ABV 45%
Eagle Rare is part of Buffalo Trace's Antique Collection of super-premium American whiskies. The 17 year-old was introduced as part of the original Antique Collection in 2000, while 10 year-old and the rarer 15 year-old expression were introduced subsequent to the initial success and rave reviews received for the Antique Collection.
"The bright honey/topaz color shows sparkling bronze core features impeccable purity; the early aromas include gentle grain, toasted honey-wheat bread, and tobacco leaf with aeration, the aroma quickly transforms into a pedal-to-the-metal Bourbon bouquet as evolved scents of ripe banana and charcoal tweak the olfactory sense in the middle stage whiffs -- fragrances of lanolin, almond butter, melon, and oil accent the toastiness beautifully -- it's a somewhat restrained, or better, understated aroma but I sense lots of power lying just beneath the surface; my, my, my, what have we here -- in the mouth, this oily, toasty beauty seduces the taste buds at palate entry with dry flavors of cereal grain and mild oak resin -- the mid-palate tastes explode on the tongue in unabashedly sweet and oily flavors of black raisins, grape- fruit, charred oak, and candied almonds; the finish is long, corny sweet, moderately fiery, and lasciviously oily; easily one of the most tactile yet assertive and expressive Bourbons I've tasted in the last two years; fasten your seat belts."
Paul Pacult, The Spirit Journal