Eagle Rare Was Created By The Nephew Of Jim Beam
According to Gentleman Ranters, master distiller Charles Beam created the original 101-proof iteration of the Eagle Rare brand. If the last name sounds familiar, that is because Charles Beam was a part of the famous bourbon Beam family. As per Whiskey University, the legacy started in 1785 when Jacob Beam moved next door to a group of Catholics, including Basil Hayden, who taught Beam how to distill. His products became increasingly popular, and a legacy was born.
James “Jim” Beam and Joe Beam were the grandsons of Jacob Beam. Jim in particular continued his grandfather’s legacy and founded James Beam Bourbon. Meanwhile, Charles Beam was born to Roy Beam, Joe’s son. So, Charles Beam is both great-great-grandson of Jacob Beam and the grand-nephew of Jim Beam himself.
Turns out those are just a few of the many Beam family members involved in the bourbon business, according to Bourbon Fool. For instance, Charles Beam’s son David went on to work at the family distillery. Jim’s grandson, Carl, went on to become a master distiller at the James B. Beam Distillery. What’s more, Carl’s son Edward Beam also became a master distiller. Talk about a family business!
Things You Should Know About Eagle Rare Bourbon
Produced and distilled by Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare bourbons are some of the most sought-after bottles on the market. Aged for no less than 10 years, each barrel used to age Eagle Rare is hand-selected to offer consistent flavor from batch to batch, but also to showcase each batchs unique flavors and aromas. With a complex nose bringing forward notes of toffee, orange peel, herbs, and honey balanced with delicate aromas of leather and oak Eagle Rare has a bold taste thats become a favorite among bourbon connoisseurs. Now that you know the basics, here are 10 more things you should know about Eagle Rare Bourbon.
Eagle Rare Was Launched At A Time When America Was Turning Away From Whiskey
Throughout the 1970s, a new generation of drinkers began turning their backs on the spirits their parents drank. As such, rather than opting for whiskeys or bourbons, they found clear, unaged spirits like vodka to be more their style. In response to , the bourbon industry responded by lowering prices, which further damaged the spirits reputation as a cheap liquor.
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How Eagle Rare Is Made
When it comes to making whiskey, everything starts with the ingredients. When it comes to the building blocks of bourbon, It is no accident that Kentucky became the bourbon capital of the United States. According to Farm Flavor, Kentucky’s agriculture facilitated the growth of quality grains such as the corn, rye, and barley used to make Eagle Rare. Additionally, Buffalo Trace Distillery’s location was chosen because of the proximity to the Kentucky River, which provides the distillery with limestone-filtered water the company uses to create some of its whiskeys.
The ingredients are used to make the mash and then set to ferment. Eagle Rare is aged for at least 10 years in American oak barrels. After this aging process, the whiskeys are then filtered to pull out the debris from the barrel and leave the drinker with a clean, more palatable spirit. When it comes time to filter out the impurities, Eagle Rare utilizes a chill filter process . In a chill filter process, as Whisky Advocate reports, the whiskey is cooled and then run through a filter system. This process removes chemical impurities that can cause the whiskey to be cloudy, leaving you with a clearer bourbon in the bottle.
Who Makes The Eagle Rare Bourbon And Where
The Eagle rare Bourbon was sold by Seagram about 14 years before Sazerac Company acquired the brand in 1989. Back then, the drink was a multiple-barrel whiskey. However, Sazerac converted it to a single barrel whiskey in 2005. Today, it is part of the Buffalo Trace Distillery that is owned by Sazerac.
Sazerac is home to 7 distilleries that produce more than 450 brands under its name. The company has long been in the alcohol business since the 1600s. The company first started with the Cognac business in France. They landed in New Orleans in the 1800s, where they played an essential role in developing the liquor business.
It is in 1989 that the company got into the Bourbon business by purchasing several brands from Seagram. In 1992, the company took over the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Today, some of the company’s brands under Buffalo Trace Distilleries include Buffalo Trace Bourbon and George T. Stagg.
The distillery has, for long, received recognition around the world. In 2010 it was named the Visitor Attraction of the Year by Whisky Magazine. Additionally, in 2013, it was recognized as a National Historic Landmark due to its ability to preserve its heritage. Whisky Magazine also named it the Distiller of the year in 2018. To date, the distillery has been true to its heritage while still not compromising on innovating drinks of the future.
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History Of The Eagle Rare 10
The Eagle Rare Bourbon whiskey is a masterfully crafted bourbon that carries distinct and rich flavors. It dates back to 1975 when it was first created by Seagram and Master distiller Charles L Beam. In 2010, Beam was inducted into the Bourbon Hall of Fame subsequently for creating several bourbon brands.
Part of the reason the Eagle Rare Bourbon was made was to compete with another bourbon with a similar bird-theme and distilled to ER’s proof:101. However, the bourbon was distilled at Old Prentice Distillery that later became home to the Four Roses. Fourteen years down the line, Sazerac purchased the ER brand. They were bottling all their whiskeys before they decided to purchase the Buffalo Trace Distillery in 1992. Back then, the Trace Distillery was known as George. T Stagg Distillery.
Since Sazerac’s headquarters was in New Orleans, it was common to find many Eagle Rare labels listing New Orleans as their location. However, it does not necessarily mean they were bottled from theremost of the products that list New Orleans as their location were most likely bottled around 1997.
The brand also had a 15-year-old Eagle Rare Expression that was specifically made for the Japanese market. However, the drink was discontinued.
The Best Bourbons Under $50
Broken Barrel Whiskey Co. California Oak Bourbon
Distilled in Kentucky, this high-rye release is finished using a mix of virgin French Oak staves and California Cabernet wine cask staves. The process has a noticeable and enjoyable influence on the final whiskey, imparting a prominent vanilla note and juicy red berry flavors. If youre a regular wine drinker looking to explore bourbon, this is the bottle for you. Average price: $31. Rating: 91.
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
The eponymous release from the Buffalo Trace distillery, this expression remains among the most widely available and easily obtainable from the brand. That doesnt mean it should go overlooked, though. This is a solid entry-level bourbon with enjoyable caramel, brown sugar, and spice notes. It also performs valiantly when used in cocktails. Average price: $35. Rating: 91.
Hirsch Selected Whiskeys The Horizon
Hirsch combines a blend of two rye-forward Indiana-distilled bourbons for this release. The first, and majority component, is a little under 5 years old, while the second made from an even higher-rye mash bill is aged more than 6 and a half years. Unsurprisingly, rye is notable throughout, lending a black pepper spice to the nose and a sharp bite to the finish. Notes of red petals and dried cherries lend further complexity. Average price: $38. Rating: 92.
Russells Reserve 10 Years Old
Pinhook Bourbon Heist
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How To Drink Eagle Rare
We are not in the business of telling people how to drink whiskey, but we would be remiss if we did not encourage proper drinking etiquette regarding a fine whiskey. Eagle Rare may not be top shelf, but it does not sit at the bottom either. It comes at a not-insignificant price, and with the bourbon’s smooth flavor is not necessarily the whiskey you want to dilute or muddle with a mixer in a cocktail.
Liquor.com recommends that you enjoy Eagle Rare straight or perhaps simply on the rocks with some ice. Those who need a more mellow experience may also find that this bourbon, like so many other whiskys, is more drinkable mixed with water to help open up the bourbon and dilute its harsher qualities.
According to The Whiskey Shelf, Eagle Rare’s website once stated the whiskey could be served neat or over ice. They also wrote that Eagle Rare could be used in bourbon-based cocktails such as a Manhattan or whiskey sour. It should be noted, though, that the company’s page no longer makes drinking suggestions, and we suspect they will be happy with however you choose to enjoy their product.
Buy Bourbon Whiskey Online
Bourbon whiskey is a type of American whiskey that is a barrel-aged distilled liquor made mainly from corn. The name comes from the French Bourbon dynasty, although it is still debated till today whether the Kentucky county or New Orleans Street inspired this whiskey’s name. Bourbon has been produced since the 18th century, but the name “Bourbon” was not used until the 1850s. You can find this liquor being made anywhere in the United States, but bourbon is strongly identified with the American South in general, and Kentucky in particular.
Bourbon has a long ageing process that allows for that great flavor you love. After maturing the bourbon in the process, the bourbon is taken from the barrel and usually diluted with water. The bourbon is then bottled to at least 80 US proof. Some higher-proof bottles are marketed as “barrel proof”, which means that they have not been diluted or have been only lightly diluted after removal from the barrels. Bourbon whiskey may be sold at less than 80 proof but must be labeled as “diluted bourbon”.
Bourbon can be served neat, diluted with water, over ice cubes, or mixed with juice or soda into delicious bourbon cocktails, including the Manhattan, the Old Fashioned, the whiskey sour, and the mint julep. Bourbon can also used in cooking. Buy whiskey online and use this versatile bourbon for many different things. Get out that bottle of bourbon for any occasion.
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Eagle Rare Debuted Amid An Industry Downturn
Eagle Rare has not always been its reasonable 90-proof recipe.Yet, when the bourbon debuted, it pushed the limits of what can legally be called bourbon and was much more alcoholic.
According to Gentleman Ranters, whiskey consumption went seriously downhill in the 1960s and 1970s. Production was still at its usual level, but fewer people were buying whiskey. At the time, Charles Beam, the master distiller at Seagram’s, saw the ominous trend and recognized that the decrease in the output was actually a hidden opportunity. This downturn meant that the company could increase its ability to put out more prized aged products. So in 1975, Seagram launched Eagle Rare 10-year as a 101-proof whiskey.
If you are a bourbon fan and notice some similarities between this and another avian-themed whiskey, that is no coincidence. Eagle Rare created its 101-proof selection to be an homage to the equally potent and often beginner-friendly Wild Turkey . To kick it up a notch and stand out amongst the competition, Eagle Rare added an age statement of 10 years to its bottle.
The 30 Best Bourbons For Every Budget
Bourbon continues to rank among the most popular distilled spirits in the United States and its not just sales seeing a spike. As the number of producers in the country goes from strength to strength, so too does the range of styles in the category, with distillers turning to innovative fermentation and aging techniques, as well as left-field grains to stand out.
The tasting for VinePairs 2022 edition of our annual bourbon roundup offered great insight into how broad and deep the category has grown. Among the more than 150 bottles considered, we sampled brands from across the country, and encountered more craft expressions than ever before.
Speaking of craft, a large portion of the bottles considered this year came from independent brands that source their whiskey from Indiana . While this practice has been looked down upon by some in the past, the majority of brands employing that strategy now are increasingly transparent about their whiskeys origins. Producers in that field who made it onto this list did so by taking the spirit in a new direction via a finishing technique or proprietary aging process, or by blending with their own whiskey and achieving harmonious results.
With all that said, here are 30 of the best bourbons to drink in 2022.
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In Review: Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon
Eagle Rare is an exceptionally good bourbon for the $30 price point. The hardest part of Eagle Rare is reliably finding it. While some states are known to have heavy allocations , other states are subject to some fairly out of control tatering. This could unfortunately means youll be driving out of state or sitting in lawn chair on delivery day to try to get bottle of Eagle Rare. That said, if you find it at retail, you should absolutely buy a bottle. The tight supply regrettably means that Eagle Rare will not be added to our recommended list of bottles for starting a home bar.
Is Eagle Rare Worth The Money
The Eagle Rare 10-year-old single barrel bourbon is created by the Buffalo Trace distillery. Its not an over-hyped bourbon steeped in history and its not aggressively marketed. There are some who call Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon one of the crème de la crème of bourbon whiskey. It is not just that it is old and mature, but more importantly, it always delivers and leaves a lasting and full-bodied impression on its drinkers.
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Eagle Rare Shares Ties With Buffalo Trace Bourbon
Eagle Rare and Buffalo Trace make for an interesting matchup. Both labels use the same mash bill and are even made in the same place . Moreover, since Eagle Rare is no longer a single barrel, neither of them is. There are also some key differences between these two sister brands.
Both Eagle Rare and Buffalo Trace are thought to be aged for around the same length of time 10 years, according to Whiskey Watch. But Eagle Rare contains an age statement, though it’s shifted from front and center to a less prominent position. It may be on the back of the bottle now, but it is there, and it is essential. That age statement means all the whiskey is indeed 10 years old. Buffalo Trace, by contrast, is thought to contain some younger barrels that would make a similar age statement disingenuous.
Despite this discrepancy, Buffalo Trace is typically priced above Eagle Rare at about $45.99. If you want to try it, you may find that Buffalo Trace is smooth with notes of brown sugar and anise. It is clear that, while the two are different, you would probably not go wrong with a bottle of either.
The Recipe Has Changed Over Time
The alcohol content of Eagle Rare is not the only thing that’s changed over time. When it comes to whiskey, it is not always the physical ingredients that make the difference in taste. The process itself can dramatically affect the final product, as is the case for Eagle Rare.
It all began with the company changing hands. In 1989 the Sazarac company purchased seven brands, including Eagle Rare, from Seagram’s. Significantly, in 1992 Sazarac also acquired Buffalo Trace Distillery.
According to Gentleman Ranters, in 2005, the brand discontinued the 101-proof version of Eagle Rare whiskey in favor of the 90-proof version we know today. In 2012, after the brand took on a series of significant updates to the facilities, the ten-year age statement was removed from the name. What’s more, the single barrel signifier was removed from the bottle entirely. The new bottle processing equipment meant it was now possible to continue to fill a bottle by moving onto a new barrel mid-fill, increasing efficiency but also potentially melding the unique flavors of individual barrels within one bottle. Furthermore, modifying the labels was an effort to avoid trouble with the U.S. Tobacco and Alcohol Tax and Trade Bureau.
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Eagle Rare Bourbon 10 Year Rating
Stagg JrWild Turkey 101Makers MarkEH Taylor Small BatchStagg JrEH Taylor Small BatchSo much hard work goes into each and every review, comparison, guide, and article, so please consider supporting The Whiskey Shelf in its continued journey of whiskey exploration and sharing.Learn more about Angels Envy BourbonMeet the Author: Alex
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