E. H. Taylor is said to have lobbied in favor of the Bottled-in-Bond Act, a law passed in 1897 that gave participating whiskey producers a tax break and a government certification of product quality.

He was a contemporary of and acquaintance with various other notable whiskey business figures as Dr. James C. Crow, Oscar Pepper, Judge William B. McBrayer, John H. McBrayer and W. F. Bond, and was an adept businessman and public relations professional when it came to packaging and promoting his bourbon.

[citation needed][clarification needed] Unlike most distilleries of the time that looked like little more than a sawmill sitting in a thicket, the Old Taylor Distillery in Woodford County was designed to resemble a medieval castle with the landscaped grounds of an estate.

[clarification needed] The distillery attracted tourists and picnickers who were given complimentary "tenth pint" (about 50 ml) bottles of Old Taylor.

[7] On June 24, 2009, Buffalo Trace Distillery (part of the Sazerac Company) purchased the Old Taylor Bourbon label and barrel inventory from Beam Global Spirits & Wine (now Suntory Global Spirits), the maker of Jim Beam Bourbon and subsidiary of the Fortune Brands holding company.