Eagle Rare 12 Year Bourbon Whiskey
The Stats
- Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
- Location: Frankfort, Kentucky
- Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Age: 12 Years
- Proof: 95 (47.5% ABV)
- Mash Bill: Undisclosed – Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 (low rye)
- Release: Ongoing / First Introduced 2025
- Price: $50 MSRP (typically $150+ retail)
CLICK THE VIDEO TO PLAY ↓
Eagle Rare has long been one of the most recognizable bottles in the bourbon world, sought after, collected, traded, gifted, and occasionally purchased at prices that test the limits of human judgment. Now Buffalo Trace has added a 12-year expression, and the question practically begs to be asked: Does two extra years turn a modern classic into something elevated, or simply older?
Initially created in 1975 by Charles Beam for Seagram’s, Eagle Rare was once a 101-proof competitor to Wild Turkey. When Buffalo Trace took over in the mid-1990s, the brand evolved into the clean, minimalist bottle we know today, sleek, refined, and quietly premium. The 12-year-old feels like the next chapter in that evolution: intentional, mature, and confident without being showy.
A Refined Evolution
Buffalo Trace doesn’t do loud packaging, and Eagle Rare 12 carries that same quiet confidence. The tall bottle, understated label, and clear glass put the whiskey front and center, presenting a subtle, refined, and unmistakably premium image. The history adds its own weight: a brand once associated with Wild Turkey 101 is now presented in a restrained, almost gallery-ready form. The 12-year-old feels like a continuation of that design philosophy, more composed, more polished, more assured.
Inside, the whiskey adheres closely to Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1, with a slight increase to 95 proof and a 12-year aging, resulting in a modest upgrade on paper that manifests gently in the glass.
If you’re hoping for intensity, this isn’t that. But if you want a more composed, gently elevated version of the 10-year, you’re right where you should be.
Tasting Notes
Aroma
After a short rest, the nose opens into layers of toasted marshmallow, caramel, cocoa, raspberry, lemon zest, and a surprising grape-like sweetness. It’s part holiday dessert, part fruit basket, all Eagle Rare.
Taste
Sweet and approachable. Brown sugar, toasted vanilla, and soft oak lead the way. With a second sip, a cherry-pie note emerges, joined by cinnamon, baking spice, and a subtle peppery edge.
Finish
Lightly dry with soft oak and tart fruit. Refined, smooth, and not particularly bold.
Artfully Bourbon Rating
7.5 / 10 - Very Good
Eagle Rare 12 is precisely what it promises: a more mature, more refined version of the Eagle Rare experience. It looks classy, it drinks classy, and it feels like a quiet step up from the standard 10-year.
Where it gets tricky is the price. The MSRP is $50, but real-world pricing typically ranges from $150 to $ 200, with some stores even offering prices as high as $500. At retail, it’s an automatic buy. At inflated prices, it becomes a collector’s pour more than a drinker’s.
If Eagle Rare 10 is already one of your favorites, the 12-year won’t reinvent anything for you. However, it will deliver subtle improvements, more depth, more oak, and more composure, all wrapped in the same elegant profile that people love.
A refined iteration of a modern classic, and a bottle absolutely worth trying if you can find it at something resembling reality.
Sample provided by subscriber Larry3R. 
