It comes just once per year—the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, or BTAC for short. I've covered quite a few of these releases through the years, usually finding some of the best whiskey of the year happens to arrive right around Thanksgiving. Perhaps it's the sappy, nostalgic feeling that comes with getting together with friends and family this time of year, the cold settling into the bones of the northeast, or perhaps... it's just when Buffalo Trace decides to bottle their best. I've got a bottle of the 2022 release still on my shelf I may use for comparison purposes. I received a media sample this year so we could give you, my dear readers, a sneak peek of what to expect out of the 2024 release of Eagle Rare 17 year. This comes with no strings attached and, in accordance with my editorial policy, in no way changes how I rate whiskey. Ready to dive in? Let's see if this year's release is worth the hunt.
Company on Label: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Whiskey Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed Buffalo Trace mash bill #1
Proof: 101°
Age: 17 years, 4 months
Further identification: The 2024 release of Eagle Rare 17 Year brings along the following stats:
Nose: Upon first lifting the glass to my nose, I find butterscotch and sweet barrel funk. The underside of the glass carries subtle raspberry, strawberry, cinnamon, and a touch of clove, which is bright and potent in the nostrils. Édesnemes paprika elicits a cough on too deep of an inhale. The age and funk fade away with subsequent inhales, revealing bright white linen and blank printer paper typical of hyper-aged bourbon from Buffalo Trace. Overall the brightness and spice continue to be a bit of a barrier to entry here. Wood spice dominates the senses, holding them in a full nelson, refusing to remit a respite to the onslaught of clove, leather, allspice dram, and black pepper sprinkled over fruit salad. The nose-feel is a touch chalky, like the remnants of a long-forgotten bin of candy that only held on to the rejects. Smarties come to mind on long inhales. Returning from a sip shows off a light vinegar note that starts to develop when you traditionally age bourbon beyond 15 years. The aroma of a field of grass being mowed out in barn country appears late in the glass. Deep inhales are quite pleasant now, with an audible satisfactory sigh following each filling of the lungs. There's a fun plop of raspberry jam on well-toasted bread. The empty glass smells of Christmas spices: nutmeg and cinnamon, before rounding out with milk chocolate, praline, and classic caramel.
Palate: My first sip offers a spice-forward bourbon experience much like the nose. Raisin, black pepper, fig, and vanilla are prominent standouts to the introductory taste. Another sip continues to lead with vanilla cream frosting, and the spice diminishes drastically. What remains is a raspberry tart, tingling long in the strong linger. While I'm glad the spice has faded, there's quite little to take its place other than your classic cherry, caramel, and vanilla you'll hear on every bourbon review in the history of bourbon reviews. My eyebrows remain calm in their resting place; my heart rate is at a paltry 60 beats per minute. This is fine sipping whiskey, but unfortunately a bit disappointing with a lack of dynamic range in the presentation. Sipping late in the glass, I find fruit returning in spades: think plum, raspberry, and dark cherry. There's an undercurrent of ginger and wasabi that somehow undoes the enjoyment of the fruit. My last taste offers much of the same story from this underdeveloped glass; it's a full circle back to the multitude of spices that were led with. It finishes short to medium and a touch hot for 101 proof, likely due to the tingly interactions of the clove, black pepper, and allspice notes.
TL;DR: A pleasant and classic sipper which acts its age, but it's surprisingly spicy for a bourbon
Rating: 3.5/5
Unfortunately, this pour really fails to register as exceptional to my palate. I've calibrated against some of the best whiskey of all time, and this notably doesn't reach those upper echelons of whiskey royalty for me. It's still a tremendously delicious dram for your layman taster who can find this at MSRP, so if you've got a bottle, I'd still wholeheartedly endorse opening it, sharing it with friends, and seeing if you come to the same conclusions as me. Sipping this next to the 2022 release gives a solid nod towards 2022 being the better bottling, and you'll see my rating reflects that finding. The 2022 was brighter, more fragrant, more vibrant on the palate, and more exciting; the 2024 release, in comparison, is nice sipping one moment and all spice the next. I'm a bit surprised but excited to continue my exploration of the rest of the Antique Collection this fall.
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