This bottle was probably the one bottle I was most excited to find and try in 2025. I will be straight-up honest, this review might be a bit biased, as Eagle Rare 10 is the bourbon that started this journey for me and is still one of my all-time favorites today. I was lucky enough to try a pour of this in 2025, thank you, Chris, but I did not find a bottle until early 2026, and honestly, it was by luck that we found it. Today’s review comes from the Buffalo Trace Distillery and is the highly anticipated bottle, Eagle Rare 12.

Bottle Information

From the Buffalo Trace Distillery website: Eagle Rare Aged 12 Years Bourbon Whiskey continues Eagle Rare’s endeavor to offer enthusiasts innovative new expressions on its journey to make the world’s best whiskey. Aged for a minimum of 12 years in a meticulously-monitored warehouse, this bourbon lives up to its name with its elevated, distinctive taste experience.

• Distiller: Distilled, Aged, and Bottled by Buffalo Trace Distillery
• Mash Bill: Undisclosed (Mash Bill #1)
• Proof: 95
• Age: 12
• Year: 2025
• MSRP: $59
• 2025 National Average: $150
• Official Website

In all honesty, this is pretty available in the NoCo area, but you will be paying well above MSRP for it. The one bottle I now own, we purchased for $70, which I was more than willing to pay for the opportunity to review, because Eagle Rare 10 has been my favorite go-to bourbon for nearly 5 years now.

Overall, this bottle offers the same wonderful grape note throughout that the 10-year does, along with those traditional brown sugar, vanilla, and baking spice elements. What the 12-Year brings to the plate is a more prominent oak note on the palate, and a lasting vanilla finish. Now Eagle Rare 12 is a damn fine pour, but I will admit that Eagle Rare 10 is still my favorite of these two. With that said, let’s get our taste on!

• Nose: Grape Laffy Taffy, Oak, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, and Slight Cherry
• Palate: Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Grape, Baking Spice, Cherry, and Prominent Oak
• Finish: Medium with Lasting Notes of Vanilla and Oak
• My Rating: Drink It! (I will be straight up honest… Eagle Rare 10 is my favorite bourbon and is still my favorite of these two bourbons!)

Please remember, drinking bourbon is a personal adventure, so do not be afraid to drink it neat, with ice, or add some water. It’s your bourbon, you bought it, and you should enjoy it how you want to enjoy it!

Cheers! Prost! Sláinte!

Bourbon Bossman®