Eagle Rare 17 Year Bourbon (Fall 2014)

Next in my Buffalo Trace series is a sample of Eagle Rare 17 from 2014. The nose is moderately rich and creamy that pulls you in with sweet butterscotch pudding with a light sourness from honey dew, diced Granny Smith apples and dusty leather-bound books then mild earthy notes of affogato with blonde roast espresso over vanilla ice cream and chocolate covered candied pecans followed by mandarin oranges and cherry cough drops that transitions to light spices of spearmint, ginger, cloves and dusty barnyard floors with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with sweet butterscotch pudding with a light sourness of honey dew, diced Granny Smith apples and dusty leather-bound books then mild earthy notes of spicy mocha, black peppercorns and candied pecans followed by mandarin oranges and cherry cough syrup that transitions to light spices of spearmint, ginger, cloves and polished mahogany with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with milk chocolate covered candied pecans, sautéed cinnamon apples, cherry cough syrup, cloves, ginger, mild black pepper spice and antique leather armchair. Well damn, this is a delicious bourbon that is moderately rich and creamy with a balance of sweet and sour citrus with a dusty old oak in the background along with mild earthy notes and light rye spices that are nearly perfectly balanced with the main fault of the flavors being thinner than I’d prefer likely from that 45% ABV that with just a few more percentage points could have really elevated this bourbon with a richer mouthfeel and bolder flavors. Side by side with Eagle Rare 10, they share the same notes but the additional years of the 17 have really helped intensify them with a richer nose and mouthfeel along with dusty old oak that makes it the clear winner. At a price of around $2400+ today, there is no value to be found here and there are plenty of other bourbons that are equal or better than with this for far less.

Was fortunate enough to get 3 oz for 49.65 Euros, a relative steal compared to what it would cost PER OUNCE in the US by the bottle. With that said I personally would not pay the 900.00 secondary pricing for a ER 17 The nose is refined caramel & vanilla , nothing really jumps out The palate is oak The finish i am not loving nor hatin Not really complex enough for me I still give it a 4 out of appreciation for it being 17 year age stated BTAC and the privilege to drink it. I however prefer the other 4 BTAC bottles generically irrespective of year & luckily the WLW, GTS & THH are not so hard to come by one way or another, and i would rate each of the other BTAC's all higher Cheers!!!

Found a great bourbon bar at Chimes in Covington, LA. Best selection I've seen yet. Had a pour of this hard to find bourbon and enjoyed every sip. Great vanilla nose with a hint of char and oak. The mouth feel was thin, although the pallet was what you would expect from a premium bourbon. Sweet on the tip of the tung with vanilla and oak and finishing with a long satisfying spicy burn. Paid $26.

Luxurious and elegant. Nose: Vanilla, Cherry Cola, Raspberries, Espresso, Almonds, Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate, Root Beer, Cooked Agave Palate: Cherries, Brown Sugar, Peaches, Maple Syrup, Cloves, Ginger, Blood Oranges, Vanilla Finish: Vanilla, Bananas, Milk Chocolate, Honey, Coconuts, Walnuts, Brown Butter Cake, Banana Bread

I wish I was less of a novice when I tried this a few years ago. I want to try it again and hopefully appreciate it more. What I recall is that it was an exceptional bourbon that screamed of cinnamon and spice. I think a splash of water was necessary to take the heat away though.

Incredibly smooth almost 0 burn. Upfront it seems almost like a normal bourbon. Middle palate is where the flavor develops. A great deal of aromatic flavors. After I swallow the taste lingers for a very long time complex caramels toffee’s and a hint of plum