Eagle Rare 10 Year Old

I got very excited when I saw Eagle Rare 10 in Waitrose (upmarket UK supermarket) for a really good price (£36). Beautiful looking bottle design and I'm already a fan of Buffalo Trace, so had to try this.

This bottle has been open a while now (6 months) and there's about a third left. Whilst it has never really blown me away, it's a solid little number for the price.

So I believe this used to be Single Barrel and kind of probably is, as they are still bottled barrel by barrel. It's just that the bottling process means this is not 100% guaranteed now as you might get a bottle between two barrels, so they don't say it on the label. Think the Mashbill is Buffalo Trace #1 which is said to be 8% rye. same mashbill as the standard BT bottling. Just aged for 10.

Colour is clear light brown, oily in the glass. Nice looking Bourbon.

Nose: nicest thing about this. First the caramels and muscovado sugars, some nice strong grape and dessert wine vinous notes, there's some spice coming through but it's at the back, hints of orange and red fruit, definitely cranberry, maybe cherry, maybe strawberry, but it's hidden away. Second nose and the woods prominent. Quite fresh and clean oak, touch of vanilla.

Taste: At the front I'm getting that grapey, sweet wine vinous texture, brown sugars and caramels, spices coming through nicely, maybe a little bit of red berry fruit. Touch of cherry or cranberry. Wood character is there, fresh oak wood, touch of vanilla.

Finish is not huge. A little disappointing. Caramel and brown sugars, little spice.

A nice solid house bourbon but not reaching to greater heights, nowhere near the antique collection.

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