Because standard signature yellow labels preserve historic 19th-century aesthetics without displaying batch numerals, authentication of Batch 2 relies on auditing the physical face parameters. Because its 135.4 entry is completely non-twinned elsewhere in the library sequence, identifying this bottle can be cleanly settled by proof configuration alone, corroborated by the lower L13 glass laser line. Every bottle includes the signature ochre-yellow presentation tube. Protect asset status by cellaring upright inside a dark vault shelf away from light paths.

Drawn from the same low-rye mash platform celebrated for its deep complexity, Batch 2 spent up to a decade resting inside the brick-and-wood confines of the producer's century-old warehouse network. Filled straight to glass completely uncut and un-watered, it retains all natural wood vanillins and essential corn oils responsible for its unctuous, syrupy weight on the mid-palate, completely skipping any modern chill-filtration cycles.

Every bottle offered through Midnight Whiskey is sourced exclusively via verified allocation paths, vault-preserved under optimal temperature baselines, and meticulously verified for seal integrity before dispatch. Shipments are packaged in heavily protective single-bottle container cartons and require an age-verified 21+ adult signature at delivery. Review our complete storefront protocols via how a bottle clears authentication, explore storage and protective shipping, and study the standards every listing meets.

What proof is E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Batch 2?

Batch 2 reaches 135.4 proof (67.70% ABV) — the highest of any E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof batch — bottled uncut and unfiltered. The label shows no batch number, so the proof is the identifier, and 135.4 is matched by no other release (laser code L13). It is whatever the barrels measured, not a set target.

Is E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Batch 2 the highest proof?

Yes — at 135.4 proof (67.70% ABV), the 2013 Batch 2 is the strongest E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof the line has released, ahead of even the 134.5 original. Reviewers describe it as spicier than Batch 1, with a honey-like sweetness and notes of dark chocolate, oak, allspice, caramel apple, and cracked pepper. The high strength is the draw, though it is reported to drink less sharply than the nose suggests.