Master Distiller Charles L Beam created Eagle Rare Bourbon and introduced it in 1975. Numerous companies acquired it prior to the current owner, Buffalo Trace distillery. Eagle Rare was a single barrel bourbon, but when bottling switched from hand to machine-bottled the Distillery dropped that label. The mash is from Buffalo Trace’s “Mashbill #1,” a low-rye mash common to Benchmark, Stagg, and Buffalo Trace that may be 75% corn, 15% barley and 10% rye. If true, Eagle Rare is essentially a selected and extra-aged version of Buffalo Trace Bourbon in a wine bottle. Eagle Rare 10 Year’s appearance is a Chestnut gold. The nose is complex with oak, toffee and honey. The taste is bold and the 90 proof is evident in the balance taste of wood, vanilla, and char. The dry and spicy finish lingers. Eagle Rare is very good but I’m not quite sure it is worth the price premium over Buffalo Trace just because of the wine bottle casing.