Eagle Rare 10 Year Single Barrel

Eagle Rare 10 Year Single Barrel (45 proof):  This unblended bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery made its way into my possession recently.  It has a bald eagle on the bottle and eagles are rare, so they can not be sent up for false advertising.  Curiously, the text on the back of the bottle reads in excerpt, “… best served neat, or over ice.”  Perhaps the makers are relying upon an interpretations of the word best that permits for multiple #1s but that aside, my best is neat so that is how I drank it.  Before that, however, I must say that the stopper made a solid “thock” sound that was immediately satisfying.  A fluid bronze-and-amber, the rare bird was a pretty thing caged in my glass, as it was.  An aroma of sweets, spice, and a clean heat were apparent.  Oak and rye and a certain candied orange aspect rounded out the full-but-not-muddied nose.  I thought it a bit reserved, actually.  Thick and lush, a pleasing mouthfeel kicked of the tour-de-palate.  Spicy, crisp, dark, and surprisingly savory.  Oak for sure, and a subtle-but-sturdy char.  The sweet nose had definitely passed the baton to a dry palate that show-cased a darker, spicier muse.  The flavors took their time exiting the palate, not really tailing off but lingering in the distance in a mildly numbing, pleasantly oily wake.  And then I took another sip and the process repeated. And repeated.  Enjoyable, particularly the spice, dryness, and thick mouthfeel.  (And to think I was able to write all this and not attempt to slip in a single Steve Miller “Fly Like an Eagle” reference.) –Nate