With a previous highest first-class score of just 40, Taylor was expected to hit out.
It was just no-one expected it would last so long - least of all the hapless New Zealand seam attack as Taylor flayed boundaries to all parts of the ground in an audacious display of hitting.
He cracked some marvellous square drives off the back foot on his way to a memorable 106 off 107 balls.
Taylor combined in a record 153-run seventh-wicket partnership against New Zealand with Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
The partnership came at a crucial time with the West Indies' innings teetering at 173 for six.
His magnificent century may have given the tourists an outside chance of forcing a result, although with more poor weather forecast for Dunedin the first test seems destined for a draw.
The West Indies resumed on 39 for none and reached 340 in reply to New Zealand's 365.
But at stumps the home side was in a spot of trouble at 44 for two.
Vettori, easily the best of the bowlers with six for 56, lamented his side's bowling performance.
"I don't want to take too much away from Taylor. I thought it was a very good innings," Vettori said.
"But I was disappointed with the way we bowled at times. Once we got that sixth wicket, it seemed like we were in a rush to get the next four instead of being patient.
"We just didn't bowl well."
Recalled Wellington pace bowler Mark Gillespie was erratic and his provincial team-mate James Franklin dished up too many half volleys.
Mills had his moments claiming three scalps.
But it was Vettori who provided the strike power, claiming his 18th five-wicket haul.
The wily left-arm spinner is in a class of his own but had some help from the new referral system, which allows players to request a decision be referred to the third umpire.
But despite benefiting from it twice yesterday, Vettori did not give the experimental rule a glowing endorsement"You want to make sure you get the obvious ones [decisions] right.
But I think what is happening a little bit is the 50-50 ones are coming into play and I don't think that's what it is invented for.
I think there is a bit of fine-tuning that needs to be done.
"I think the 50-50 ones are going to slow the game down and take the umpiring completely out of it."
Having lost two wickets before stumps, Vettori said his side had put itself under pressure and would have to bat well this morning to make the match safe.
Earlier, Windies skipper Chris Gayle got off to a brisk start racking up his 30th test 50.
But by lunch, New Zealand had seized the imitative with the top four all back in the shed.
Brendan Nash had a life on one when he was dropped by Ross Taylor.
Taylor left the field immediately and has dislocated and chipped a bone in his right ring finger.
He is expected to bat today and will come in at the fall of the next wicket.
Heavy rain on Thursday night and showers on Friday left the playing surface waterlogged, which prevented play until 2.45pm on Saturday.
New Zealand resumed at 226 for four with Jesse Ryder on 54 and Brendon McCullum with him on four, looking to push past 400 and put some pressure on the tourists.
The home side was not able to profit as it would have hoped with Ryder falling 11 runs short of a maiden test 100 when he mistimed a pull shot off the bowling of Daren Powell.
Meanwhile, Black Caps all-rounder Jacob Oram's calf strain will prevent him from playing in the second test as an all-rounder but he may be considered as a specialist batsman if he can prove his fitness within the next two days.
