Eagle Rare 25 is the oldest and rarest expression of Eagle Rare, produced at the Buffalo Trace Distillery. The Eagle Rare 25 Year Old is the first release from Buffalo Trace’s experimental ‘Warehouse P’, exemplifying the distillery’s commitment to innovation and honoring tradition while embracing change.
Exploring the story behind the experimental limited-edition release – this ultimate guide explains everything you need to know about Eagle Rare 25.
What Is Eagle Rare 25?
Eagle Rare 25 Year Old is an ultra-aged bourbon whiskey, notable as the oldest expression released from the Eagle Rare brand portfolio. The limited-edition bourbon was bottled at 101 proof (50.5% ABV), with only 200 750ml crystal decanters released to selected retailers and bars in November 2023.
Buffalo Trace’s Master Distiller, Harlen Wheatley, announced, “Eagle Rare 25 is unlike any other extra-aged bourbon on the market today”.
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The Eagle Rare brand was first created in 1975, by Charles L. Beam, the Master Distiller at Seagram’s Four Roses Distillery, with the original Eagle Rare 10 Year Old expression initially bottled at 101 proof (50.5% ABV).
Eagle Rare passed between several owners before the brand was acquired by the Sazerac Company in 1989, with the bourbon subsequently produced at Sazerac’s Buffalo Trace distillery.
Where Is The Bourbon Produced?
The multi-award-winning Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfurt, Kentucky produces Eagle Rare 25.
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Buffalo Trace’s history stretches across 200 years, and although the distillery’s name and owners have changed over time the commitment to the production of quality premium whiskey has endured. In 1992, the then-named George T. Stagg Distillery was purchased by the Sazerac Company, which would undertake seven years of renovations before rechristening the site as the Buffalo Trace Distillery in 1999.
Eagle Rare expressions are distilled using Buffalo Trace’s Mash Bill No.1 recipe, which is also used to produce bourbon brands including, Benchmark, Buffalo Trace, and E. H. Taylor. The Mash Bill No.1 recipe uses a mixture of Distillers Grade Kentucky corn, Minnesota rye, and North Dakota malted barley – although Buffalo Trace does not disclose exact percentages the recipe is believed to be a low-rye expression.
For maturation, barrels destined to be bottled as Eagle Rare are typically aged on the cooler first and second warehouse levels.
Whilst whiskey matured on the warehouse’s hotter upper levels extract greater color and flavors from the cask wood resulting in a more robust bourbon, the cooler lower levels are ideal for producing longer aged smoother bourbon – such as Eagle Rare’s 10 Year Old and 17 Year Old expressions. Eagle Rare’s core expression casks are matured in Buffalo Trace’s C, I, K, M, and Q warehouses.
Why Is The Expression Considered ‘Experimental’?
The Eagle Rare 25 is the first release from Buffalo Trace’s Warehouse P, an experimental aging location where almost every environmental factor is controlled by the distillery. Buffalo Trace has invested $20 million into the multi-decade experimental program, testing various factors that affect the maturation of whiskey, whilst assessing the impact on the resulting aromas and flavor profile.
The climate-controlled Warehouse P allows Buffalo Trace to vary environmental aspects including, humidity, temperature, airflow, and light during maturation – and has a storage capacity of 2,500 barrels. Buffalo Trace has also experimented with casks crafted from different species of white oak, and varying the level of barrel charring.
The aim of Buffalo Trace’s experimentation is to trial extended maturation periods for American whiskey and bourbon, identifying optimal aging conditions. The Kentucky climate is subject to hot summers and cold winters with significant seasonal temperature variation. This means that under Kentucky’s standard maturation conditions, older bourbons lose more liquid through evaporation while the extraction of flavors from the barrel intensifies – resulting in a whiskey over-oaked, astringent, and dry. By controlling the aging environment, Buffalo Trace’s goal is to release ultra-aged bourbons up to 50 years old in the future – if Warehouse P’s experimentation proves successful.
The Eagle Rare 25 Year Old initially underwent a conventional maturation for 20 years, with the casks selected from stocks originally intended for bottling as the 17 Year Old expression. After an additional three years of standard maturation, Eagle Rare 25 was moved to the newly completed Warehouse P in 2018, for a further 5 years of experimental ‘controlled aging’.
Buffalo Trace’s Master Distiller, Harlen Wheatley, states “Eagle Rare 25 defies the conventional limits of typical bourbon aging”, as the special aging environment helped create “whiskey that is uniquely smooth and complex, with deep, mature flavors”, demonstrating the characteristics of age, but without astringency.
How Much Is Eagle Rare 25?
As a limited-edition release numbering only 200 bottles, Eagle Rare 25 has a recommended retail price of $10,000. Each Eagle Rare 25 is presented in a hand-blown crystal decanter encased by a hand-hammered custom sterling silver eagle’s wing. Opening the display case depicts an eagle’s outstretched wings framing the bourbon decanter, which also contains an elegant glass eagle inside the bottle.
Whilst it can be difficult to determine the long-term value of aged bourbon across collector’s markets, the previous oldest Eagle Rare expression, Double Eagle 20 Year Old was originally released with a retail price of $2000 – with the collectible decanter subsequently achieving $10,000 on the secondary whiskey market.
In February 2024, Forbes reported that despite a recommended retail price of $10,000, sales of Eagle Rare 25 at $25,000 had been reported in some markets.
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