BOTM 11/15: Eagle Rare Single Barrel

[fishnbowljoe]

I figured that after five years, maybe it was time to revisit this one. It's been mentioned in a few posts lately, and as I've explained when doing a BOTM that's been done before, we've had many new members join since it was last the BOTM.

Below are most of the remarks I posted from when ER was the BOTM back in November of 2010.

ERSB is somewhat of a gateway bourbon for me. When I first got interested in bourbon, I had MM, WR, and KC. ERSB was the first bourbon I bought after joining SB. I like this bourbon. It's a shame I don't have a pour of it more often.

The nose to me has that musty, earthy smell that BT is known for. In the background is a hint of acetone. The taste again, has that earthy quality. Grass/tobacco, leather, and a slight sweetness or fruitiness, that I wish there was a little more of. I know some people might disagree with me, but ERSB for some reason reminds me a little of a wheated bourbon. Oh well. :skep:

I went crazy about ERSB when I first joined here. As I found new and different bourbons, my tastes and interests changed. I moved on to what I thought were bigger and better things. In the last few months, I've kinda rediscovered ERSB. It's almost a shame I ever got away from it, but as is sometimes said here, "Too many choices, too little time." :crazy: I'm not sure whether ERSB, or my taste buds have changed, (probably a little of both) but the flavor seems to have evolved. IMHO, there's less of the mustiness on the nose, and the leather/tobacco flavor is more muted. The acetone taste seems to be gone, and a bit more of the sweet/fruit flavor comes through. Did my wish from five years ago come true, or ??? :skep: Regardless, I'm glad I started purchasing ERSB again. FWIW, I just sent an empty bottle to the recycle bin. I do have a couple more in the bunker just in case.:grin:

One more thing. Yes, the bottle itself has gone through some changes recently. Feel free to comment and compare the taste of newer vs older bottles, but please refrain from bitching and moaning about yet another bourbon (possibly?) losing its age statement. That subject has been well covered in several threads. Thanks.

Cheers and Happy Posting! Let's hear what y'all have to say about ERSB.

Joe

[dcbt]

BT was my gateway bourbon, so it's only natural that I discovered ER10 shortly thereafter. It continues to be on my bar at all times, often serving as a dessert pour because of the extreme vanilla sweetness that I pick up.

[latech15]

Just for clarification for this new guy....this BOTM is eagle rare that is available pretty much everywhere now or is this something different?

[amg]

Just for clarification for this new guy....this BOTM is eagle rare that is available pretty much everywhere now or is this something different?

The regularly available stuff, yes.

[fozzy71]

Nice, I haven't sipped on a bottle in a while and have one in the bunker I will drag up for the next time I decide to imbibe. Not sure when that will be though as I am 'trying' to cut down on the number of nights per week I sip (considering abstinence actually, but likely won't) so I can try to cut 5 more pounds of body weight before the snow flies.

[Golzee]

Eagle Rare is one of my favorites, it falls in my wheelhouse on all levels. It has a solid age without being oak driven. I enjoy the sweetness of the bourbon with its vanilla backbone. Some of the private picks I have gotten have been outstanding. I would like to try ER101, but, that will most likely never happen. Also, could somebody explain whats going on with the single barrel/batch. Is it still believed to be a single barrel but with a little overflow from the previous barrel?

[Flyfish]

My current bottle of ER10 does not have the SB designation. As I recall, BT said they were abandoning the claim because there was some mingling of juice in the lines. Never quite understood why they did that. Do they feel that other SBs are worth flushing the lines but ER10 was not? They might have taken a cue from WT who came up with that hybrid designation--Small Batch Single Barrel for RR. Somebody undoubtedly can sort this out.

[fishnbowljoe]

Also, could somebody explain whats going on with the single barrel/batch. Is it still believed to be a single barrel but with a little overflow from the previous barrel?

I'll try to explain what happened as best as I can. There's been one, and possibly two label changes in the last year or so. One change involved the 10 year old age statement. It is no longer on the neck band of the bottle. It was moved to the label on the back of the bottle. The second change may or may not have occurred at the same time. Eagle Rare is no longer a Single Barrel bourbon. It's now simply Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

I apologize for any confusion that I may have caused in my posting this months BOTM as Eagle Rare Single Barrel. I've been calling it ERSB for so long, that I completely forgot that it's no longer a single barrel product. My bad totally.

Joe

[Hop]

As much as I tend to love about anything BT produces I just have never been able to stomach the ER... I've tried multiple times and with multiple bottles, regulars as well as Store Selections and haven't been able to get over the initial tasting. Just goes to show the differences in all of our tastes

[dcbt]

And to add to the confusion, for all intents and purposes it still is single barrel. It's just the last little bit on the bottling lines that may cause the last bottle to mingle two barrels. As far as I understand it anyway from how mark brown described it.

[flahute]

And to add to the confusion, for all intents and purposes it still is single barrel. It's just the last little bit on the bottling lines that may cause the last bottle to mingle two barrels. As far as I understand it anyway from how mark brown described it.

That's correct. It may as well still be thought of as a single barrel because that tiny bit left in the line is not going to really alter the flavor of the next barrel.

[flahute]

They might have taken a cue from WT who came up with that hybrid designation--Small Batch Single Barrel for RR. Somebody undoubtedly can sort this out.

Jimmy Russell has said that was a label mistake that didn't get caught until it was too late. The redesigned labels have corrected that flaw.

[thornsbreak]

I've been reading this board for 3 years or so, but haven't hardly posted yet. But I'll take this BOTM as a sign to get started, because Eagle Rare is one of my absolute favorite bourbons, and without any doubt my favorite bourbon of all at a reasonable price. I don't think this one gets as much attention as it deserves on this board, thanks to its harder-to-find siblings in the affordable but great spotlight: ETL and W12. But I think it is better than either, especially in terms of balance and refinement.

Inspired by this board, my wife and I have been doing a side-by-side blind tasting tournament of whiskey over the last couple years, and Eagle Rare came out as the best bourbon available for $35 or under (including tax) and the #2 overall whiskey for under $35. (for the curious, Sazerac Rye and Glenmorangie 10 just edged it out to tie for #1 in that price range.) We liked Eagle Rare better in blind tastings than all of the following: Elmer T Lee, Weller 12, Evan Williams Single Barrel 2004 (though this almost tied it for 2nd place), Henry McKenna 10 BiB, 4 Roses Small Batch, the SB Blend, Wild Turkey Rye 101, Rittenhouse Rye BiB, Old Grand Dad 114, Russell's Reserve, Russell's Reserve Rye, Elijah Craig 12, 1792, Buffalo Trace, Old Weller Antique 107, Knob Creek, Wild Turkey 101, and many others.

Why? Eagle Rare always displayed a greater refinement of balance, subtlety, complexity, nuance, and composure than most of its competitors. Others are louder or more intense, but few approach the elegance and depth of ER, whose charm is in its restraint and layered harmony. There is a lot going on in ER, but it is all very well integrated. It displays a lot of movement from the opening to the finish, creating a satisfying journey of pleasant flavors in succession. It rewards close attention with hidden depths, but it never demands attention or shouts. For me, it is the perfect intersection of age, proof, and price point, to create an affordable luxury that is classy and sophisticated. Elegant, well-behaved, charming, rewarding attention with profound depth and subtlety-- Eagle Rare is like the English gentleman of the bourbon world. A welcome guest who shines at parties or private discussion alike. Not to mention that I find it incredibly consistent and have never had a bad pour.

I've taken careful notes on this one many times. Here are some of the things I've written more than once:

Pleasant fruitiness is the first thing I note, usually striking me as rather "purple," like grape kool-aid or purple flowers. Sometimes I pick up some cherry or dried apricot, but almost always, that "purple" thing. Right behind that, I get a very pleasant almondy toasted oak nuttiness, which is one of my favorite aspects of this bourbon, and which melds right into some vanilla confectioner's sugar, creating a sort of nougaty effect. I often pick up a little bit of a powdery old-fashioned candy thing, like wintergreen Necco wafers or something like that. There is also a little bit of buttercream, and gentle spices (cinnamon?) though I don't always notice those as much. As for the mouthfeel and sense of movement, I often end up writing things like this: "Smooth and soft dance. Superbly balanced, elegant, and subtle. Great movement. Not hot in the mouth-- can hold it on the tongue for ages. Opens gently sweet and moves to a gently drying finish of toasted oak at just the right volume. Suave and sophisticated, and very well focused. Everything at just the right levels and timing.

I find this to share many, many flavor characteristics with Buffalo Trace, but with much greater levels of refinement, and a decidedly greater presence of delicious toasty oak.

I know I haven't posted much here and have little credibility yet in this community, but I have done very extensive blind tastings of this many times while taking careful notes, and I'd personally recommend this as one of the best values left in bourbon. I'd also strongly encourage other people to try this one blind, side by side with a few others of your favorites-- that's where you'll really taste what makes this one stand out, and where its balance and depth really snap into focus. It's just a wonderful testimony to the bourbon maker's art that something this delicious and refined is available for $30 or under. My only fear is how much longer that can last, in this market... and I'm afraid we'll either see the quality go down or the price go up, eventually. Bunker some while you can! This is one of the living legends among us that old timers will be hearkening back to with fond memories someday.

[OldDrinker1978]

I've been reading this board for 3 years or so, but haven't hardly posted yet. But I'll take this BOTM as a sign to get started, because Eagle Rare is one of my absolute favorite bourbons, and without any doubt my favorite bourbon of all at a reasonable price. I don't think this one gets as much attention as it deserves on this board, thanks to its harder-to-find siblings in the affordable but great spotlight: ETL and W12. But I think it is better than either, especially in terms of balance and refinement.

Inspired by this board, my wife and I have been doing a side-by-side blind tasting tournament of whiskey over the last couple years, and Eagle Rare came out as the best bourbon available for $35 or under (including tax) and the #2 overall whiskey for under $35. (for the curious, Sazerac Rye and Glenmorangie 10 just edged it out to tie for #1 in that price range.) We liked Eagle Rare better in blind tastings than all of the following: Elmer T Lee, Weller 12, Evan Williams Single Barrel 2004 (though this almost tied it for 2nd place), Henry McKenna 10 BiB, 4 Roses Small Batch, the SB Blend, Wild Turkey Rye 101, Rittenhouse Rye BiB, Old Grand Dad 114, Russell's Reserve, Russell's Reserve Rye, Elijah Craig 12, 1792, Buffalo Trace, Old Weller Antique 107, Knob Creek, Wild Turkey 101, and many others.

Why? Eagle Rare always displayed a greater refinement of balance, subtlety, complexity, nuance, and composure than most of its competitors. Others are louder or more intense, but few approach the elegance and depth of ER, whose charm is in its restraint and layered harmony. There is a lot going on in ER, but it is all very well integrated. It displays a lot of movement from the opening to the finish, creating a satisfying journey of pleasant flavors in succession. It rewards close attention with hidden depths, but it never demands attention or shouts. For me, it is the perfect intersection of age, proof, and price point, to create an affordable luxury that is classy and sophisticated. Elegant, well-behaved, charming, rewarding attention with profound depth and subtlety-- Eagle Rare is like the English gentleman of the bourbon world. A welcome guest who shines at parties or private discussion alike. Not to mention that I find it incredibly consistent and have never had a bad pour.

I've taken careful notes on this one many times. Here are some of the things I've written more than once:

Pleasant fruitiness is the first thing I note, usually striking me as rather "purple," like grape kool-aid or purple flowers. Sometimes I pick up some cherry or dried apricot, but almost always, that "purple" thing. Right behind that, I get a very pleasant almondy toasted oak nuttiness, which is one of my favorite aspects of this bourbon, and which melds right into some vanilla confectioner's sugar, creating a sort of nougaty effect. I often pick up a little bit of a powdery old-fashioned candy thing, like wintergreen Necco wafers or something like that. There is also a little bit of buttercream, and gentle spices (cinnamon?) though I don't always notice those as much. As for the mouthfeel and sense of movement, I often end up writing things like this: "Smooth and soft dance. Superbly balanced, elegant, and subtle. Great movement. Not hot in the mouth-- can hold it on the tongue for ages. Opens gently sweet and moves to a gently drying finish of toasted oak at just the right volume. Suave and sophisticated, and very well focused. Everything at just the right levels and timing.

I find this to share many, many flavor characteristics with Buffalo Trace, but with much greater levels of refinement, and a decidedly greater presence of delicious toasty oak.

I know I haven't posted much here and have little credibility yet in this community, but I have done very extensive blind tastings of this many times while taking careful notes, and I'd personally recommend this as one of the best values left in bourbon. I'd also strongly encourage other people to try this one blind, side by side with a few others of your favorites-- that's where you'll really taste what makes this one stand out, and where its balance and depth really snap into focus. It's just a wonderful testimony to the bourbon maker's art that something this delicious and refined is available for $30 or under. My only fear is how much longer that can last, in this market... and I'm afraid we'll either see the quality go down or the price go up, eventually. Bunker some while you can! This is one of the living legends among us that old timers will be hearkening back to with fond memories someday.

Your tasting notes are absolutely spot on with what I am getting from ER and why I like it so much! Great Post to honour a great bourbon!

[Paddy]

ER has long been the flag bearer for BT, and I can't disagree with a single point Thornsbreak made.

Much like Blanton's in it's subtle, but refined, elegance... always prompting the drinker to take another sip in his/her effort to squeeze out another muted note in its balanced composition. The subtle and reliable pours are the one's we take for granted...

Very good assessment sir, and welcome to the 'board'! :toast:

[flahute]

ER10 is never one that I get excited about or talk much about and yet when I have a bottle open, it gets emptied about as fast as any I've ever emptied. It is that enjoyable and drinkable. Though I've never been good at tasting notes, I found myself nodding my head with familiarity while reading thorns notes above. I currently have 2 bottles sitting in the bunker and this will prompt me to bring one up to the shelf.

[mbroo5880i]

I like ER10. However, while I recognize there is a brand "profile," I find store selections are often superior to regular bottles.

[thornsbreak]

I like ER10. However, while I recognize there is a brand "profile," I find store selections are often superior to regular bottles.

So, my old roommate from Wilmington just happened to give me a little sample vial to take home with me of a private selection barrel he helped choose for Front Street Brewery. I sampled it side by side with regular ER10 about a week ago.

The private selection was noticeably a shade or two darker in color, and had a richer fullness. I don't know the actual age of what they got, but if I knew nothing at all, I would definitely guess that the private selection had a little more time on it-- more depth of flavor, more punch, more dark richness-- both oak and tangy fruit. I think for most people, the private selection would stand out as superior for its bolder flavors.

All that said, I had a hard time choosing which one I liked better. I liked the richness of the private selection, but I liked the more delicate balance of the original. And either way, it was unmistakable ER goodness. I think the decision on this pair would come down to mood for me.

In any case, it definitely validates what you're saying, that when you get a store selection, there can be a noticeable difference and something more distinctive and special departing a little from the standard profile. I'd love to try more of these to compare!

[thornsbreak]

ER10 is never one that I get excited about or talk much about and yet when I have a bottle open, it gets emptied about as fast as any I've ever emptied. It is that enjoyable and drinkable.

This is my definition for great beer, too. One that I almost don't notice how good it is, until all of sudden it's gone surprisingly soon, and I'm like... wow, that happened unusually fast, because I kept wanting more. One sip leads to the next. Unfortunately, this is a far more dangerous phenomenon with bourbon!

[Richnimrod]

I always thought of Eagle Rare as a better, older version of BT, for only a slight increase in price. I very much agree with Thornsbreak on four of his descriptors: Restraint, Nuance, Elegance, and Balance. I don't think ER has continued in quite the way it once was bottled;.... But it's pretty close! I just may crack a new one I've been looking at for a couple weex very soon.

[-icon-]

Enjoy this pour. One of the more surprising with regards to variance between store picked barrels. I have 3 different picks from Liquor Bark (bowling green, KY, Busters (memphis, TN) and Germantown Village (Germantown, TN) and have been very surprised by how wide the flavor profile swung... most notably between the liquor barn (sweeter) and Busters (spicier) bottles.

Good to Very good Pour, IMO. I'd give it an 8/10

Having had this year's ER17 side by side with the Buster's ER10 Bottle sorta dampened my enthusiasm for the ER10. The 17 is something else this year....

Edited November 2, 2015 by [icon]

[Tony Santana]

No shortage of opinions on this one. I've always enjoyed it, think it's one of the best values in bourbon, and always have a bottle or two in reserve (I think at my house right now one could find a store select .375, two .750's and an unopened 1.75 with the old label). Sometimes, but not always, I get a great butterscotch thing going on with ER10, that's really delicious.

For whatever it's worth, I have a bottle of ER17 too (not this year's), and do not find it to be a significant upgrade over the ER10.

[OldDrinker1978]

I want to add - as I am enjoying a pour of ER right now - to me ER is closer to Stagg Jr than to BT. I get some off notes in BT that I don't get in either Eagle Rare nor Stagg Jr. (diluted) Also get a massive cherry note in both ER and Stagg Jr that is absent in BT. Tons of Vanilla and desert notes in all three of them.

[DonutsNBourbon]

I want to add - as I am enjoying a pour of ER right now - to me ER is closer to Stagg Jr than to BT. I get some off notes in BT that I don't get in either Eagle Rare nor Stagg Jr. (diluted) Also get a massive cherry note in both ER and Stagg Jr that is absent in BT. Tons of Vanilla and desert notes in all three of them.

interesting, I thought Stagg Jr was closer to BT and CEHT than ER. I know they're all the same mashbill, but ER was completely different to me. lots of vanilla with ER and I get this cola taste (maybe it's that Cherry taste you get?) with CEHT, Stagg Jr and BT. Altho I guess it could've been that it's a "SB" and it can vary from barrel to barrel and I can't seem to distinguish the different flavors very well, or at least describe them, but to me, ER is different from Stagg JR and BT.

[LCWoody]

Always have an ER in stock. All ER's are good......... Some are just better than others......

Edited November 3, 2015 by LCWoody