Eagle Rare
“The Eagle has landed.”
For us, this bourbon is beginning to fall foul of the inevitable change in our relationship towards our favourite spirit. Even though this whiskey is a solid pour, has an awesome bottle, and is certainly above your lower-shelf offering, in our opinion, there are better bourbons available at around a similar price. Case in point it is absent from our current Top 10 bourbons under £50.
As our collections have grown larger over the years, Eagle Rare sadly falls down our soon-to-be patented “Early Evening Reach For Pour”© list. There is also another reason why this whiskey just doesn’t cut it these days… Eagle Rare 17. Once you have had the opportunity to taste Eagle Rare 17 there is no turning back to the 10-year-old incarnation. You have been warned, proceed with caution. Please also pass this warning on to your wallet as the extra 7 years will ‘slightly’ increase the bottle price.
So why are the Gents so down on this often-praised bourbon? For a start the stunningly beautiful nose, with its zesty orange rind, heavy citrus, sweets such as skittles and starbursts, plus hints of caramel and oak, ultimately fails to deceive as not much of it follows through to the palate. This disappointment continues when the overwhelming taste is mainly oak with hints of white pepper. The alcohol strength is also well hidden and it feels lacking in the finish you might be expecting (or wanting) from a bourbon of this price and proof.
Ultimately, if any of the other bourbons on our list (here) are available to you then you should visit those instead of Eagle Rare. However, if it’s this or regular Jim Beam then fill your boots.
