Can you believe this is the first time I’m reviewing the regular Eagle Rare Bourbon release? I’ve done the old Eagle Rare 101 and an Eagle Rare single barrel, but this is the first time I’ve sat down and done a review of the plane jane Eagle Rare Bourbon that’s on the shelves. Funny how that can happen, a staple just keeps getting pushed to the side because it’s a staple.
In Buffalo Trace’s Words: Eagle Rare
“Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is masterfully crafted and carefully aged for no less than ten years. The rareness of this great breed of bourbon is evident in its complex aroma, as well as the smooth and lingering taste. Eagle Rare is a bourbon that lives up to its name with its lofty, distinctive taste experience.”
Made from the same whiskey as the regular old Buffalo Trace, just aged for 10 years per the back of the bottle, it’s a good standard whiskey to have around the house. Though that wasn’t always the case, about 8-9 years ago it was a harsh, bitter, acetone and acidic bourbon I couldn’t stand. Thankfully It’s now tasty, it’s rich and a crazy good bang for your buck which you’ll see in the Eagle Rare Bourbon review below.
Eagle Rare Bourbon Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Buffalo Trace
Mashbill: BT Mash #1 – Low Rye (10% or less rye)
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 10 Years
ABV: 45%
Price: $30
Eagle Rare Bourbon Review
EYE
Dark caramel
NOSE
Dark fruit heavy with dried berries, complex spice, oak, caramel and lighter notes of dried grain, dark honey and vanilla.
PALATE
A big slab of oak coated in dried dark fruit, baking spice, dark sweets, toasted grain and velvety undertones of earth and leather. A ghostly bit of vanilla drifts through.
FINISH
Long fad of oak and spice with a bit of dark fruit and sweets.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Excellent balance, rich full body and a smooth almost syrupy feel.
OVERALL
Eagle Rare Bourbon is a robust yet easy drinking whiskey. Such a departure from the ER I attempted to drink 8 or 9 years ago. The searing memory of its hot, harsh, acidic acetone profile and thin bourbon-like character still haunts me every time I look at a bottle of what is now great whiskey. It’s not quite as good as any of the old Eagle Rare 101 I’ve had, but it’s good enough.
SCORE: 89/100 (B+)
Eagle Rare Bourbon Review - Score Breakdown
Summary
Eagle Rare Bourbon is tasty and a great value.
Overall
- Nose - 89
- Palate - 89
- Finish - 89
- Balance, Body & Feel - 89
Got lucky with a ABC store ‘drop’ (allocated product release)I happened upon whilst getting item for wife. Hers was $37.99, Eagle Rare same…so I had logic to buy.
Huge Buffalo Trace fan, definitely was a thrill to taste this whisky. I’ll agree it’s more robust than BT. Tried it straight and with a minimal ice cube, great both ways. Good call.
Cheers Robert!
This bottle is allocated and difficult to obtain in my area. Naturally, in order to get one, you have to overpay for it. Which I did because my curiosity got the better of me. I am glad I did. A very nice, drinkable bourbon. At 3o dollars or so a bottle, a terrific option. It was worth the 5o dollars to me to sample it. Do yourself a favor and give it a try.
Wow, $50 ain’t bad. I can’t find it around here anymore for under $100! Cheers Jack!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen this on shelves. I got a bottle of bt that was decent many yrs ago, but in MD, we don’t get bt products. Thus far knob is absolutely doing it for me and I’m assuming bt will be a pain until they catch up with demand. The msrp is a deceivingly good deal for a 10yr, but it’s never on shelves.
It’s going to be a while for sure. When I do see it on the shelves here it’s priced $100+
Hi Josh,
Have been meaning to ask about the Eagle Rare…. I do recall a number of years ago trying it and it was one of those ‘meh’ moments.
I still can’t go past the Makers ‘cask strength’ … It’s getting into Winter and I’m after something ….. I don’t know… thick ?? I liked the High West prairie , WT SIB and Michters… the Makers C.S. is unavailable .. Worse… a few that I wanted to try like Balcones etc are up in Melbourne…. delivery I suppose…. Contemplating the Yellow Rose vs Turkey SIB vs Eagle Rare or even the Rare Breed… .. These I can get locally in Geelong . We are NOT spoilt for choice like you guys….
Any thoughts mate ?
AL
I’m a big fan of the higher proof Turkey SiBs and Rare Breed so those a go-to for me, but if you’re looking for something less spicy the Eagle Rare is a good pick and it’s become better than it was 10is years ago when it was an inconsisitent hot mess. Cheers Allan.
I was expecting to be wowed by this. And wasn’t. It’s good, really good, but being a fan of Blanton’s, and to a lesser degree Buffalo Trace & Ancient Ancient Age, I was hoping for something spectacular. It’s smooth, sensual, nice dark fruit, dried berry and old leather notes, but I can’t help feeling it’s a bit too sweet, syrupy and well-behaved. And it certainly isn’t cheap, at least here in Japan at $40-$50 or so. Ah, well, back to my Evan Williams 12 when I’m in that Bourbon mood!
At least you can get Evan Williams 12 :) Not even an option over here.
Was at the local bar, I usually drink BT. The bartender suggested ER. I got a bottle and I Later thanked him ! I’m no good at flowery descriptions. Suffice to say it’s damn good. It checks off all my straight bourbon boxes, and at a good price too. Get a bottle. Nuff said !
Cheers Mike!
I think Eagle rare is a great bourbon for its price! It’s good net, on the rocks and in a cocktail. Sweet and smooth just plain delicious. With so many over priced and extremely hard to find whiskeys out there it’s a home run! Sometimes it’s hard to get here in Ohio. When you see it get a bottle or two but please leave some for others. We all like good whiskey to drink so don’t be that guy to buy all the bottles so no else can get one!
Well said, cheers!
Thanks for all the great reviews Josh you have put me on to some very good whiskeys. I really like Eagle Rear its sweet, smooth and really delicious! It works well net, on the rocks and in a cocktail. It’s just a great all around bourbon. A must to have on hand when you can find it well worth the money!
Cheers Lee, thank you! Glad you’re loving the Eagle Rare, it’s one of my fav everyday whiskeys :)
Eagle Rare is yummy, but the regular Buffalo Trace is still my favorite along with the nearly unobtainable Weller Antique 107. That said, there is a weird price inversion around here where the Eagle Rare is $29 vs. the Buffalo Trace at $34. It might be time to buy a couple of bottles.
I agree, Eagle Rare is yummy. Picked up 2 bottles of store select single barrel for $29.99 today. Buffalo Trace is trending around $23.99 in mid-Missouri. Grabbed the last two bottles of ER select single barrel today. Life is good!
I thought there was no plain Jane Eagle Rare now days and it was all a 10 year old single barrel bourbon? And also a 17 year old single barrel borbon antique collection? Am I mistaken about this?
Great question Joe. Buffalo Trace still bottles ER as a “single barrel”, but removed the single barrel term when they moved to an automated bottling line because when it switches from one barrel to another you could get whiskey from two barrels in one bottle. And since they don’t list the barrel number and bottle number it’s impossible to know anything about where it falls in the bottling. For these reasons, the same as Buffalo Trace’s, I’ve stopped referring to it directly as a single barrel unless it’s a store pick single barrel which is guaranteed to only come from one single barrel. Cheers!
I just returned from a road trip to visit friends in Kentucky. Stared and stared at the bourbon section at a liquor store there trying to choose what to buy to celebrate my recent completion of the Appalachian Trail.
I ended up picking Eagle Rare because it is the one in the price range (up to $40) I haven’t tried. Now, before opening up the bottle I am reading a few website thoughts on my choice. Maybe I should drink first then read. Oh well.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Cheers
That’s typically how I do it, drink then read, but there’s no real wrong way to do it. Cheers!
I was disappointed by this, but I think the price point that it is here in Australia made me think it should of been a bit richer and complex.
Cheers Ben, sorry to hear about your experience :/
keep in mind in australia this is AUD$90 so that’s a fair comment. buffalo trace bourbon is unfortunately really overpriced down under. You can pick up Russell’s Reserve 10 for $55 though which would be my recommendation for the best value bourbon you can get here. cheers.
this is down to $67 at dan murphys ben, if you like it more for this price point
I found bourbon prices very high in Australia, never understood why, import taxes?
Yeah. Just like Scotch is more expensive here than overseas.
My go to Bourbon. One of the only ones I bought several times (so many things to try, I keep changing). I really don’t think that anything comes close at $29 (but I keep searching, was pleasantly surprised with Corner Creek, but it is is way lighter than ER, just for a different type of mood)…
I have an orginal bottle of this “Eagle Rare” with ubroken seal, neck tag, and original wooden crate box it came in! 101 proof, 1978 release…Any interested parties??!!!
how much?
This is absolutely delicious,I never would have guessed as I passed this bottle up for years,but I think I have a new favorite. this doesn’t get “boring” as so many of today’s offerings and quite a bargain.
very good stuff and for 28 bucks you cant beat it. love the color. I would have never tried it, thanks for the tip josh .
Glad you did. Cheers Len!
For some reason the PA state stores had a “Bourbon famine” earlier this years, and my local store had a very limited selection. ER was on sale and had a very cool bottle and nice dark color so bought a bottle. I was very pleasantly surprised. This is a big, spicy and oaky bourbon with a nice long finish. This could easily be a favorite every day drink.
I didn’t know that this was the same whiskey as Buffalo Trace, but I can see the similarity. I am kind of fond of BT but a few extra years in wood make for a much richer and complex drink.
The PA bourbon famine is slowly abating, that goodness.
Glad to hear it’s abating, that’s a no-good situation. Cheers!
I just reviewed the same bourbon. I got a distinct impression of kettle corn on the nose which fits with your caramel and dried grain impressions, I think. What I really loved was the taste of Bit-O-Honey candy I picked up as it opened up. This is just an all-around pleasant drinker.
“This is just an all-around pleasant drinker.” Amen to that. Cheers Brad!
So glad you took a chance on the ‘ol ER again, Josh! Like you said, it’s a great value and (for the most part) readily available — at least for the time being. One of my go to’s on a cool, star-filled sky. Slainte!
Cheers Ryan. Yeah it took some doing to get me to try it again (~4 years ago), but since then it’s been a lovely whiskey indeed. :)
Just toured and tasted
Just toured this morning and tasted. Drove all the way from near Ft. Wayne Indiana. Love the simplicity but yet not too simple flavor. Great dram to have. Tasted this after finally sampling 12yr Weller(my unicorn, impossible to catch and only heard about), tasted Blantons, and tasted 15yr Pappy. I can die now. Amazing weekend.
Hey Brett,
Thanks for sharing, that does sound like an awesome weekend. Cheers!