Buffalo Trace continues to expand its core range at breakneck speed with the reintroduction of two popular E.H. Taylor bourbons: Four Grain and Cured oak.
America’s leading distillery has doubled down on its position in 2026, releasing a raft of expressions, including Eagle Rare 30 Year Old and a Daniel Weller Spelt Wheat whiskey.
While those two are brand new to the whiskey market, the E.H. Taylor Four Grain and Cured Oak bottles are revivals of popular bottlings from 2017 and 2015, respectively. It’s the next step in E.H. Taylor’s revival after its highly coveted debut in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection in 2025.
Four Grain is a 100-proof (50% ABV), small-batch bourbon containing corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley. As you’d expect from Buffalo Trace, the exact makeup of the mashbill remains a secret.
That mix was aged for all of ten years, apparently allowing each type of grain to have its say on the liquid.
“What makes Four Grain so special is how unconventional it is,” said Harlen Wheatley, the busiest master distiller in all of Kentucky. “It’s also a clear example of what we call a ‘graduated experiment’ – one that began as a deliberate exploration and evolved into a release worthy of returning as a permanent expression.
“Rye and wheat are often used separately, but combining them creates a completely different flavor experience. Alongside corn and malted barley, we’re able to build layers of flavor that balance sweetness, spice, and depth in a way you don’t typically see in bourbon.”
While Four Grain relies on the mashbill for differentiation, Cured Oak uses barrels. The standard 100-proof, bottled-in-bond whiskey spent ten years in white oak staves that were air-dried for 13 months – that’s more than twice the standard curing time. That allows alcohol to penetrate deeper into the oak and extract more flavors from it.
“What you notice with Cured Oak is the added depth and complexity that comes from the extended curing process,” said Wheatley. “Most of our barrels are cured for six months, but with this release, the extended curing brings forward richer notes that create a longer, more layered finish.”
Both bottles will be allocated to select retailers in Kentucky and Louisiana, priced at $79.99, buffalotracedistillery.com
