Whiskey with Wes: Eagle Rare 10 is a bourbon for everyone

This being my first column, I will review a bourbon that is not only one of my favorites, but is fairly easy to obtain. For those of you with dreams of Pappy Van Winkle and Select Willet Barrels, I can assure you that as we become more acquainted there will be a plethora of more exotic bourbon porn in which to indulge.

Wes Taylor

The most recognized Catfish-Connoisseur this side of the Mississippi and an expert on cured meats. A cigar Savant with an insatiable appetite for wine and whiskey. A red-bearded Bourbon Warrior Pyrate waiting to plunder the liquor cabinet. A seductive scotch drinker ready to sail the Sardis.

It is 9:27 on a Thursday morning, I have just had a delightful breakfast with my friend and picked up a case of bourbon from him. I drove home quickly to put my bourbon in a safe place. I opened the door and walked in, then my wife turned to see me carrying a case of bourbon, she then exclaimed, "Another case of Eagle Rare?" I quickly reply, "Go buy yourself a handbag and leave me be."

I love Eagle Rare Bourbon Whiskey. It is one of the great joys I have, and it is relatively cheap: at anywhere from $28 to $34, this is a steal. This bourbon is aged for 10 years and it is smooth and delicious. It has a deep gold color and is 90 proof. This bourbon used to be labeled as single barrel, but because it is now bottled by an automated line they have removed this statement. This is because technically a bottle could contain traces of two different barrels during a barrel switch. In other words, most of them are single barrel whiskeys but legally they can't print that. Trust me, none of this shit really matters. Single Barrel and Small Batch are just terms used in marketing; what really matters is the "Juice".

Let's get started:

Nose/Aroma: I am getting a toasted honey characteristic as well as some orange peel of citrus. It is sweet smelling with a slight burn to the nostril. It doesn't punch you in the face but you can tell it has some alcohol. Good alcohol, not the Beam's 8 star you destroyed in college as a freshman. Fucking Fantastic! (They said I could curse).

Flavor: Caramel, with some pepper. Its like a Werther's original that had been sitting in your grandfather's coat pocket next to an old corn cob pipe for the past 45 years allowing time to ferment it into a sweet nectar only suitable for gods and William Faulkner. This bourbon is flavorful and easy to drink without loads of depth or complexity. I approve this for an everyday drinker, if you are in fact an everyday drinker.

The verdict

Although not as deep or rich as its older brother, Eagle Rare 17, Eagle Rare 10 is half the cost and you can actually find the stuff. This bourbon is a must for any man's bourbon bar. It goes great in cocktails and just as well if not better neat. So drink it neat — don't be that guy that mixes it with Coke or Sprite, because you'll be made fun of. I will make fun of you.

Wes Taylor
A drinker, a thinker, and a smoker