17 years. Limited annual release. Wine-like aromatics, leather, and toffee. One of the five bourbons in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.

Eagle Rare 17 Year is one of five annual releases in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, alongside George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller, Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye, and Sazerac 18 Year. Of the five, Eagle Rare 17 is the most approachable in proof it doesn’t arrive at cask strength like Stagg or Weller, but at a more traditional bottling proof that allows the 17 years of oak maturation to express itself without the intensity of high-proof delivery.

The result is a bourbon with a distinctly wine-like character almost no other aged bourbon produces the almond, cigar box, and dried fruit aromatics that 17 years in new charred oak at Buffalo Trace generates. The 2019 edition received a 5-star Highest Recommendation from F. Paul Pacult and a 96 from Wine Enthusiast. It is only available in small quantities once a year, every fall.

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Rich amber with deep copper highlights.
• Aroma: Almost wine-like almond, cigar boxes, cinnamon, dried fruit, and a deep barrel spice. Fragrant and complex.
• Palate: Delicate and dry at entry leather, vanilla, tobacco, and a warm grain sweetness that builds with time in the glass.
• Finish: Very long leather and toffee lingering well past the last sip.

Critical Acclaim

• F. Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal: 5 Stars / Highest Recommendation
• Wine Enthusiast: 96

Specs

• Distillery: Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, Kentucky
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Age: 17 years
• Size: 750ml
• Release: 2019 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection

Explore the full Buffalo Trace collection or browse all bourbon at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How does Eagle Rare 17 differ from Eagle Rare 10? Eagle Rare 10 is the widely available standard expression excellent value, consistently approachable. The 17 Year adds seven additional years of maturation, producing a fundamentally different whiskey: more complex, more aromatic, with the wine-like and leather character that only extended oak contact develops. It is a limited annual release rather than an ongoing product.
• Why does Eagle Rare 17 have wine-like aromatics? Extended maturation in new charred American oak at Buffalo Trace’s specific warehouse conditions generates a distinctive ester and aldehyde profile that reads as almost wine-like on the nose almond, dried fruit, and a fragrant complexity more commonly associated with aged wine than bourbon. It is one of Eagle Rare 17’s most recognized characteristics.
• How does Eagle Rare 17 fit into the BTAC? It is the most approachable of the five in terms of proof and style less intense than Stagg or Weller, more structured than Sazerac 18. For drinkers new to the BTAC, it is often the recommended entry point.
• Is the 2019 BTAC Eagle Rare still available? In very limited quantities through specialty retailers. BTAC releases sell out at primary retail immediately upon arrival. Finding remaining stock requires a retailer that held allocation.

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