Stone fruits | Apricot | Raspberry | Caramel | Nutty | Funky seasoned oak | Vibrant with an aged oak undertone

Aged leather | Tobacco | Caramel | Vanilla | Brown sugar | Dark fruits | Toffee | Funky aged oak undertone | Spice on the backend | Slightly dry

Peppery spice | Leather | Cigar box | Brown sugar | Lingering dry funky oak note

Though many tend to lean towards higher proof bourbons, Buffalo Trace is a distillery that’s proven lower proof, higher aged bourbons can dial in high age with bright vibrancy and drinkability. Since Eagle Rare 17 Year’s proof was increased from 90 to 101 in 2018, annual releases have struggled to reach the high points many of the lower proof bottlings were able to achieve. This changed in 2023, with a great showing for the brand that proved to be the best 101 proof version yet. 2024’s Eagle Rare 17 Year also comes in a bit younger than last year’s, at 17 years, 4 months compared to 19 years, 3 months 2023 delivered (which was the oldest Eagle Rare 17 Year bottling ever). Notably, the 17 year is part of the whiskey’s name, but exact ages vary from year to year which Buffalo Trace discloses in their detailed fact sheets.  

Digging into Buffalo Trace’s fact sheets, this year’s extremely high evaporation loss of 86%, meaning the combined remaining amount left in barrels that were batched for 2024’s bottling was only 14%, suggests that the bourbon that remained after the angel’s share likely contained a high concentration of flavor. That fact alone doesn’t guarantee a translation to a good final product, as evidenced by 2013’s 54.7% evaporation loss, but it’s a notable characteristic nonetheless and the second highest evaporation loss rate yet for the brand.

This year’s release continues in the same vein as 2023, striking a balance between the bourbon’s bright fruit notes, traditional caramel and vanilla undertones, and funky aged oak. The bourbon has a vibrant aroma that sets the base for the sip, starting with an aged funky oak undertone that’s accented by a host of fruits, caramel, and a slight nuttiness. Funky oak persists into the palate, which joins aged leather, tobacco, brown sugar, vanilla, and toffee with the bourbon’s caramel note. Some spice develops on the backend of the palate, which turns slightly dry as it rounds into the finish that begins with a shot of peppery spice. Savory leather and cigar box complement sweet brown sugar as the bourbon fades, leaving a lingering dry funky oak note.

For the limited number of Buffalo Trace Antique Collection fans who are able to get their hands on a bottle, Eagle Rare 17 Year is rarely the first choice, and arguably so. It’s been far less consistent than William Larue Weller, and it doesn’t offer the intense blast of flavor that the typical “put-hair-on-your-chest” proof point George T. Stagg typically delivers. However, this year’s Eagle Rare 17 Year is a near perfect example of what high aged, moderately proofed quintessential Kentucky bourbon should taste like, and it should be near the top of everyone’s BTAC wish list.