Spirits Review: Eagle Rare Single Barrel 10 Year Bourbon

This bottle cost me about $35 in the Chattanooga area and was something I had wanted to try for quite some time, having heard about it from The Mind of Men. Coincidentally, it was also one of the bourbons selected for the Las Vegas Big Smoke bourbon-tasting this year, so I didn't feel like I had missed quite so much by skipping the event.

This bourbon was noticeably lighter in color than most other bourbons that I have had. Comparing it with what I had "on hand" I could easily see a large difference between it and either Markers Mark or Jack Daniels (I know, not a bourbon, but similar enough that the color is good for comparison). It seems odd that the color should be this light considering that it is a 10 year old liquor--normally the longer a whiskey stays in the barrel the more color it picks up.

The aroma upon opening the bottle is light and delicate: a little oak, a little corn, and very easy on the alcohol vapors. In the glass, the legs trailed down fairly slowly, with thin runners. It seems more viscous than your average bourbon, although substantially thinner than, say, a bourbon-based liquor. The aromas in the glass were of vanilla and some kind of fruit, perhaps apricot.

It was cool on the tip of the tongue before it started burning on the sides; the burn continued down the throat and came back up to the tip of the tongue, leaving a warm tingling sensation throughout. The flavor, like the aroma before, was light and delicate for a bourbon. There was some sweetness that you would expect in a bourbon, but the lightness of this whiskey reminds me more of a Scotch--not an Islay, mind you, but maybe something smoother without some much peat, like a Highland.

I paired this one with an Alec Bradley Select Cabinet Reserve, a fairly full-bodied stick. In the robusto size, it does not pack much of a punch and it did go well with this bourbon. I would be very hesitant to pair this drink with a really full-bodied stick (like the larger version of the SCR, or any La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero) as the cigar would likely overwhelm the stick very easily. Honestly, this particular cigar was on the edge of compatibility for this cigar and a good medium-bodied smoke like an Alec Bradley Family Blend of Avo 787 might go much better.

I think this bourbon might be worth adding to your collection as a lighter alternative to most bourbons. It has a unique character that can enhance the cigars in the lower to middle end of the body spectrum.