Eagle Rare
 Eagle Rare Bourbon Whiskey Eagle Rare | |
| Type | Bourbon whiskey |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Sazerac Company |
| Country of origin | Kentucky, United States |
| Introduced | 1975 |
| Alcohol by volume | 45.00% |
| Proof | 90 |
| Related products | Buffalo Trace |
Eagle Rare is a brand of bourbon whiskey distilled and distributed by the Buffalo Trace Distillery.
History
Eagle Rare was originally a 101-proof ten-year old Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey (not single-barrel) 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.[citation needed]
The Sazerac Company, a New Orleans-based producer and importer 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-proof. It is a single barrel bourbon (i.e., the whiskey from each aging barrel is bottled individually, so none of it is blended at all – thus resulting in a unique flavor for each barrel).
The second variety is aged seventeen years and is called part of an "Antique Collection".[5] It is also 90-proof, but aged much longer than the other version (and far longer than most bourbons).
Awards
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][7] The 17-year expression has performed similarly well.[8]
References
- ↑ Veach, Mike "Seagram's Timeline" BourbonEnthusiast.com, undated, retrieved on February 4, 2009.
- ↑ Company News; "Seagram to Sell Rights to 17 Brands" New York Times March 29, 1989, retrieved on February 4, 2009.
- ↑ Eagle Rare 101 - Forum on Straightbourbon.com, retrieved on February 4, 2009.
- ↑ "Eagle Rare 101. To stock up or not to stock up" Forum at Whiskey Magazine, retrieved on February 4, 2009.
- ↑ Great Bourbon Sazerac Company Bourbon web site
- ↑ "Eagle Rare 10-year reviews aggregated at Proof66.com". Retrieved 2012-10-18.
- ↑ International Review of Spirits Award: Gold Medal.
- ↑ "Eagle Rare 17-year reviews aggregated at Proof66.com". Retrieved 2012-10-29.