Eagle Rare continues to live up to its name, being it is rare to find it. Buffalo Trace’s ten year old ninety proof bourbon continues to be allocated. So, Hokus bought a barrel, largely just to get some in stock.

I got to same this at Whiskey Wednesday at Hokus and got to take home a bottle. The color is a nice but fairly unimpressive amber, because they had to water it down so much to hit 90 proof. On the swirl the film is extremely thick and oily; thick long legs slowly form from the thick film. Despite being watered down, as all Eagle Rare is, this is extremely oily even at 90 proof. The nose is very old school Buffalo Trace, with lots of caramel and oak, with some hints of citrus fruits. On the palate, the caramel and vanilla is these are outshined by lots of grassy, minty, and spicy rye notes. Typically, Eagle Rare is Buffalo Trace’s low rye mashbill, but sometimes they use the Ancient Age/Blanton’s high rye mashbill bourbon is Eagle Rare barrel picks, and this is definitely one of them. So, this is basically Blanton’s but not aged in ultra-hot metal Warehouse H. On the finish, the minty notes carry into a nice oaky finish, with a hint of black pepper.

So, for my Alexandria friends that are dying to get a bottle of Blanton’s or Elmer T. Lee, go pick up one of these. It is a very nice exemplar of Buffalo Trace’s high rye bourbon mashbill at ten years old.