I don't think this one needs much of an intro. If you frequent this site, you've probably already read a good deal about it. I've been sort of hit or miss with Eagle Rare in the past; always good, but only great about half the time. Let's how this store pick stacks up. Nose: Gala apples and leather are the stand out notes. I also get classic Buffalo Trace cherry. The palate is rounded out with baking spice, fig, and cocoa. Very oaky and a bit musty. Overall, solid nose. Palate: Caramel, leather, and cherry dominate the palate from the start. The gala apples now take a secondary role. Beyond that, I get vanilla, baking spice, chocolate, and a hint of black tea. Not the most complex, but incredibly balanced. Not too sweet, not too spicy, not too bitter. Nice touch of oak. The palate reflects a lot of what was in the nose, and I think that's for the better. Finish: Moderate to long finish. Caramel, leather, apple transition into black tea, and then just a bit of cinnamon and black pepper spice at the tail end. I'd hardly call it spicy, but there's just enough of a kick to let you know that 45 ABV was the right choice for this one. Balance, consistency, and value. That's the name of the game here. At the $40 the store was advertising, I'd have thought this a good deal. They gave it to me for $35, which is a downright bargain. From start to finish, this one delivers the goods. It checks all of the important boxes and leaves little to be desired across the board. As I indicated earlier, I've had mixed experiences with ER. If I were to score my last bottle based on memory, which was from over a year ago, I'd probably give it a 3.75. This one is significantly better; I'd say it's the best I've had. Your mileage may vary. With that being said, I've never had an ER that I didn't enjoy. I like the variability that a Single Barrel line offers, even if it means I won't always get my favorite rendition of that product. Fortunately, I won big with this one. As always, well done Buffalo Trace.