Buffalo Trace Is Dropping an Eagle Rare 12 Year Old Bourbon
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There has been a lot of news related to Kentucky’s Buffalo Trace Distillery recently, like the announcement of parent company Sazerac’s new online e-commerce and auction platform and the inaugural launch of sister distillery Hawk’s Rock’s excellent new Irish single malt. And it’s not done yet: The distillery just revealed the details of its latest whiskey innovation, a 12-year-old version of the fan-favorite Eagle Rare bourbon.
The Eagle Rare brand has been around since the 1970s, and Sazerac acquired it in 1989 and has been produced at Buffalo Trace since the early ’90s. The core Eagle Rare expression is a bourbon made from a low-rye mashbill that is aged for at least 10 years and bottled at 90 proof. (It was once bottled at 101 proof, but that was discontinued in 2005.) There are a few more expensive age-stated versions as well: Eagle Rare 17 is part of the annual Buffalo Trace Antique Collection; there is a 25-year-old bottling; and Double Eagle Very Rare is matured for 20 years. And now this new 12-year-old bourbon is joining the distillery’s permanent lineup, and at 95 proof, it has a higher ABV than the 10-year-old.
“This whiskey represents more than just time in the barrel—it’s the result of years of dedication, innovation, and an unwavering commitment from our entire team,” said Buffalo Trace master distiller Harlen Wheatley in a statement. “The investments we’ve made—in time, resources, and effort—have allowed us to explore new possibilities in aging and flavor, and this release is a proud reflection of that journey.” Part of that journey was the recent completion of a decade-long expansion to the tune of $1.2 billion, which the distillery team claims was instrumental in allowing them to launch this new whiskey.
We did not get to sample Eagle Rare 12 yet, but the official tasting notes describe a nose leading with sweet, oaky aromas along with a bit of almond, followed by subtle vanilla and toasted oak on the palate, and culminating in a rich, lingering finish with some toffee notes. The suggested retail price for this new bourbon is $50, and hopefully you’ll be able to actually find it for that. But even Eagle Rare 10 often sells for close to $100 on the secondary market—and this is Buffalo Trace we’re talking about, so who knows how the 12-year-old will be priced in the wild. Look for bottles to hit shelves and websites later this month, and in the meantime you can find the core expression available at websites like ReserveBar now.
