Back in the day this was a definite upgrade over standard Buffalo Trace. Today the two are much closer in tasting notes. Eagle Rare is becoming harder to find, and the two are worth the comparison, but I’ll buy Buffalo Trace over the higher priced Eagle Rare most any day. Still, this is a fantastic bourbon. To me, the 2019 upgrade to Buffalo Trace is EH Taylor Small Batch. That whiskey is what Eagle Rare used to be in today’s available whiskey stocks. Nose: heavy butterscotch and toffee, hints of zesty orange, oak and corn, hints of raisins and worn leather Palate: rich with cola, vanilla, baking spices like nutmeg, more butterscotch, hints of honey and cherries Finish: short but balanced and delicious, way too easy to sip Sweet to start, spicy to finish. This is a great bourbon. However, it’s hard to justify the higher price for Eagle Rare when you can just buy Buffalo Trace. Both are excellent. You can argue Eagle Rare is a bit richer, but not $10-20 richer. And if you find a barrel select of Buffalo Trace absolutely buy. Store picks of Eagle Rare have returned for 2019 and I’m very interested to try those for comparison.