Eagle Rare

Eagle Rare is a brand of bourbon whiskey distilled and distributed by the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Eagle Rare is 90 proof bourbon, aged for either 10 or 17 years, depending on variety. It was introduced in 1975, and is distilled in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Eagle Rare Bourbon Whiskey
Bottles of Eagle Rare, aged 10 years (left) and 17 years (right)
TypeBourbon whiskey
Country of originFrankfort, Kentucky, United States
Introduced1975
Alcohol by volume45.00%
Proof (US)90
Related productsBuffalo Trace

History

Eagle Rare was originally a 101-proof ten-year-old (not single-barrel) Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey from Seagram created by master distiller Charles L. Beam. Introduced in 1975,[1] Eagle Rare was among the last new bourbon brands introduced prior to the current era of 'small-batch bourbons'. Eagle Rare has been distilled, bottled and/or marketed by a number of companies, including the Old Prentice Distillery of Frankfort, KY.

The Sazerac Company, an American family owned producer and importer based in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the parent company of five distilleries, acquired Eagle Rare from Seagram in March 1989.[2] Sazerac's Kentucky distillery was then known as the George T. Stagg Distillery. Today the distillery is known as the Buffalo Trace Distillery.

The original 101-proof ten-year-old non-single-barrel bourbon has been discontinued as of March 2005.[3][4]

Current brand expressions

Currently, two basic varieties of Eagle Rare are produced. The first is aged for ten years (in charred new oak barrels, as with all bourbons), and bottled at 90 U.S. proof.

The second variety is aged seventeen years and is called part of an "Antique Collection".[5] It is also bottled at 90 proof.

Awards and reviews

Eagle Rare's 10-year variation has performed well at international spirit ratings competitions. It received a string of gold and double gold medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition between 2005 and 2010 and was given an above-average score of 92 by the Beverage Testing Institute. In 2013, Eagle Rare Single Barrel Bourbon was awarded the inaugural Bourbon Trophy at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in the United Kingdom.[6] The 17-year expression has performed similarly well.[7] More recently, Eagle Rare Single Barrel Bourbon won a Gold medal at the 2014 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition and a Gold Outstanding medal at the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC – United Kingdom). Eagle Rare 17 Year Old was awarded a Gold medal in the same UK-based competition. In 2015, Eagle Rare 10 Year was awarded a Gold Outstanding medal by the IWSC, and the 2014 release of the 17 Year Old expression won a Silver Outstanding medal in the same competition.

Eagle Rare 10 Year won the following awards in 2016:

  • Gold Medal; Best Age Statement Bourbon – World Whiskies Awards (Whisky Magazine)
  • Gold Medal – San Francisco World Spirits Competition
  • Extraordinary/Ultimate Recommendation (95 points); "Great Value" – Ultimate Spirits Challenge
  • Gold Medal (92 points) – Los Angeles International Spirits Competition
  • Gold Medal – North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition
  • Silver Outstanding Medal – International Wine & Spirits Competition (UK)

Food critic Morgan Murphy rated the brand highly, saying "Without question, the award-winner tastes as rich as it looks."[8]

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References
  1. Veach, Mike "Seagram's Timeline" BourbonEnthusiast.com, undated, retrieved on February 4, 2009.
  2. Company News; "Seagram to Sell Rights to 17 Brands" New York Times March 29, 1989, retrieved on February 4, 2009.
  3. Eagle Rare 101 – Forum on Straightbourbon.com, retrieved on February 4, 2009.
  4. "Eagle Rare 101. To stock up or not to stock up" Forum at Whiskey Magazine, retrieved on February 4, 2009.
  5. Great Bourbon Sazerac Company Bourbon web site
  6. "Eagle Rare 10-year reviews aggregated at Proof66.com". Archived from the original on 2012-10-04. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
  7. "Eagle Rare 17-year reviews aggregated at Proof66.com". Retrieved 2012-10-29.
  8. Murphy, Morgan; Editors of Southern Living magazine (2014). Southern Living Bourbon & Bacon: The Ultimate Guide to the South's Favorite Foods. Oxmoor House. ISBN 978-0848743161.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
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