Eagle Rare 101 is the old Eagle Rare and there are two big differences between the bottle pictured above and the current Eagle Rare; proof and who made it. The current Eagle Rare clocks in at 45% while this older (the original) version clocks in at 50.5%. It was put out by Seagrams using whiskey from the Old Prentice distillery where as the current Eagle Rare is put out by Sazerac using whiskey from Buffalo Trace.
First released in 1975 as a competitor to Wild Turkey 101, Eagle Rare 101 was a staple of liquor store shelves until march 2005 when Sazerac, who acquired the brand it in march 1989, removed it from their lineup. Though it wasn’t gone for long and Sazerac reintroduced it as Eagle Rare 10 year single barrel bourbon bottled at 90 proof. The OB is no longer a single barrel whiskey, but is a very popular single barrel pick for stores.
Eagle Rare 101 Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Old Prentice
Cask: New charred oak
Age: 10 years
ABV: 50.5%
Price: NA – Dusty (1979)
Eagle Rare 101 Review
EYE
Ruddy brown
NOSE
Lovely aroma of oak, dark fruit, caramel, vanilla, spice and a mild herbal underpinning. Buffalo Trace makes a great Eagle Rare, but this… this is something else.
PALATE
That lovely aroma translates well to the palate and wave of oak, dark fruit, caramel, spice, vanilla and citrus peels come crashing in. I could sip this all night long.
FINISH
Long woody fade layered with notes of dark fruit, caramel and spice.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Great balance, full rich body and a heavy warm feel.
OVERALL
Eagle Rare 101 is awesome. Thick, rich and heavy it moves through the senses like a country gentleman through the crowd at a Cotillion; confident, steady and with purpose. There is a bit of that dusty old-bottle-effect going on here as well which adds to the overall weight of this whiskey. Each sip is as rich and full as the last and I didn’t find myself getting weary of it at any point the evening I was enjoying it. A great example of what bourbon can be.
SCORE: 90-92/100 (consumed at a tasting, not at home)
