New $10,000 Eagle Rare bourbon tastes like cherry, dark oak and ‘rickhouse floor’
Buffalo Trace is releasing an ultra aged version of one of the Kentucky distiller’s most popular bourbons: Eagle Rare 25 is the oldest (and probably most expensive) version of the expression to date.
The new release is the first from Warehouse P, one of Buffalo Trace Distillery’s two experimental warehouses. It’s a purpose-built, state-of-the-art warehouse constructed to test if it was possible to extend the aging and maturation processes for American whiskey and bourbon.
“Eagle Rare 25 defies the conventional limits of typical bourbon aging,” said Buffalo Trace master distiller Harlen Wheatley in a news release. “When crafting whiskey in conditions like those we experience in Kentucky, two reactions happen over time: more liquid is lost due to evaporation — also known as angel’s share — and extraction of flavors from the barrel becomes more intense, often leading older whiskeys to taste over-oaked, astringent, and dry.
“The unique set of aging conditions in Warehouse P has allowed us to create a 25-year-old bourbon that smooths out the extractions and highlights the desirable flavors found in ultra-aged American whiskey products.”
The result is a bourbon that “is uniquely smooth and complex with deep, mature flavors,” he said. “Eagle Rare 25 is unlike any other extra-aged bourbon on the market today. We are quite proud of this bourbon.”
According to the tasting notes, the 101-proof Eagle Rare 25 has notes of intense cherry, oak, dark chocolate and icing drizzle on the nose, with a palate of vanilla, dark fruit and butterscotch and a long finish “with lingering notes of rickhouse floor, baking spice and black pepper.”
Only about 200, 750ml bottles of Eagle Rare 25 will be released to select retailers, bars and restaurants globally beginning in November for a suggested retail price of $10,000 per bottle.
The bottles are hand-blown crystal with a sterling silver hand-hammered wing; there’s a glass eagle inside each bottle, which comes in a custom display box.
“Around the globe, an eagle’s wings symbolize freedom and the opportunity to reach higher. It’s also a reminder for us at Buffalo Trace Distillery to never settle in our pursuit of crafting the perfect bourbon,” said Andrew Duncan, Global Brand Director at Buffalo Trace Distillery. “In service of that relentless pursuit, Eagle Rare 25 is the pinnacle of American whiskey to date from our Distillery, and our Eagle Rare brand is the perfect portfolio to showcase this barrier-breaking expression.”
