- Eagle Rare
Eagle Rare is a brand of
bourbon whiskey distilled and distributed by theBuffalo Trace Distillery as part of its "Antique Collection". Two basic varieties are sold: the first is aged for 10 years in charred oak barrels, producing a smooth and very well-balanced bourbon, with strong vanilla and nutty flavors; the second variety is aged 17 years in charredoak barrels, an unusually long period of time, even for an ultra-premium brand of whiskey; this is done to give the whiskey more flavor and a smoother finish.Eagle Rare is a
single barrel bourbon . The whiskey from each barrel is bottled individually with each bottle bearing the barrel number and in most cases the dates for the beginning and end of aging; none of the whiskey is blended, creating a unique flavor for each barrel.History
Eagle Rare was originally a 101-proof ten-year old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (not single-barrel) from Joseph E. Seagram & Sons Inc.. Introduced in 1975, [http://www.bourbonenthusiast.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1814&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=&sid=169b28c6c499a2d9209c87c1ef94b26b BourbonEnthusiast.com :: View topic - Seagram's Timeline ] ] Eagle Rare was among the last new bourbon brands introduced prior to current era of 'small-batch bourbons'. Eagle Rare has been distilled, bottled and/or marketed by a number of companies, including having been bottled by
Old Prentice Company ofFrankfort, KY (USA).The Sazerac Company, a New Orleans, LA (USA)-based producer and importer and the parent company of many distilleries nationwide including
Buffalo Trace , acquired Eagle Rare from Seagram in March 1989. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE1D91F3FF93AA15750C0A96F948260 COMPANY NEWS; Seagram to Sell Rights to 17 Brands - New York Times ] ] Sazerac's Kentucky distillery was then known as Ancient Age. Today the distillery is known as Buffalo Trace.Reports of the original 101-proof ten-year old non-single barrel bourbon being discontinued surfaced no later than March 2005. [http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3778 Eagle Rare 101 - Straightbourbon.com ] ] Communications with Buffalo Trace marketing support specialists have independently confirmed the discontinuation of the original 101-proof ten-year old non-single barrel bourbon.
References
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