🥃 I Took a 132 Proof Sip... and Lost Feeling in My Lips

💥 Opening Pour

I once took a bold sip of 132 proof bourbon… and couldn’t feel my lips for ten full minutes. 😅
That wasn’t a tasting. That was a trial by fire.

📖 The Story

It was a cool Friday night in Kentucky when Chuck, my retired master distiller friend, walked into the room holding a bottle like it carried classified information. He set it down gently and said, “Barrel proof. One thirty-two.”

Now most bourbons live comfortably at 90 to 100 proof. Maybe 110 if you enjoy a little swagger. This was 132 proof — 66% alcohol — straight from the barrel at Buffalo Trace Distillery. No water added. No polishing. No soft edges.

He poured a modest amount.

I did not take a modest sip.

The nose was rich and inviting — caramel, toasted oak, brown sugar, dark fruit. It smelled like dessert in a rickhouse. Warm. Sweet. Deceptively calm.

Then I tasted it.

The heat arrived first. Not sharp, but commanding. It spread across my tongue, climbed to my lips, and settled in like it owned the place. Within seconds, my lips tingled. Then they went numb.

Completely numb.

Chuck didn’t flinch. He had seen this movie before.

I tried to say something clever. Nothing came out but warm air and wounded pride. My eyes watered slightly, though I would later deny that detail under oath.

Ten long minutes later, feeling returned.

And here’s the part no one tells you about barrel proof bourbon — the second sip is where the story changes.

Still bold. Still powerful. But now the layers opened. Dark chocolate. Heavy vanilla. Deep oak. A long finish that lingered like the last note of a good blues song.

The burn wasn’t chaos. It was structure. The heat carried the flavor. And once I slowed down — once I respected it — the bourbon rewarded me.

That’s the reveal.

Barrel proof doesn’t exist to impress you. It exists to show you what whiskey tastes like before compromise.

And if you rush it? It reminds you who’s in charge.

🥇 The Weekly Pour

Bottle: E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
MSRP: ~$80
Typical Market Price: $200–$400+ (due to demand)
Proof: Batch dependent (typically 125–135+)
Age: NAS (generally believed to be 7–9 years)

Nose: Deep caramel, butterscotch, dark cherry, toasted oak, and a rich vanilla sweetness

Palate: Bold and structured. Thick mouthfeel. Brown sugar, baking spice, cocoa, and char layered over powerful heat

Finish: Long, warming, and dry with lingering oak, spice, and subtle sweetness

✅ Bottled straight from the barrel
✅ Uncut and unfiltered
✅ Big structure with evolving complexity

🛒 Where to Find It

Official Product Page (details only — not direct purchase)

This bottle is distributed through licensed retailers and specialty bourbon shops. It is occasionally available at the distillery gift shop in very limited quantities.

It is not sold directly online by Buffalo Trace.

And yes — it can be hard to find.

That’s part of the chase.

If you see it near MSRP, don’t hesitate. If you see it at secondary prices, decide how much the experience is worth to you.

Barrel proof at this level isn’t casual. It’s deliberate.

And when you’re ready for that kind of pour — this one delivers. 🥃

🍹The Art of Mixing

Barrel proof deserves respect. But every now and then, it deserves creativity.

This one was born on a hot Kentucky night when I wanted the power… without losing the poetry.

🔥 The Rickhouse Revival

A bold, balanced cocktail that keeps the backbone of barrel proof but layers in brightness and depth.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz barrel proof bourbon
• 0.5 oz Amaro (Nonino or Montenegro work beautifully)
• 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
• 0.5 oz honey syrup (1:1 honey + warm water)
• 1 dash chocolate bitters
• Lemon peel for garnish

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
• Shake hard for 12–15 seconds.
• Double strain into a chilled coupe.
• Express lemon peel over the glass and discard.

Tip: If your bourbon is above 130 proof, add 3–4 drops of water before shaking. It smooths the edges without dulling the structure.

Why it works:

The amaro brings herbal depth.
The honey softens the heat.
The lemon lifts everything.
The chocolate bitters echo the oak.

It’s bright up front. Warm on the finish.
Like a summer night in a rickhouse with the doors cracked open.

🍖 Flavor Pairing Picks

Pair it with:

🍗 Ribeye steak — The fat tempers the heat and highlights the sweetness

🍫 70% dark chocolate — Draws out the cocoa and caramel notes

💨 Maduro cigar — Echoes the deep oak and long finish

🧠 Big Lesson of the Week

High proof is not about bravado. It’s about balance. When you slow down and let the whiskey open, the heat becomes a guide — not an enemy.

🥂 Final Toast

To bold barrels, steady hands, and the kind of burn that teaches you something.

🥃 Repeatable Proverb

Respect the barrel, and it will respect you back.

📖 The Whiskey Journal Is Here

For those of us who believe every bottle tells a story worth writing down.

I finally released The Art of the Pour Official Whiskey Tasting Journal—the same one I use to jot down:

🖋️ Tasting notes, barrel picks, and “finally cracked it open” moments
🗓️ First pours with friends
🧠 Thoughts that hit halfway through a good pour

🎁 And because I love a good surprise, I’m throwing in a free printable Whiskey Tasting Wheel—yep, the one folks keep asking about from past newsletters.

Already a subscriber? You’re first in line.
👉 Get the Journal + Free Whiskey Wheel

Now Its Your Turn

What’s the highest proof you’ve ever tackled — and did it win the first round? 😄

Reply and tell me your story. Save this for your next barrel strength pour. Or share it with the friend who thinks 100 proof is daring.

With steady hands and a clean glass,

Ethan “Neat” Whitmore

P.S. Next week, I’ll show you how a “rare” bottle almost fooled me — and the three quiet red flags that separate true scarcity from clever marketing. 🥃