FRANKFORT, Ky. — Buffalo Trace Distillery is releasing its ultra-rare Eagle Rare 25 bottle. The distillery is only releasing 200 bottles and will hit shelves this November. Eagle Rare 25 is the first release from Warehouse P, the second of Buffalo Trace’s two experimental warehouses. The warehouse was built as a way to test whether it was possible to favorably extend the aging and maturation processes typical for American whiskey and bourbon.
“When aging bourbon, especially in Kentucky, hot temperatures and high humidity result in the wood from the barrel extracting more flavor into the whiskey,” says Harlen Wheatley, master distiller for Buffalo Trace. “Over long durations, this can leave the whiskey tasting over-oaked, astringent and dry. It’s the main reason you don’t see many 25-year-old bourbons on the market today.”
“Warehouse P began as an experiment to see if we could favorably extend the age and further improve the taste of our bourbons, taking into account the realities of our environment in Kentucky at Buffalo Trace Distillery. It’s a temperature-controlled warehouse within a warehouse,” says Wheatley.
“As the first release from Warehouse P, we closely monitored the whiskey while it aged, tasting frequently against a control sample from pre-Warehouse P aging,” Wheatley describes the process. “The impact over time due to extended aging and optimally mature whiskey has resulted in a uniquely smooth and complex bourbon with deep, mature flavors around every corner.”
Eagle Rare 25 retails at $10,000 a bottle. The packaging is a silver-swaddled crystal decanter that holds the liquid inside a dark wooden box embossed with metallic elements that are fashioned to resemble feathers.
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