Back in part 1 I told the story of one very fortunate day when I walked into a store and sitting on the shelf were two glorious bottles - Thomas Handy Sazerac and Eagle Rare 17. I alluded to it in part 1 but sadly this is not that bottle. At that time rounding out all the Antique Collection seemed like an impossibility for me and I just didn’t see it happening. What I didn’t know at that time is that ER17 is one of two rarest bottles in the collection, just 25 barrels at 54% loss. What I did know though was that there were other bottles out there that I still desperately wanted, one of them being an AECS. Not long after finding my first ER17 I found someone willing to make that trade so I took it. In hindsight, I don’t regret the trade because AECS turned out to be one of my favorites. What I do regret though is the fact that AECS is a lot more abundant than I realized. In the time that has passed since then I’ve come across a pair of them in the wild and have seen numerous hook up offers for them at retail. C'est la vie, lesson learned.
So where did this bottle come from? Fast forward a few months later to one of my whiskey hunting expeditions. In yet another stroke of luck I once again stumbled upon a stash of OFBBs. This is at least the 5th time this has happened to me over the last 6 months and by this point I can only assume I am an OFBB dowsing rod. I snatched up a pair of them knowing that the combo would probably net me something else I was missing from the collection at the time. Sure enough in a short time after offering up the pair for trade I landed this bottle I am reviewing here today.
Nose: Low heat. Dry, fruity nose. Pears, sweet vanilla and caramel wood syrups, tobacco.
Taste: It’s a bit thin. Easily the thinnest of the bunch. There is nothing brash or bold about this one at all. Classic mashbill #1 flavors - buttery, creamy, sweet, and very little spice. Vanilla really comes through - think butter vanilla bean ice cream. The oak presence isn’t as overpowering as I expected but what is there in a big way are the unpleasant metallic notes that the eagle rare is known for. I think the age has intensified them.
Finish: Shortest of the collection by far. There is not really a deep resounded sweetness. More of a dry oaky tanin leather grip and some bitter fruit rinds. The oak is a bit more pronounced here than in the initial palette but the metallic taste still lingers.
Notes: The barrels selected for the collection and those extra 9 years in the wood have really smoothed this one out over ER10. It’s hard to draw many similarities to them at all. This one is much smoother and creamier. It’s incredibly easy to drink for a 90 proofer - I would have guessed much lower proof if you blindfolded me. Honestly it reminds me more of standard Buffalo Trace than ER10 which isn’t a bad thing for me. Unfortunately the metallic taste become almost overwhelming as the bottle dwindled down. Near the end of the bottle I almost didn't want to finish it. I can't say that about any of the other bottles in the collection and that easily puts this one last for me.
Rating: C-
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