2013 Buffalo Trace Distillery Eagle Rare 17 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, USA

Palate: Mellow again. It seems like every other new bourbon on the market today is over 100 proof. At 90 proof, Eagle Rare 17 comes off as an easy drinker. Its profile is very well rounded. Its age (19 years) does provide some oak backbone, yet comes nowhere near overpowering any of the flavors. Those flavors include some minor vanilla notes, caramel, cereal, black pepper and even some raisins. Finish: This is a 19 year old bourbon and you can taste it. For a bourbon this old, the oak rounds out the flavor profile more than it dominates it. Some of the mellowness of the oak flavor can be attributed to the 90 proof point but certainly not all: this is a carefully aged bourbon that puts a premium on balance.