Secure your bottle before the limited release sells out—if the price point doesn’t scare you away.

• Christopher Friedmann
• Dec 3, 2023 8:00 PM EST

In October, Buffalo Trace Distillery rolled out its oldest bottle of Eagle Rare as part of its 2023 Antique Collection. But less than one month later, the Kentucky-based whiskey makers are relegating that “oldest” to the past tense. The new Eagle Rare 25 is now the oldest bottle from the highly sought-after bourbon brand.

Generally, bourbon isn’t aged for 20-plus years. Even more than 15 years is pretty rare. “When crafting whiskey in conditions like those we experience in Kentucky, two reactions happen over time: more liquid is lost due to evaporation—also known as angel’s share—and extraction of flavours from the barrel becomes more intense, often leading older whiskeys to taste over-oaked, astringent, and dry,” says Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley.

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Before creating this whiskey, Buffalo Trace conducted thousands of experiments to test a variety of factors that impact the whiskey’s ageing and maturation, including barrel char levels, temperature, airflow, light exposure, barrel placement, and more. Eagle Rare 25 is the first release from Warehouse P, one the distillery’s two experimental warehouses. The warehouse was constructed to test if it was possible to favourably extend both the ageing and maturation processes typical for American whiskey and bourbon.

“We closely monitored Eagle Rare 25 throughout the ageing process and discovered that the impact over time due to controlled, extended ageing was optimally mature whiskey. By that, I mean whiskey that is uniquely smooth and complex with deep, mature flavours around every corner,” Wheatley says. “Eagle Rare 25 is unlike any other extra-aged bourbon on the market today. We are quite proud of this bourbon.”

On the nose, the whiskey offers aromas of cherry, oak, and dark chocolate. The palate balances vanilla, dark fruit, and butterscotch, followed by a long finish with notes of wood, baking spice, and black pepper.

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“Around the globe, an eagle’s wings symbolise freedom and the opportunity to reach higher. It’s also a reminder for us at Buffalo Trace Distillery to never settle in our pursuit of crafting the perfect bourbon,” says Andrew Duncan, Global Brand Director at Buffalo Trace Distillery. “In service of that relentless pursuit, Eagle Rare 25 is the pinnacle of American whiskey to date from our Distillery, and our Eagle Rare brand is the perfect portfolio to showcase this barrier-breaking expression.”

Bottled at 101 proof, just 200 750-ml bottles of Eagle Rare 25 will be released. The bourbon carries a suggested retail price of $10,000 per bottle.