Review #853 - Eagle Rare 10 Year Single Barrel - Wiseguy Lounge Pick 'Extortion'
Eagle Rare is made using Buffalo Trace's 'mashbill #1,' which is not explicitly disclosed, but is understood to have low-rye bourbon proportions. This is generally believed to be 10% or less rye in the mashbill, and the bulk of the grain is corn, which should lead to a sweeter profile, especially when paired with the Buffalo Trace yeast strain, which tends to add fruit flavors to the bourbon. While most Buffalo Trace core range bourbons don't have an age statement, this one actually does - it's 10 years.
This is a single barrel of Eagle Rare bourbon which was picked by the Wiseguy Lounge, a chain of speakeasy-styled bars in the Midwest United States. This single barrel still has the typical proof point for Eagle Rare: 45% ABV, or 90 proof.
Eagle Rare 10 Year Single Barrel - Wiseguy Lounge Pick 'Extortion'
USA - Bourbon
Price: USD 75 (2026)
Age Statement: 10 Years
Strength: 45% ABV
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 60% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Quite sweet with a lot of red fruit: strawberries, grenadine syrup, and cocktail cherries. Brown sugar brings even more sweetness, and we get a mild to moderate oak influence despite the 10 years of aging. Overall, it's a bit simple.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thin; oak starts the flavors, adding tannins and hints of leather. Fruit develops next, especially grape jelly, even grape gummy candies. It's a nice mix of sweetness and spice, but it's simple again.
Finish: Soft leathery oak, hints of perfume, and a hint of dark grape jam. Tannins linger the most as the finish progresses.
Final Note: This single barrel example of Eagle Rare is pleasant enough, and the balance is decent, but it's also one of the simpler examples that we've tried. Past the tannic oak and the red fruit/grape, we didn't find too many nuances, and the lower proof point doesn't help with that flavor density.
Value is a bit below average due to the average flavors, and the fact that in some places, bottles like this are still quite hard to obtain, so the price floats a bit higher. Buffalo Trace distribution seems to be getting better slowly, but it still has a ways to go in our area.
Our Rating: 6.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.69
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our recent Buffalo Trace reviews:
Review #828 - Blanton's Gold Single Barrel - Wiseguy Lounge Pick 'Pity the Fool'
Review #795 - Weller Full Proof Single Barrel - Wiseguy Lounge Pick 'Jackpot'
Review #782 - Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon (Rick 9, Barrel 1769)
Review #738 - Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Bourbon
