Eagle Rare

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Eagle Rare is an ultrapremium brand of bourbon whiskey distilled and distributed by the Buffalo Trace Distillery as part of its "Antique Collection". Two basic varieties are sold: the first is aged for 10 years in charred oak barrels, producing a smooth and very well-balanced whiskey, with strong vanilla and nutty flavors; the second variety is aged 17 years in charred oak barrels, an unusually long period of time, even for an ultrapremium brand of whiskey; this is done to give the whiskey more flavor and a smoother finish.

Eagle Rare is a single barrel bourbon. The whiskey from each barrel is bottled individually with each bottle bearing the barrel number and in most cases the dates for the beginning and end of aging; none of the whiskey is blended, creating a unique flavor for each barrel.

[edit] History

Eagle Rare was originally a 101-proof ten-year old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (not single-barrel) from Joseph E. Seagram & Sons Inc.. Introduced in 1975^[1], Eagle Rare was among the last new bourbon brands introuduced prior to current era of 'small-batch bourbons'. Eagle Rare has been distilled, bottled and/or marketed by a number of companies, including having been bottled by Old Prentice Company of Frankfort, KY (USA).

The Sazerac Company, a New Orleans, LA (USA)-based producer and importer and the parent company of many distilleries nationwide including Buffalo Trace, acquired Eagle Rare from Seagram's in March, 1989^[2]. Sazerac's Kentucky distillery was then known as Ancient Age. Today the distellery is known as Buffalo Trace.

Reports of the original 101-proof ten-year old non-single barrel bourbon being discontinued surfaced no later than March, 2005. ^[3] Communications with Buffalo Trace marketing support specialists have independently confirmed the discontinuation of the original 101-proof ten-year old non-single barrel bourbon.