Next in my Buffalo Trace series is a sample of Eagle Rare 17 from 2014. The nose is moderately rich and creamy that pulls you in with sweet butterscotch pudding with a light sourness from honey dew, diced Granny Smith apples and dusty leather-bound books then mild earthy notes of affogato with blonde roast espresso over vanilla ice cream and chocolate covered candied pecans followed by mandarin oranges and cherry cough drops that transitions to light spices of spearmint, ginger, cloves and dusty barnyard floors with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with sweet butterscotch pudding with a light sourness of honey dew, diced Granny Smith apples and dusty leather-bound books then mild earthy notes of spicy mocha, black peppercorns and candied pecans followed by mandarin oranges and cherry cough syrup that transitions to light spices of spearmint, ginger, cloves and polished mahogany with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with milk chocolate covered candied pecans, sautéed cinnamon apples, cherry cough syrup, cloves, ginger, mild black pepper spice and antique leather armchair. Well damn, this is a delicious bourbon that is moderately rich and creamy with a balance of sweet and sour citrus with a dusty old oak in the background along with mild earthy notes and light rye spices that are nearly perfectly balanced with the main fault of the flavors being thinner than I’d prefer likely from that 45% ABV that with just a few more percentage points could have really elevated this bourbon with a richer mouthfeel and bolder flavors. Side by side with Eagle Rare 10, they share the same notes but the additional years of the 17 have really helped intensify them with a richer nose and mouthfeel along with dusty old oak that makes it the clear winner. At a price of around $2400+ today, there is no value to be found here and there are plenty of other bourbons that are equal or better than with this for far less.