Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon – 70cl

Ten years is a long time for a bourbon to sit in Kentucky's fierce climate, where the summer heat drives spirit deep into the charred oak and steals a hefty share to evaporation. Eagle Rare wears that decade well — and, unusually for a bourbon at this price, it is bottled at a full 45% ABV.

It is made at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, from the same low-rye tradition that has earned the brand a wall of awards, including a haul of golds and trophies. The corn-led mash matures for at least ten years in new charred American oak — the wood doing the heavy lifting on flavour and that deep amber colour.

The nose opens with toasted oak giving way to flamed orange peel and maple syrup. The palate is fuller than most bourbons at this money: honey, buttered bread, oily walnut and a flicker of red fruit. It finishes on vanilla, oak spice and a note of old leather that keeps you coming back. There is real body here.

At around £38 this is one of the smartest buys in bourbon — age-stated, higher strength, and a favourite for building a proper Manhattan. If Buffalo Trace is the gateway, this is the natural step up. Worth every penny.

How to Serve

Neat in a tumbler; a drop or two of water genuinely opens it up, as regular drinkers will tell you. It is also a benchmark base for a Manhattan.

Where to Drink It

The American Bar at The Savoy for a Manhattan done right. Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood for a slow evening dram. Boisdale for whisky-and-cigar territory.

Food Pairings

Slow-smoked brisket is the pairing — the leather and oak sit right at home with barbecue. A wedge of aged Cheddar works surprisingly well too.