Return to Ironside for Warehouse C

Ever since our first trip to Ironside, I've had the good fortune to get an occasional text from Liz when she has something special at the bar.  She'll even save us our favorite table in the corner if we're coming in.  We've been back a few times, for Weller CYPB for example, and I guess that makes those texts just good marketing on her part.  For us, its offered great opportunities to try some really hard-to-find pours.  

This time, we got an amazing opportunity to try a once-only release from Buffalo Trace: EH Taylor Warehouse C bourbon.  Liz had texted me earlier in the day to let us know that Warehouse C pours had been reduced from $180 to $50, and the bottle was falling fast. Obviously, we were headed her way within an hour or two of that text.   

EH Taylor Warehouse C was born when, in 2006, a tornado ripped the roof off Warehouse C at the Buffalo Trace distillery.  Fortunately, the barrels themselves were undamaged, but had to be left exposed to the summer sun and occasional rain for months.  The result was a unique flavor profile that is really exceptional, and bottles of Warehouse C are currently fetching $2000 or more on the secondary market.

EH Taylor Warehouse C Tasting Notes

Liz poured each of us 2oz in a Glencairn Glass. The bottle had been open for about a week or so and was half full when we had our pour.  Like all E.H. Taylor expressions it is bottled at 100 proof.  

Mash Bill: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1, which is undisclosed but estimated at 76% corn, 9% rye, and 15% malted barley.

Nose:  Initially we got vanilla, citrus, and hints of copper.  As the bourbon rested in the glass, caramel and cinnamon come forward.

Palate: Caramel, coffee, cinnamon and pepper.

Finish: Long finish with lingering notes of vanilla, cinnamon and leather.

Somehow the tasting notes don't do it justice.  The long, interesting finish was really quite unique and really special.  It was also a very easy drinking bourbon with very little ethanol burn for a 100 proof pour.  We sipped on it for quite a while, chatting with Liz and noting how we picked up different notes as we enjoyed it. 

Company in the Bar and our Follow-Up Pours 

Aside from its amazing collection of whiskies, one of the things we really love about Ironside is its intimacy.  It's tucked in a corner of the hotel lobby, and often there is almost no one there but us and Liz or, as on our first trip, perhaps one other person. 

This night started out with just us until a woman from Ohio who had been enjoying drinks with a few friends downstairs stopped by just as we were finishing our Warehouse C. She was there to pick up a pour of Elmer T. Lee for a bourbon enthusiast she was with that evening.  We told her the story of Warehouse C and how special it was, and she ended up buying that for her friend as well.  Then she headed back downstairs, saying that she might be back with her friends later.

I noticed a bottle of Russell's Reserve 13 on the shelf, and had decided to make that my second pour of the evening. While neither as rare or as expensive as Warehouse C, it's also extremely difficult to get where we are in New England.

I didn't make complete tasting notes for it, but I will say that I really enjoyed this pour. It has the deep caramel notes of an longer aged bourbon and that distinct tannic you get from the 4.5 barrel char in most Wild Turkey products. It was a really nice pour and I think well worth the $23 pour price at Ironside.

For his part, Dan went to "the dark side" and ordered a pour of Ardbeg Scorch. I'm not really the right guy to tell you about it, because I really dislike Islay scotches. I just can't do the smoky peat taste, which I think Dan once described as being like "chewing on a Band-Aid." Dan and Mitch keep encouraging me to explore scotch more and they may get me there with Speyside varieties like the Oban 14 we had at camp weekend.  I did try a small sip of Dan's Scorch, and all I can say is I may never enjoy Islay scotch.

We ordered a couple of apps to munch on and settled in for the a longer visit.  Soon after, a couple from Philadelphia came in and we struck up a conversation. We shared a few tips on places they might go for dinner or drinks and talked about other regions of the state they might want to visit. Each of them ordered a cocktail and although they kept talking about leaving to smoke, they were with us for the rest of the evening.  

For our final pours Dan and I each ordered a pour of Legent, and soon our friend from Ohio was back with the rest of her party. The whiskey enthusiast in the group settled in at the bar, while the rest of us talked and enjoyed our drinks. At this point there were nine of us in the room including Liz, which was easily the busiest I had ever seen Ironside. 

We had a great time as usual, and in Warehouse C we got to enjoy a once-ever experience that didn't disappoint.  We'll be back again soon!