Eagle Rare Binny's Private Selection 10 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon - Barrel #011

VITALS:

- $40

- 90 Proof

- 10 Years

- Barrel #011

- Kentucky

Not to sound too reminiscent, but there once was a time when Eagle Rare private picks were not too difficult to find. I can recall wondering into random liquor store as I was traveling about my workday and finding store picks at probably close to an 80% clip. In fact, I pretty much grabbed one everywhere I found one.

But, of course, the demand for Buffalo Trace surged, and the availability of these private picks almost completely fell off. I guess it’s not entirely without cause, as I was certainly buying them up whenever I found them, and it has consistently been really good whiskey. But, I really would like to see the day when these aren’t so “allocated” and kept in the back. In any event, this Binnys selection came out, and soon thereafter found its way onto my shelf. What can I say, I will always have a soft spot for Eagle Rare, as it was in many ways my introduction into Bourbon.

The nose on this particular barrel gave me many of the traditional notes that I love about bourbon--that rich toffee with notes of vanilla and, in this case, a slight bit of oak tempering the sweetness. I got a light real cherry note on the nose as well, along with just a bit of dark chocolate. It wasn’t very complex, and the aromas were subtle, but what was there smelled really good!

On the palate it hit many of the same notes. Right up front was the dark caramel or toffee note that I got from the nose. At times it tended to lean more towards a brown sugar note, but for the most part stayed in its lane. There was also an undercurrent of unsweetened vanilla, along with a slight bitterness from the oak barrel.

I also got a light spicy note that I didn’t get on the nose. It was somewhere along the lines of cinnamon, but with a little bit more kick. I’m not exactly sure what I would equate it to, perhaps cinnamon with just a sprinkling of cayenne pepper to bump it up a notch.

On the finish, the spice didn’t linger very long, but the rich toffee note certainly did, along with the dark chocolate that I had gotten on the nose. Those two together combined to provide a great, long-lasting, sweet finish, but not overly sweet thanks to the slight bitterness from the dark chocolate. Quite frankly, I think the finish was my favorite part, and that’s what had me going straight back to my glass for the next step.

It goes without saying that as long as the prices remain constant, I’m going to pick these up everywhere I find them. Granted, these aren’t exactly out in the open, so I don’t exactly see myself having a backlog of Eagle Rare private selections. However, when I do find them, buying them will always be a no-brainer for me. 

Grade: A-

Eagle Rare Niche Single Barrel Select "Waverly Boys" Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $40

- 90 Proof

- 10 Years

- Kentucky

I've propped up some Niche single barrel offerings in the past, and for good reason. In addition to making some of the best food in my area, Vinnie, the owner of Niche, has consistently made some great single barrel picks.  From standard Old Forester and Elijah Craig picks to Weller Full Proof picks, it seems his and my palates align, because I've enjoyed them all!

So, it was, of course, a no brainer to grab this Eagle Rare when it hit Niche's doorstep.  I'm not completely certain as to the "Waverly Boys" reference. Perhaps it's a reference to Waverly, Illinois, a town in central/southern Illinois that I'm sure I've only heard of from spending time in Springfield.  Name aside, I was just glad to get my hands on this bottle.

The nose was fairly traditional. It led with caramel and cinnamon, along with a rich vanilla note. It, in a way, reminded me of ice cream. There was also a distinct woody note to it, but not the usual oak note. It was more like a cedar note, which was a bit odd but not necessarily offensive. 

That cedar note did not carry through to the flavor, however. I got the cinnamon from the nose, and the caramel notes seemed to evolve into a richer, deeper toffee note. It was definitely sweet up front, but as that sweetness receded, it gave way to a bit of a twist, kind of like an amaretto or an anise note. Luckily the anise was not strong, as that can turn me off a bit. Here, it was just complementary.

The toffee note seemed to dominate a bit, but at times I did get notes of dark chocolate and even a sort of peanut note. Those notes were a bit fleeting, however. But, in later pours it seemed to develop a rich, Amarena cherry note that I absolutely loved, and wished it had shown up sooner!

That cherry note really carried through to the finish. Despite the lower proof, this had a great, lasting finish with the rich cherry note, but the dark chocolate seemed to return as well, and both flavors really complemented the long toffee note that lingered. 

The market seems a bit saturated with single barrel picks these days, but Niche has once again proven that their picks always appeal to my tastes, and I'm just going to keep going back to that well as long as I can.

Grade: A-

Eagle Rare Binny's Single Barrel Select Barrel #044 Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $35

- 90 Proof

- 10 Years

- Barrel #044

- Kentucky

Eagle Rare is the bourbon that got me into bourbon. It was the one that opened my eyes to a world beyond Scotch, and now bourbon absolutely dominates my whiskey shelf in my basement. So, it should then come as no surprise that Eagle Rare still holds a special place in my hear and always will.

And, for that reason, I grab every Eagle Rare store pick that I can find. Granted, this was a much more fruitful venture a few years ago.  It seems now that Eagle Rare picks are not only few and far between, but are also being treated as highly allocated whiskeys, only getting into the hands of select customers. I was lucky enough, though, to get my hands on this Binny's release back in 2020.  Given their relative scarcity, I waited a bit to finally open it, but eventually they all get opened at some point.

The nose on this one was great.  I got notes of vanilla and cinnamon, along with a great bready note. It definitely had a cinnamon roll thing going on. There was something else as well, though. I got candied pecan along with a definite cherry note, like a Maraschino cherry Everything seemed to blend together like a Danish and cinnamon roll hybrid.

As to flavor, the cherry note from the nose seemed to take center stage. It still had that Maraschino lean to it, along with a bit of a syrupy sweetness.  There was something tangy and boozy about it as well, kind of like amaretto liqueur.  The pecan note was there as well to offer a nutty quality, and even a touch of bitterness, but without the sweetness.

The tangy bite at times came across as an orange peel notes, and other times like tart cherry. At times it had that bitter bite that you sometimes get when eating walnuts.  As great and perfectly complementary all the notes on the nose were, I couldn't say the same thing for the flavor.  This seemed a bit all over the place, and the bitter notes didn't seem to balance out the sweetness, but rather competed with it.

On the nose the boozy note really seemed to come through, but it was more as a cherry liqueur than amaretto. The problem with this, though, is it seemed more like an artificial cherry note, and that's the flavor that seemed to linger on the finish, along with a lightly bitter oak note. The finish left a bit to be desired.

This was not my favorite barrel of Eagle Rare. That said, even lesser showings are still pretty good, and this bottle was not long for this world once it was finally opened.

Grade: B-

Eagle Rare 17 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon - 2020

VITALS:

- $120

- 101 Proof

- 17 Years

- Kentucky

This is one of those bottles that I felt luck to have been able to obtain. It is Eagle Rare, after all, that really opened my eyes to the bourbon world. Having started my whiskey journey in the Scotch world, it wasn't until a local liquor store clerk suggested that I give Eagle Rare a try that I really started trying out and learning about bourbon.

Eagle Rare is still one of my favorite under $50 bottles, and it's always one of the top three whenever I'm asked for that recommendation. This bottle, of course, takes that up a notch or four. It obviously ups the age from 10 years to 17 years, which is no small jump. But, it also punches up the proof from 90 proof  101 proof.  It's a much older and stronger Eagle Rare, and I couldn't wait to try it. Although I opened this bottle immediately when I got it, I held onto the last three or so pours for a really long time, simply not wanting it to be gone. But, all good things must come to an end, so finally the other night I shared the last few pours with good friends and called it a day.

The age on this bourbon was immediately noticeable on the nose. I got healthy oak notes right up front, but there was also a soft sweetness to it as well. I got notes of caramel and dark chocolate, reminding me a bit of a turtle bar. It even had some rich walnut notes to it.  It smelled decadent and delicious, very much like something you'd get from a good chocolatier, even if the nose wasn't all that pungent. 

As to the flavor, right up front I got a sweet but smooth caramel note, like that good, soft caramel used in Godiva chocolates--sweet, rich, smooth and creamy. It also had an oak note tagging along, but, given the prominent oak note on the nose, it was surprisingly nowhere near as oak-forward on the palate. Rather, it seemed to add a sort of a light roastiness, kind of like a coffee note but without the bitterness. Perhaps like a coffee ice cream?

The wood influence was certainly there, but it was almost a sweet wood note, if that makes sense. Kind of like almond or pecan or even hazelnut, where it has that soft sweetness to it, along with the nutty, earthy note and even a touch of bitterness.  But the caramel was always the backbone to everything, always bringing it back to the traditional bourbon notes.

It wasn't until the finish that the cinnamon spice finally kicked in. This was the one thing I felt was missing, but on the finish it came through along with an amaretto liqueur note, to add just a bit of that tanginess hitting the sides of my tongue and lingering in the back of my throat. There was also a healthy amount of vanilla that seemed to linger, which really didn't show up anywhere other than on the finish.

I'm so happy I got to try this bottle. It didn't necessarily blow me away like I had hoped it would, but it is certainly still a fantastic bottle.  And it does the trick as an older, punchier Eagle Rare. I have no regrets over finally finishing off those last few pours.

Grade: A-

Eagle Rare Binny's Single Barrel Select Barrel #069 Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $35

- 90 Proof

- 10 Years

- Barrel #069

- Kentucky

As I see bourbon prices for new releases jump up and up from previous releases (looking at you Old Forester and Four Roses), I certainly appreciate bottlings of age-stated bourbons from the large distilleries, especially when they carry 10 year age statements. Eagle Rare and Russell's Reserve certainly fall into that category, and that's a big reason why I never pass on them when I find them.

Of course, being the bourbon that actually got me out of my Scotch-exclusive drinking habits and exploring the world of bourbon, Eagle Rare will always be a soft spot for me. But, to be able to still get a 10 year old single barrel private selection bourbon for $35, even if they are becoming increasingly fewer and farther between, is amazing in light of the current bourbon climate.

The nose was very much in line with most other Eagle Rare bottlings I've had. I got that expected caramel as well as a healthy dose of vanillins. There was also that bit of cinnamon spice that I've come to expect. However, there was also a sort of a root beer note, with that almost minty sassafras note to it. There was also a bit of a fake cherry note--not like cough syrup, but like cherry hard candy.

The cherry note carried over to the palate as well, but it wasn't so much of a fake cherry note.  Rather, it came across as more of a cherry cola flavor. It was accompanied by sweeter notes of caramel and vanilla, along with a black pepper spice that both hit the tip of the tongue right up front and lingered on the finish.

The cinnamon was quite a bit more prevalent as well, so much so that at times it reminded me of a cinnamon liqueur (Goldschlager anyone?). There was also a pastry note, but unfortunately that didn't really translate to a cinnamon roll note like it might sound. It was more of a bready note mixed with that cinnamon liqueur note. That combo wasn't great nor was it bad. It was just . . . there? 

On the finish, that weird combination seemed to translate a bit differently, and I was left with this lingering flavor that I likened to a cherry cordial, though with less vanilla. For some reason, it was on the finish that I got a distinct chocolate flavor, something I hadn't noticed anywhere else. The pastry note also reminded me a bit of Golden Grahams cereal, something I noticed even more on the finish.

This was certainly a bottle of good, yummy Eagle Rare. But, as might be expected from a store pick (and as some people might hope for), it did stray a bit from the standard Eagle Rare profile. At times it was a very good stray, particularly the finish. At other times it was just different. All in all, though, it was another very good bottle in which I found the bottom fairly quickly.

Grade: B

Eagle Rare Warehouse Liquors Single Barrel Select "Sky" Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- 40

- 90 Proof

- 10 Years

- Barrel No. 004

- Kentucky

I've got a little bit of a back-stock of Eagle Rare store picks, including a few from Warehouse Liquors, which is a good thing because Eagle Rare picks seem to have dried up a bit. I can't remember the last time I heard of any of my shops getting one in. For that reason, I've been hesitant to open the ones I have.

However, about a month ago I did the obligatory Yellowstone road-trip with the kids, and we stayed in Idaho with family friends, one of which is my old drinking buddy before we both moved. So, I figured vacation is as good of a reason as any to grab one of my Eagle Rare store picks, among a few other bottles, to open and enjoy with good company.  While I identified this as "Sky" in the title, this is not the original "Sky" (Barrel No. 196) that has the almost cult following. This one was released in 2019.

The nose was more or less what I expect from Eagle Rare. I got rich notes of caramel along with a warm cinnamon spice. It also had some dark chocolate notes, adding some richness and even just a touch of bitterness.  I also got notes of peanut and orange peel, which was interesting. It also had a bit of a yeasty quality, like bread dough.

The flavor was very cinnamon forward. It definitely had that spice that I noticed immediately on the tip of my tongue and that lingered at the back of my throat.  Along with that cinnamon spice, I also got a rich amaretto liqueur note. The two worked really well together, along with a nutty hazelnut note that worked very well with the dark chocolate.  It was like a rich, nutty, boozy bonbon.

There was a sort of fruit-forward quality to it as well, though I got a light amount of Maraschino cherry, along with a kind of sweet plum note. On later pours the cherry note seemed to come forward even more, and it became more of a fresh cherry note that I really enjoyed.

On the finish the cinnamon really seemed to dominate. That spicy finished seemed to linger at the back of my throat for quite some time. I also got a really tasty blackberry note that accompanied it. This combo was absolutely delicious, and, despite the low proof, the flavor seemed to stick around forever.

At first this came across as somewhat one-dimensional. But, just a couple pours in, all these fruit notes came in to complement the caramel and cinnamon notes in a way that just worked. And the finish was by far my favorite part, as that cinnamon and blackberry combination was do delicious. I may have to make it a point to get around to opening my other bottles.

Grade: A-

Eagle Rare Warehouse Liquors Single Barrel Select "Wing" Kentucky Straight Bourbon - Barrel No. 001

VITALS:

- $28 (375 ml)

- 90 Proof

- 10 Years

- Barrel No. 001

- Kentucky

I have to say, I really to like the 375 ml bottles. I'm constantly buying something new, very rarely picking something up I've had before. The smaller 375 bottles allow me to try something new, even something like a private pick of something I've had a thousand times before, but at less of a cost. It also allows me to finish a bottle that much faster to allow me to write my review on it. So, for me, the 375 has plenty of perks.

Now granted, the only reason I ended up with this 375 ml bottle is because by the time I got there, Warehouse had already sold out of all their regular-sized bottles. So this was more of a consolation price, but my love for the smaller bottle remains. It seems like it's been a while since I've gotten my hands on a Warehouse Eagle Rare pick, and I've loved every one I've had so far.  But now these things are gone from Warehouse's shelves as soon as they hit. So, I find myself cherishing the few I've managed to accumulate.

The nose was soft, somewhat light and hard to find. Perhaps I've been drinking too much of the cask strength bourbon lately, but I was a bit surprised. What was there was, as expected, pretty vanilla forward. It also had a light bitter cocoa powder note to it, as well as something almost tart, like candied cherries. I did get a nice black pepper spice off the nose as well.

As to flavor, I got those expected notes of caramel and vanilla and the back end tingle of a nice cinnamon spice--all of which I've always associated with Eagle Rare. However, this one hit a little different, which is what I typically hope to get in a store pick, as long as that "different" is a good different and not a gross different.

The candied cherry that I got off the nose really carried forward to the flavor profile. It paired really well with the strong toffee note that I was getting to provide a nice balance of flavor, while at the same time never getting too sweet. It was almost more on the dry end, actually, like it was teasing with the sweetness of toffee and cherry, but it just never quite got there.

Perhaps aiding in that effort, there was a distinct nutty quality, like unsalted peanuts and maybe a little bit of pecan, that added a bit of earthiness to the whiskey. This was most noticeable on the finish, where the pecan really came through along with a spicy cinnamon note.

This was, quite frankly, what I look for in a good store pick, something that takes the standard profile and adds to it or does something a bit different, but in a good way. This had all the traditional hallmarks of standard Eagle Rare, but there was something more to it that added to its complexity and uniqueness. I love standard Eagle Rare, and I liked this particular bottle even more. 

Grade: A-

Eagle Rare Liquor 'n' Wine Single Barrel Select Barrel No. 116 Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $30 (375 ml)

- 90 Proof

- 10 Years

- Barrel No. 116

- Kentucky

I don't get there frequently, but every so often I make it a point to visit a couple of the local Liquor 'n' Wine liquor stores that are near me. They're not big stores, each one seems to be independently owned, and they can have a slight mark-up at times (and a BIG mark-up on the Pappy and BTAC lines). But, At times I find stuff that is worth grabbing, such as the Willett Family Estate bottles I found a while back, and most recently, this Eagle Rare pick.

Not everyone is getting Eagle Rare picks in, and when they do, they seem to get snapped up. I've started to amass a collection of Eagle Rare store picks, and so, even at $30 for the half-sized bottle, I was quick to grab this one off the shelf. I haven't had enough picks from this store to know if their tastes are in line with mine, but given how much I enjoyed this bottle, they just might be.

On the nose I immediately got a lot of toffee and chocolate notes. It reminded me a lot of a Heath bar (something I seemingly only eat when rummaging through my kids' Halloween haul).  I also got a sweet cereal type note that somewhat reminded me of Honey Nut Cheerios.  I even got a sweet peach tea note that I really enjoyed. 

As for flavor, it was full of caramel, as would be expected, but it didn't come with the expected sweetness. It was a bit downplayed in this, which for me really worked. The caramel mixed well with the coffee notes, which also weren't sweet but were more along the lines of dark chocolate or cacao.  

There was something nutty to it, kind of like walnut, even with that light bitterness that I always get from walnut. That was offset, however, by a toasted marshmallow note that really kind of brought everything together into one cohesive dessert, yet without making anything too sweet. At times I even got a cotton candy note, but again, it was never enough to make this overly sweet. It just added that additional layer of flavor.

The finish was probably my favorite part of this bourbon.  I got chocolate and caramel that seemed to linger forever. It reminded me of really good chocolates, like those Ghirardelli chocolate caramel squares. It was absolutely delicious and I found myself just enjoying that finish for quite a while before going for my next sip. 

I wish I had a bigger bottle of this. It seemed to go way too fast, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless, and I'll absolutely be keeping an eye out for future picks from them!

Grade: A-

Eagle Rare JP Liquors Private Selection Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $42
- 90 Proof
- 10 Years
- Barrel No. 171
- Kentucky

Social media can be quite a source of great bourbon-related information, assuming you can find your way through the morass of bullshit, bullying and troll jobs that litter Facebook pages.  This particular bottle is such an example.  I play in a volleyball league every Friday in the Summer, and one Friday afternoon someone posted that this small liquor store one town over from where I play happened to get in their barrel of Eagle Rare.

So, being the fan of Eagle Rare that I am, I quick did a Google Maps search and discovered that this small liquor store was only about five minutes of out of my way. So I left fifteen minutes early for my match and made my way to this store which I had known existed but never went out of my way to check out. I immediately wished I had, as they had a great whiskey selection, and right in the middle were all of their Eagle Rare private picks.  I browsed a bit, grabbed my bottle and was on my way.

It wasn't until a few weeks later that I finally got around to opening the bottle, and I found myself immediately questioning why I had never gone into JP Liquors before this. On the nose I got the healthy layer of caramel that I love in Eagle Rare. However, and I don't think I've ever said this about a whiskey's aroma before, it also had a creamy quality to it, almost like a sweet cream. There was also this sweet bread yeast note to it, which, along with a rich raisin note, smelled like some amazing raisin bread/cinnamon roll hybrid. The nose on this whiskey was rich and delicious!!!

The flavor, for the most part, lived up to the nose, too!  That classic caramel base was certainly there, along with a nice, long cinnamon spice that was immediately noticeable up front and stuck around long after each sip.  It also had a light peppery spice that tingled a bit in the back of my throat.

Aside from these traditional flavors, though, this particular bottle had some unique characteristics that set it apart from the standard Eagle Rare, and the combination of flavors, though a bit odd on their own, really worked to provide for a tangy, sweet bourbon. I got a hint of dill, not unlike what a lot of people, myself included, find in MGP ryes.  That was accompanied by a note of nutmeg as well as a distinct root beer flavor.

As if these flavors weren't enough, mixed in among there as a red berry note, similar to raspberry I guess, though not exactly.  All of these flavors, while on their own might not hold up, mixed together  to create a sort of marriage of flavors that worked really well, and it was all complemented by the nice spicy finish.

Toward the end, on my last few pours, those nutmeg, dill and root beer notes took a bit of a back seat, and I was getting a little more citric acidity to it, kind of like burnt orange peel. However, the sweetness of the bourbon kept that flavor from being off-putting.

All in all, I flew through this bottle. Once I opened it, I just kept going back. It had the two hallmarks that I love about store picks -- it was delicious, and it had a really unique flavor profile that I won't find anywhere else. I will certainly be frequenting JP Liquors in Naperville, Illinois going forward, not only for their bourbon selection, but for their ability to pick a delicious single barrel as well!

Grade: A-

Eagle Rare Binny's Single Barrel Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Barrel #061

VITALS:
- $35
- 90 Proof
- 10 Years
- Barrel #061
- Kentucky

Oh how I do love me some Eagle Rare. I heard about this particular release from one of the various bourbon groups I belong to on Facebook. I saw a message there that Binny's had just released two new Eagle Rare barrel picks. I first texted my friends to let them know (because sharing is caring), and then I was at my local Binny's five minutes later. I wasn't the only one with this idea, either, as two other people walked in immediately ahead of me asking for the same thing.

On the nose it has that old, familiar eagle rare scent. It's got a bunch of cinnamon and vanilla, making for a nice, sweet but spicy aroma. Caramel and even a fruity note come through on the nose as well, like candied cherries.

The flavor surprised me a bit, though, particularly after that nose. I fully expected to also taste the same old Eagle Rare. This had a little something more to it, though, that I loved. It still had that familiar cinnamon spice to it. The vanilla was certainly there as well, providing that stable foundation for all the other flavors.

However, what I really found myself enjoying was a nice, chocolate note. IT wasn't the bitter dark chocolate note that I sometimes get, but it wasn't sweet, milk chocolate either. It found a nice, comfortable spot right about halfway between the two, and it was great!

Unfortunately, about halfway through the bottle that chocolate flavor that I was loving seemed to fade away. Granted, other tasty flavors took its place, including some sweet caramel notes as well as a sort of graham cracker-y note. It still drank on the sweeter end, like a dessert bourbon, and it still had that great cinnamon spice to it, but I missed that early chocolate note.

I think it transformed, to some degree, developing not only those caramel and graham cracker characteristics, but also a delicious dark cherry note. That note had a little bit to it, almost a sour cherry (sounds weird in a bourbon, I know, but it was actually pretty good).

Overall, this was a fantastic bourbon, one that had me wishing I had grabbed a second bottle. It's also one of the few bottles where I enjoyed it more at the start than I did at the end. I really loved that chocolate note with the spice, and I just wish it hadn't faded away. Still completely delicious, though

Grade: A-