“I found iodine in their whiskey” – the Kentucky bourbon maker who went nuclear on fake spirits

Colonel Taylor’s Battle Against America’s Deadly Whiskey Trade

In the 1890s, American whiskey could kill you. Fake spirits flooded the market as “rectifiers” added tobacco spit, iodine, and even shoe polish to cheap grain alcohol. Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr., owner of what’s now Buffalo Trace Distillery, fought back.

As President Zachary Taylor’s grand-nephew, he had connections but faced fierce opposition from the rectifier lobby. Taylor joined forces with Treasury Secretary John Carlisle, and after years of work, they won.

The Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 became America’s first consumer protection law.

Today, Buffalo Trace Distillery stands as the battleground where Colonel Taylor saved countless lives and America’s most iconic spirit.

Banking Exposed Taylor to Whiskey’s Dark Secrets

As a banker in the 1860s and 70s, E. H. Taylor Jr. got a behind-the-scenes look at the whiskey business.

His job involved lending money to distilleries and checking their books. He saw firsthand how honest whiskey makers struggled against cheap fake products.

During this time, Taylor built relationships with respected distillers like Dr. James Crow and Oscar Pepper.

The financial records he looked at showed troubling industry practices that later drove him to fight for change.

The Colonel Bought His First Distillery for $72,000

Taylor jumped into making whiskey in 1869 when he bought a small Leestown distillery with his partner Daniel Swigert. He named it O.F.C. , short for Old Fire Copper, referring to the copper equipment used by quality distillers.

Taylor spent over $70,000 (about $1.4 million today) to update the facility with copper tanks, column stills, and steam heating.

His brands like Old Taylor quickly became known for top quality and consistency.

Fake Whiskey Killed Unsuspecting Drinkers

By the 1880s, American whiskey faced a deadly crisis.

Shady dealers called “rectifiers” bought cheap grain alcohol and mixed in coloring and flavoring to fake aged whiskey. Some added harmless stuff like prune juice, but many used toxic ingredients.

People got sick or died from drinking whiskey mixed with tobacco spit, iodine, shoe polish, and paint thinner.

These dangerous fakes sold for much less than real aged whiskey, putting both lives and honest businesses at risk.

Money Problems Forced Taylor to Sell His Beloved Distillery

Taylor’s big improvements at O.F.C. cost a lot of money. The copper equipment, steam heating, and new warehouses put him in financial trouble. In 1878, money problems forced him to sell his distillery to George T.

Stagg. Though he lost ownership, Taylor stayed involved in running things and spoke out more about industry standards.

He bounced back in 1887 by building the castle-like Old Taylor Distillery in Millville, Kentucky, known for its European-style architecture and gardens.

Whiskey Makers Split Into Warring Factions

Clear battle lines formed between two industry groups. Straight whiskey makers like Taylor and James E. Pepper pushed for rules to protect consumers and real bourbon.

On the other side, rectifiers including George Garvin Brown and Isaac Wolfe Bernheim fought against government oversight that threatened their business.

Even doctors joined the fight, complaining they couldn’t trust the quality of whiskey they gave patients. This industry split created a political showdown that changed American consumer protection forever.

A Kentucky Senator Became Taylor’s Powerful Ally

Taylor found a key partner in John G. Carlisle, a Kentucky Senator who later became Secretary of Treasury under President Grover Cleveland.

Carlisle shared Taylor’s worry about fake whiskey and used his political power to push for change.

The pair made a strong team – Taylor brought distilling know-how and industry knowledge, while Carlisle knew how to work Washington politics.

Together they wrote laws that would use federal oversight to guarantee whiskey quality.

The Law Set Strict Rules for Real Whiskey

Taylor and Carlisle created tough standards for what could be called bonded whiskey. Their law required that genuine bourbon come from one distiller at one distillery during one season.

It had to age at least four years in federally watched warehouses and get bottled at exactly 100 proof. The only thing they could add was water to adjust proof.

Treasury agents would watch the whole process, and approved bottles would carry special green government stamps.

Rectifiers Fought Hard Against New Regulations

The proposed law faced strong opposition in Congress.

Isaac Wolfe Bernheim led rectifiers in arguing that the legislation favored distillers and would kill the blending business.

Even George Garvin Brown, who started Old Forester with quality standards, worried about how it would affect his business. The debate lasted six months with testimony from both sides.

Rectifiers claimed they added value through blending skill, while Taylor’s allies pointed to the health crisis caused by toxic additives.

President Cleveland Signed America’s First Consumer Protection Law

After years of fighting, Taylor and Carlisle’s work paid off when President Grover Cleveland signed the Bottled-in-Bond Act on March 3, 1897.

This important law became America’s first consumer protection law, coming nine years before the more famous Pure Food and Drug Act.

The federal government now guaranteed whiskey quality through official stamps showing John G. Carlisle’s face.

For the first time, Americans could buy whiskey knowing it wouldn’t poison them.

Green Tax Stamps Guaranteed Safe Whiskey

The new law quickly changed the whiskey market. Distilleries got tax breaks for joining the bonded program, helping cover the costs of meeting higher standards.

Consumers learned to look for the green tax stamps that guaranteed real whiskey. These stamps showed Secretary Carlisle’s picture and details about the whiskey’s production.

Honest distillers finally had an edge over counterfeiters, as the government stamps made it harder to sell fake products. Whiskey-related illnesses dropped as toxic additives vanished.

Buffalo Trace Still Honors Taylor’s Fight For Pure Bourbon

The O.F.C. distillery that Taylor founded changed names over the years, becoming the George T. Stagg Distillery in 1904 and Buffalo Trace in 1992.

Many of Taylor’s innovations remain in use today, including his steam heating system for aging warehouses. In 2011, Buffalo Trace launched the E.H. Taylor bourbon line to honor the Colonel’s contributions to whiskey safety.

The distillery earned National Historic Landmark status partly because of Taylor’s pioneering work.

His crusade against poisoned whiskey created quality standards that continue protecting bourbon drinkers more than 125 years later.

Visiting Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky

Buffalo Trace Distillery at 113 Great Buffalo Trace in Frankfort offers free tours and tastings, but you need reservations released Wednesdays at 10am Eastern.

The Old Taylor Tour covers the historic Old Taylor House, OFC Building with old fermenters, and Warehouse C where you’ll learn about E. H. Taylor’s fight against poisoned whiskey that led to the 1897 Bottled-in-Bond Act.

The 35,000 square foot visitor center has exhibits and their gift shop sometimes carries E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch bourbon.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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