as Buffalo Trace in 1869 and introduced a number of state-of-the art innovations that are still used today. Moreover, Colonel Taylor was instrumental in the passage of the 1897 Bottled-In-Bond Act, which revolutionized bourbon production and earned him the “Father of Modern Bourbon” title.
Produced in accordance with the guidelines put forth in the 1897 legislation, E.H. Taylor Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon will be aged for a minimum of four years, bottled at 100 proof, and produced in a single distillation season.
While the brand has kept any details regarding the new whiskey’s tasting notes under lock and key, we do know that it’s made from Buffalo Trace’s low-rye mash bill, which is thought to include 10 percent or less rye. It’s a similar mash bill used in E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch, which is bottled at 50 percent ABV and delivers light fruit and cherry flavors. While the Bottled-In-Bond expression is aged differently, it’s speculated that some of these notes could transfer over.
“The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection was originally created to celebrate our legacy brands and the visionaries behind them, giving whiskey enthusiasts access to some of the rarest and most exceptional expressions from our distillery,” Buffalo Trace Distillery global brand director Andrew Duncan said. “As a founding figure who helped define bourbon quality — not just for Buffalo Trace, but for the entire industry — it’s only fitting that Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr.’s namesake brand takes its place among the collection. With this release, we proudly pay tribute to Colonel Taylor’s enduring legacy of innovation and craftsmanship.”
The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection 2025 is expected to hit the market sometime in late October, and whiskey lovers should act fast when it does. In past years, the allocated lineup has sold out almost immediately, and this year’s addition is likely to exacerbate the fervor.
