Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Review

At Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, the country's oldest continually operating distillery, a variety of American bourbons are produced. With Eagle Rare whiskey, the distiller celebrates the independence of the individual and the innovation that comes with it. We explain how this is expressed in our Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Review.

The Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, has deep-rooted ties to the past. The distillery is located in a place once of great importance to pioneers, when the continent was yet to have a president.

This past is honored through several of its whiskey brands, like the Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon. The whiskey harks back to a story of freedom and independence: the cornerstones that have made the United States what it is today and the foundation of Kentucky Straight Bourbon.

For a whiskey with a clear nod to the past, the mashbill used is quite appropriate. The bourbon is distilled with the #1 mashbill of the distillery in Kentucky. This is the same mashbill as the George T. Stagg and Buffalo Trace Bourbon, which contains only 10 percent rye or less.

The difference with the other expressions that use the mashbill lies in the barrels used and the maturation of the spirit. The spirit is distilled in a traditional manner and then transferred to new, heavily charred American oak barrels.

The whiskey remains in these barrels for a minimum of 10 years for maturation, after which the whiskey is bottled once a year. This was once done entirely by hand from a single barrel, making it a single barrel bourbon.

Although the bottling process is now automated, the premium bourbon is still released in limited quantities on the market. However, you would not notice this in the price. For this 10-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon, you only pay a few tens of dollars.

The bottle of Eagle Rare Kentucky Bourbon is a little taller and slimmer than the average whiskey bottle. The neck is topped with a silver-colored closure that covers the cork. The logo of the whiskey brand can be found on the top of it, while the front bear no label, giving it a sleek appearance.

Instead of a paper label, the brand name Eagle Rare is internally printed on the bottle in ornate white lines. Beneath this, entirely in white, an eagle can be seen, the symbol of freedom in the United States. The illustration on the front of the bottle contrasts beautifully against the deep amber color of the whiskey and the label on the back.

On the back, there is indeed a label with information about the spirit and the following text:

‘Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - the cornerstones of the birth of a nation, embodied by the American bald eagle. The nation has come to represent freedom, the spirit, and the independence of the individual, providing the world with products and innovations unique to itself.’

The Eagle Rare bourbon has a beautiful deep color that allures. When it comes to aroma, the Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon is clearly identifiable from the get-go. Without having to make an effort, waves of caramel, nougat, honey, and marshmallow pass by. The nose of this bourbon is very sweet.

If you sniff for a bit longer, more complex notes appear. A scent of citrus and fresh orange peel surfaces, with earthy tones of a pine forest on a cloudy day. This makes the bourbon not only interesting for sweet tooth who simply get a glass served after a long day. Even for connoisseurs seeking a bit more depth, the nose of this expression is more than fine.

With the first sip, the Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon introduces itself with a somewhat delicate character of honey and vanilla. It's not an extremely creamy body initially, but sufficient to cover the palate with a creamy layer and provide a smooth sip.

The Eagle Rare subsequently unfolds rather quickly on the tongue with notes of thick heather honey, combined with a somewhat spicy hue of cinnamon and influences of syrup. Further unveiled are additional notes of orange peel and a slight bitterness of the oak.

As it moves to the finish, the oak becomes somewhat stronger, but it never overpowers. The spirit remains balanced until the very end, though just before it says goodbye, the vanilla becomes more dominant. The flavor introduced as the whiskey itself evolves almost into a full vanilla custard that you would pour as a dessert after a lovely meal.

Buffalo Trace Distillery has crafted the Eagle Rare 10 Years Old as an accessible bourbon that is dangerously smooth to drink. The expression is neither excessively spicy nor sweet, but has a nice balance between the two. This creates a certain complexity, keeping the spirit interesting for connoisseurs right up until the finish. It's not a spirit to debate over for hours, but something to genuinely enjoy at the end of an average day.

+ Very affordably priced

+ Strong with sweet notes on the nose

+ Offers a well-balanced palette of flavors

- Not a spirit to savour for hours on end