Eagle Rare Bourbon: Everything You Need to Know About This Gateway Bourbon
The Eagle Rare bourbon lineup actually consists of several bourbon offerings from Buffalo Trace Distillery. For this Eagle Rare review however, we will focus mostly on the Eagle Rare 10-year Bourbon. Moreover, none of the Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey in this entire lineup is aged for no less than ten years.
For those looking for other expressions in this lineup, checkout out our 2021 Double Eagle Very Rare Bourbon 20-Year Release. The 17-year version is also available in the infamous Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.
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Eagle Rare whiskey has been been produced since 1975 along the Kentucky River in Frankfort, Kentucky. That’s certainly a newcomer in terms of whiskey status, however it has already racked up many awards and developed a hardcore following.
The bottle itself states, “Eagle Rare 10 year old Kentucky straight Bourbon whiskey has a sweet, oaky nose and full, complex body. Reminiscent of a fine port wine, this rare whiskey is best served neat, or over ice. Of course, feel free to drink Eagle Rare in such classic cocktails as the Manhattan or Whiskey Sour.”
Through its history, it has also experienced several small changes from time to time. One of the more recent, was the “single barrel bourbon” distinction on its label. The distillery suggested that due to their current bottling production, there is technically no guarantee that remnants from a prior barrel does not mix from time to time. Therefore, it was removed several years back when their hand-bottling line moved to high speed automation.
Review & Tasting Notes
Single barrel bourbons have been all the hype for quite some time, well before the recent trends of full proofs or finished whiskies. Blanton’s was onto that well before the Taters entered the scene.
Initially, that was part of the appeal of Eagle Rare. It gives folks an opportunity to experience the technique, without spending a lot of money on entering the space. Think of it as one of the more mass produced single barrel bourbons on the market, even if the label was removed for technicalities.
Part of its uniqueness is brand positioning and value, not necessarily on flavor profile. Some folks compare it to the sweet and subtle offerings of Four Roses Small Batch or E.H. Taylor Small Batch. Certainly not bad company as those are reputable sippers!
Nonetheless, it’s more commonly viewed as an easy go-to daily sipper for anyone. However, its subtlety can also seem mundane to more adventurous and experimental bourbon lovers over time.
Some bourbon enthusiasts go so far as to suggest that its quality has degraded over time, or maybe it was simply a gateway bourbon all along? Regardless, it’s hard to find folks that don’t respect this 10-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey for what it is. More easily accessible relative to a lot of allocated bourbons, a bargain, and an all-purpose winner.
Nose
Aroma: The nose of this 10-year bourbon is complex with aromas of toffee, hints of orange peels, honey, herbs, leather and oak.
Palate
Taste: The taste is bold and dry with delicate notes of candied almonds and very rich cocoa.
Finish
The finish on this bourbon is also dry and lingering.
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Availability, Where to Buy
This is sometimes not viewed as an allocated bourbon do to it’s more approachable pricepoint. However, like all Buffalo Trace products, it is certainly allocation only. That means it won’t be restocked on-demand when supplies are low. Rather, a liquor store might only receive a limited amount of cases and when it’s gone, it’s gone.
So if you’re still asking where to buy Eagle Rare bourbon near me? You can buy Eagle Rare 10 Year online through select retailers, nationwide retailers with brick and mortar liquor stores, and sometimes at the Buffalo Trace gift shop.
Nonetheless, is it certainly distributed across all 50 states.
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Proof & ABV
At 90 percent ABV, this bourbon is more mellow than some of the alternatives. The 90-proofing is the equivalent of 45% ABV, which makes for an easy sipping whiskey.
Mash Bill
The Eagle Rare 10 year bourbon utilizes the #1 Mashbill from Buffalo Trace. While proprietary, it is thought to be a low rye mash bill consisting of 10% or less rye. This is the same mash bill shared with other brands such as Buffalo Trace, Stagg, and E.H. Taylor Jr.
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MSRP & Secondary Price
The suggested Eagle Rare price for a 750ml offering is an approachable $30. Part of the popularity of this bourbon weighs that pricepoint. Due to it’s original single barrel bourbon identification, and other halo products in its lineup, that has given it the appeal of value.
However, due to that demand you could just as easily see this for a shelf price of $50 per bottle due to the upward pressure from secondary market prices. Still, the suggested retail Eagle Rare bourbon price is officially set for $30. However, if you look for Eagle Rare bourbon for sale long enough, you might bump into the 1.75l bottle as well.
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