Bonhams has partnered with Buffalo Trace Distillery to launch Eagle Rare 30-Year-Old, the oldest age-stated bourbon ever released by the Kentucky distillery, through a curated online auction. The sale will run from April 24 to May 8, 2026, on bonhams.com and will feature 15 lots spanning the Eagle Rare portfolio alongside exclusive distillery experiences.
The headline lots include the first and second bottles ever produced of Eagle Rare 30. Lot #1 pairs the inaugural bottle with a private single barrel tasting experience and carries an estimate of £7,500-£10,000.
Lot #2 brings together one bottle from every expression in the Eagle Rare collection — 10, 12, 17, 25, and 30-Year-Old — plus a Double Eagle Very Rare and a one-night stay at Stagg Lodge, the distillery’s invite-only VIP accommodation. That lot is estimated at £20,000-£30,000.
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Ultra-aged bourbon remains exceptionally uncommon. Kentucky’s hot climate and dramatic temperature swings mean that very few barrels survive 30 years of maturation, making this release a significant milestone for American whiskey.
Speaking about said milestone, and ahead of the auction, Amayès Aouli, Global Head of Bonhams Wine & Spirits, said: “The global teams of Bonhams are honored to partner with such an iconic name as Buffalo Trace on this exclusive auction launching Eagle Rare 30. Distilled in the experimental Warehouse P where time and environment are pushed to their limits, this remarkable whiskey represents the pinnacle of the Eagle Rare collection.”
Aouli added that the auction “highlights the strength of our global platform, with events across three continents, in our Bonhams offices, culminating in our online auction.”
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READ THE STORYThe whiskey was partially matured in Warehouse P, one of two experimental warehouses at Buffalo Trace designed to slow and control maturation. The facility was created to test whether extended aging could elevate bourbon in the same way it does in more temperate whiskey-producing climates such as Scotland and Japan.
“Eagle Rare 25 and 30 aren’t just about time, they’re about what time reveals,” said Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. “Kentucky’s climate makes long aging difficult, but Warehouse P allows those effects to be managed while preserving nuance.”
Distilled at Buffalo Trace since 1989, Eagle Rare has earned five Double Gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition as well as Gold and category honors from the International Wine & Spirit Competition and the International Spirits Challenge.
Additional lots in the Bonhams sale include bottles of Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old from the 2025 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, estimated at £800-£1,300, and six-bottle cases of Eagle Rare 12-Year-Old estimated at £700-£1,000. Cases of Eagle Rare 10-Year-Old round out the catalog at £200-£400.
The Eagle Rare 30-Year-Old Bourbon Takes Flight: The Ultimate Eagle Rare Release sale begins on April 24 and runs until May 8 2026. You can place your bids at bonhams.com.
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