Bourbon

Eagle Rare Bourbon Whiskey Review

A few weeks ago I attended an event at the Renaissance New Orleans Art Hotel.  A buddy offered to buy me a drink, and after scanning the bar my eyes landed on an almost empty bottle of Eagle Rare.  Bullseye.  The bartender poured the rest in a glass (nearly an ounce) and handed it to me.  I tasted Eagle Rare a few years earlier at another event, but didn’t care for it much.  This time, however, I found it quite enjoyable.

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Eagle Rare is a 10 year old single barrel bourbon from Buffalo Trace, which means there will be variances from barrel to barrel.  Unfortunately, I don’t see a barrel designation on the label.  That means if  you like what you taste, rush to the store where you bought this and pick up another bottle or two, because there’s a better chance those bottles are from the same barrel.

My pour of Eagle Rare at the hotel impressed my friend Jeremy, who took a small taste from my glass.  It’s 90 proof, smells sweet and oaky, and that’s what I tasted.   Eagle Rare smells sweeter than it tastes, but that corn is there somewhere.  There’s also lots of wood.  It makes for an “earthier” tasting bourbon.  The wood doesn’t overpower everything.  It helps keep all the flavors more towards the balanced side of things.

I really like this bourbon.  So much in fact that I picked up the last bottle on the shelf at a high end liquor store in the New Orleans area for $28.  When I get around to opening that, I’ll post any differences between the new bottle and the bar pour right here on Adventures In Whiskey.  BTW, this looks to be the same slender bottles Buffalo Trace uses in their Antique Collection.  Simple and classic.  Have you tried Eagle Rare?  If so, comment below and share your thoughts.

The Eagle has landed  8.0/10

Bulleit Bourbon Review

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You’ve seen the bottle on the shelf.  The great looking one that belongs on the set of the long-gone HBO show “Deadwood.”  Nothing says Old West like Bulleit Bourbon.  BTW, the “i” in bulleit is silent.

Bulleit Bourbon is a NDP (Non-Distiller Producer) bourbon owned by Diageo.  Huh?  It means Diageo doesn’t distill this bourbon.  Instead, they purchase, age, and bottle it.  Apparently Bulleit is distilled at Four Roses, and word around the campfire is they are going to stop distilling Bulleit this year.   What does that mean for you?  Nothing, at least for the next 4-6 years.  See, if Four Roses stops distilling Bulleit this year, then Diageo will find someone who will.  It’ll take 4-6 years of the new distillate to age and make it to your supermarket shelves.

If you read a lot of bourbon blogs or forums, you’ll see there’s lots of negative attitude towards NDP bourbons.  You see, a lot of NDP bourbons don’t list who actually distills the whiskey, and people want to know who makes the stuff.  I get people’s frustrations, but who makes the bourbon isn’t as important as how it tastes.

So how is it in your glass?  One word:  spicy.  Not a tongue-tingling spicy like Noah’s Mill or Booker’s gives you.  Those are barrel-strength.  Bulleit Bourbon is 90 proof.  It’s more like a little bit of cinnamon spicy.  There’s lots of rye in the mash bill.  A quick search says as much as 28% rye.  It’s not completely one sided, however.  Like most, if not all, bourbons, there’s some sweetness there. I find the sweetness really comes out in the finish.  It’s a great “everyday” bourbon.  Because of the spiciness, I like this one in cocktails, especially an Old Fashioned.

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You can probably find this around the $25 range.  It’s readily available.  Bulleit also offers a rye whisky and a 10 year old bourbon.  I’ll get to those soon enough.

A great mid-tier bourbon.  8/10

W. L. Weller 12 Years Old Review

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W. L. Weller 12 Year old bourbon is one of my favorites.  It’s a wheated bourbon, like the impossible-to-find Pappy Van Winkle line.  This one, however, is pretty readily available…at least in the New Orleans market (I hear it’s hard to find in areas of the country).  Buffalo Trace distills both.  In fact, they use the same recipe, or mash bill.  Well, if they’re made by the same distillery using the same recipe, are they the same bourbon?  No, they’re not.  From what I gather, the Van Winkles have first dibs at barrels of wheated bourbons.  They take what they consider the best, and the rest goes to the Weller line.

Part of enjoying whiskey is smelling it.  If you’re not doing that, you’re really doing yourself a disservice.  This one has a STRONG sweet caramel smell.  I could smell this all day.  How’s it taste?  Definitely on the sweeter side.  Honey and caramel are pretty strong.  The finish doesn’t last too long.  It mainly stays on your tongue for a few seconds.  This doesn’t taste like a 90 proof bourbon.

W.L. Weller has a few products out.  Their Special Reserve, which is a little cheaper and another great bourbon, and their Old Antique 107 proof.  I’ve yet to run across a bottle of Old Antique Weller in New Orleans.  Of the two I’ve tasted, I easily prefer the 12 year.  It runs close to $25, but I’ve seen it more expensive – as high as $40.  People refer to it as the poor man’s Pappy.  They might be similar enough to say that, but these are still two different bourbons.  Pappy Van Winkle’s bourbons are at the top of the heap.  If W. L. Weller is the leftover stuff, that’s nothing to balk at.  This is one delicious bourbon.  Have you tried Weller 12 year?  Comment below and let me know what you think.

Highly recommended  9/10