This has been one of my go to bourbons for a long time. It so happens that this was one of the first whiskeys I tasted as I was starting to enjoy bourbons. A buddy of mine and I both purchased different bottles to take to a party. He purchased this and I ended up liking it more than the bottle I purchased. Perhaps it stays toward the front of my consciousness because of that early experience, I don’t know. I believe this is wonderful bourbon to get started on your own journey through the world of the delicious juice we call whiskey or as an experienced connoisseur to enjoy while relaxing. Either way I’m sure it will be enjoyed. This is one of the last of the official single barrel releases of Eagle Rare 10. The current bottles that can be found in local stores will be missing the “single barrel” statement. The single barrel statement is being dropped from the label on new releases due to the distillery expanding the production of Eagle Rare 10. To accommodate the increase in production Eagle Rare 10 is being moved to a larger production facility where it is possible that a few bottles could have a mix of the tail end of one barrel and leading side of another barrel. Clay Risen at themashnotes.com wrote a more detailed explanation here.

Company: Sazerac

Ditillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery

Location: Frankfort, KY

Mashbill: Buffalo Trace Mashbill #1 (low rye)

ABV: 45%  (90 proof)

Age: 10 years

Released: Ongoing

Price: $30

Color: Deep Copper

Nose: Light and pretty subtle. Some light caramel leads into honey and then some stronger light fruit notes. This will not overwhelm your olfactories so go ahead and take a big strong inhale.

Taste: Again, pretty light. Not super complex but that is one of the reasons it is so easy to enjoy. This is not one of those engine degreasers posing as a whiskey. I do get some nutty flavors, a little sugar comes through like a sweetened bread and an oaky flavor that reminds me of a maple syrup.

Finish: As you might expect from the nose and the taste this finishes light and smooth. No burn here! Some light oak, a touch of brown sugar and perhaps just a touch of a light spice as the palate recovers.

Overall: This is an exceptional value bourbon! I readily recommend this to anyone who is just starting to find their way through the world of bourbons or just wants something easy to sip and not have to think too much about. I would not cut this with any water as it is so easy to enjoy straight from the bottle. In the $30 weight class one would be hard pressed to find anything that could go toe-to-toe with this wonderful light weight bourbon.

Rating: 3.5/5