‘Unlike Any Extra-Aged Bourbon’: Buffalo Trace Debuts 25-Year-Old Edition of Eagle Rare
Eagle Rare 25 is the oldest Eagle Rare bourbon ever. (Photo: Buffalo Trace)
On Thursday, Kentucky whiskey-producing powerhouse Buffalo Trace announced the release of a 25-year-old edition of its iconic Eagle Rare Bourbon. The oldest Eagle Rare to date, this release follows closely behind the announcement of the 2023 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, which included a 19-year, 3-month-old Eagle Rare expression, the oldest Eagle Rare in the collection’s history.
Eagle Rare 25 is the first release from Warehouse P, which is one of Buffalo Trace’s two experimental warehouses.
You’ll rarely come across a bourbon with this high an age statement, and not just because of the time commitment and amount of whiskey you lose to evaporation over that span. Twenty-five years is an awfully long time to spend in oak, and most bourbons north of 20 years old come out aggressively oaky, tannic and dry.
However, Buffalo Trace says Warehouse P was built to challenge that notion.
“Eagle Rare 25 defies the conventional limits of typical bourbon aging,” Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley said in a news release. “When crafting whiskey in conditions like those we experience in Kentucky, two reactions happen over time: more liquid is lost due to evaporation – also known as angel’s share – and extraction of flavors from the barrel becomes more intense, often leading older whiskeys to taste over-oaked, astringent, and dry. The unique set of aging conditions in Warehouse P has allowed us to create a 25-year-old bourbon that smooths out the extractions and highlights the desirable flavors found in ultra-aged American whiskey products.”
About 200 bottles of Eagle Rare 25 ill be released to select retailers, bars and restaurants starting in November at a suggested retail price of $10,000 per 750-milliliter bottle.
“We closely monitored Eagle Rare 25 throughout the aging process and discovered that the impact over time due to controlled, extended aging was optimally mature whiskey – by that, I mean whiskey that is uniquely smooth and complex with deep, mature flavors around every corner,” Wheatley said. “Eagle Rare 25 is unlike any other extra-aged bourbon on the market today. We are quite proud of this bourbon.”
A 25-year-old anniversary is commonly referred to as “silver,” and Buffalo Trace thus attached silver wings to each decanter.
“Around the globe, an eagle’s wings symbolize freedom and the opportunity to reach higher,” Buffalo Trace Distillery Global Brand Director Andrew Duncan said. “It’s also a reminder for us at Buffalo Trace Distillery to never settle in our pursuit of crafting the perfect bourbon. In service of that relentless pursuit, Eagle Rare 25 is the pinnacle of American whiskey to date from our Distillery, and our Eagle Rare brand is the perfect portfolio to showcase this barrier-breaking expression.”
Eagle Rare 25 Tasting Notes, Via Buffalo Trace
Nose: Intense cherry, oak, dark chocolate and an icing drizzle beginning
Taste: Vanilla, dark fruit and butterscotch
Finish: Extremely long with lingering notes of rickhouse floor, baking spice and black pepper.
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