buffalo trace

ER10 vs ER17 – Final Showdown

Okay so I just sat with the two again. Only this time I had one ounce servings of each side by side, two times. The ER17 was noticeably darker than the ER10. Again I really didn’t notice any major differences between the two. There were however enough subtle differences to make the two stand apart from each other a bit.

So really I am no major spirits writer, bourbon just tastes good. As does wine, I just happen to like bourbon a little bit more. I think the majority of spirits writers/reviewers/whatever have these overtly fantastic descriptions of tastes and it always leaves me a bit confused. Like I don’t often taste hints of citrus but have read it in descriptions of bourbons I drink regularly. It could be that I identify what that person identified as citrus differently.

I was talking to this guy at BevMo last Wednesday and he was telling me that reviewing a drink should take three words, two words if it’s really good. Which makes sense to me too. I mean surely we all have different tastes and what I enjoy occasionally my friend may not enjoy ever (Willet.)

With that being said I think that there’s nothing too complicated about this comparison. The ER17 is better. But to say it correctly; the ER10 is better (than the average cheapo bottle) and ER17 is best (as far as Eagle Rare goes.) I found the ER17 to be more of everything I enjoy in the ER10. Sweeter (chocolate covered cherry?), darker, more oak flavor and it is noticeably smoother. It’s good enough to drink straight and it’s 90 proof. I can’t seem to find a proof statement on the ER10, but I think it’s also 90 proof.

The next morning I went over to the empty glasses and took a sniff. They both had some pleasant scent left in the glass but I could tell which one was the ER17 because it smelled almost like cotton candy 🙂 The smell took after the sweet cherry flavor I was tasting.

I’d say if you’re just starting out or don’t see any sense in dishing out sixty something dollars for a bottle to go with ER10. If you’ve had a few bottles or are a purveyor of the finest milks you may want to try the ER17. Will the difference wow you? Maybe. It didn’t wow me all that much but I can appreciate it for what it is. Now to get my hands on some of the other bottles from this years Antique Collection.

Eagle Rare 17 Year Old

Just got back from my local BevMo and swooped a bottle, this bottle is from the 2008 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Nasal passages detecting a mustiness and hints of tobacco… old as balls, bitter tobacco. It’s really dark colored too.

I’m currently sipping about an ounce in my sniffy glass straight. It’s been sitting for a few minutes. The smell hasn’t died down so I’m going to give it a cap full of water. Okay, two caps of water. I think it’s good to go.

Wow. Well my first instinct was “shit, I like the 10 year old better.” I gave it a few sippers and realized it’s a completely different taste. I need to try some with a little ice.

Once I poured me a glass with some ice it turned a nice gold color. It’s really good because it so different. At first it smells and tastes like regular old Buffalo Trace with earthy/leathery notes, but it’s got that sweetness that regular ER10 packs.

Even then, it’s a different kind of sweet. A bolder, thicker sweet along the lines of cherries and vanilla. I usually find the ER10 to be on the cinnamon side of the sweet, kind of a side effect rather than one of two major taste elements.

Either way it is a nice change from the Eagle Rare I’ve come to know and love. I will probably enjoy the bottle more as I have few pours. Some bottles take a little time to appreciate.

Edit: I got a bottle of the ER10 and they in fact do taste very similar. I think last time I was drinking the ER10 I was in a festive mood and had a few drinks. The 17 year old is good though.

eagle rare 17 year old

George T. Stagg

Boy, so where to begin? I really love this stuff. I use it to erase a bad day at work or a fight with the old lady. It’s unfiltered and there’s charcoal sediment floating at the bottom of the bottle. The perticular bottle I have is from 2006 (Hazmat III – read more about this here) it’s a whopping 140.6 proof/70.3% ABV! (NOT the one pictured below.) It is rugged to say the least.

When I first tried it I poured a tiny bit in my sniffy glass and let it sit for a few. I came by to swig it and the smell was crazy, had me coughing and stuff. It really is warming, and it’s sort of sweet/cinnamon-ish tasting before I was bombarded with oaky oakness (YUM!). The whole experience is very syrupy. It’s very dark and I’d like to believe it’s thicker, I dunno it’s just very darth vader “don’t play around” drink.

My brother came over and I showed him the bottle and he wanted to take a shot, cuz he likes to believe he’s a bad ass. I was like “ohhhhh-kay,” and I figured fuggit, no need to let the boy suffer on his own and I went ahead and poured myself one. I knew I shouldn’t have but I went ahead and did anyway.

We shot them back and instantly lost our breath after drinking it because you couldn’t inhale!!! Once I got my breath back, I tried to regain my eyesight which was blurry because my eyes had begun to water. I sort of hobbled over to the kitchen and got us some water because we were both about to die. Once we were breathing normal and could speak in full sentences again (like ten minutes after initial brutal shot) we spent the next twenty minutes clearing our throats. I felt like I drank sandpaper, I know I have said that before but this trumps that raspy batch if single barrel JD by far. I knew it was retarded but I didn’t want the lil bro to have to get throat raped by whiskey all by himself really.

But yeah it’s great with a little water to take that edge off. Really tastes good and forgets them worries for you. This is the type of liquor you drink if you have a broken foot and need to walk three miles on it, you wont feel shit.

George T. Stagg

Latest tastings

I found the Sazerac rye whiskey to be quite tasty. I found a liquor store that has it for pretty cheap. I don’t know what it is but something about this whiskey tastes so like what I imagine a whiskey tasted like in the cowboy days. It is a mid shelf whiskey with a good price and a good sweet flavor.

I also picked up a few other bottles. I got a Pappy Van Winkle 15 year old and a Elijah Craig 12 year old. The Van Winkle is of course a tasty treat and lives up to the high standard it has set in the world of whiskey. Coming in at 107 proof it’s a bit warmer than the 20 year old and packs a similar rich flavor. To me the Van Winkle bottles all taste like wood (in a good way) it’s a really sweet flavor. I usually have a glass after a nice meal, it is complete dessert bourbon. Sometimes I swear I can smell hints of vanilla.

The Elijah Craig is a goodie as well. It is right up there with the Elmer T Lee and the Buffalo Trace. I will always have a bottle of this stuff around as it has a good price and some nice flavor.

Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Old Bourbon!

Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Bourbon

My next goal is to find a bottle of 23 year old Van Winkle bottle, I can currently only find them online for the ludicrous price of $400.00!! I will get one soon.

Buffalo Trace

My lord is it tasty. I <3 BevMo!! I also picked up a bottle of some Ron del Barrilito, it is a Puerto Rican rum my pops used to be all ape shit about. He had nothing but good things to say about it so I figured I would give it a go… worst case scenario I give it to Gas if I don’t like it.

Upon digging a bit into the Buffalo Trace website I realized that all the tasty whiskeys I’ve had as of late are somehow related to the Buffalo Trace distillery. So go BT you got my love.

Buffalo Trace

The Barrilito is stellar! Once I popped the bottle I smelled a rich aroma of maple, it was very sweet with a touch of cinnamon (?) the whole thing smelt of french toast and pan cakes to me. Upon pouring a little into my face I realized it is muuuuuch smoother than any bourbon I have had the pleasure of pouring into my face. Barrilito gets two thumbs up with two thumbs on each thumb pointing up. Simply delicious, score 1 Puerto Rico!

Ron del Barrilito

If the river was whiskey

…and I was a duck, I’d dive to the bottom and I’d never come up. What you know about Charlie Poole?

I have been lurking around straightbourbon.com forums and have been taking names and really they know their stuff. I went to bevmo today and bought a bottle of Elmer T. Lee and Eagle Rare both are single barrel bottles. I prefer the Elmer T. Lee though, it is simply delicious. I have also purchased a 20 year old bottle of Pappy Van Winkle and another bottle of the 12 year old Special Reserve, Lot B. I think Elmer T. Lee and the Special Reserve are tied for my favorite after work sippers.

The 20 year old is awesome but the fact that it’s a $100 a bottle has me rarely drinking it unless it’s a special occasion… like friday or days I mourn the loss of my father (the 12 of every month) or something else (the day I quit my job and go somewhere where they actually pay me at least half of what my time is worth). It’s only been around for a few weeks but every now and then a special day will come up and I will pug a few fingers.

And now for photos from other peoples sites:

Elmer T. Lee

Eagle Rare

12 year old

20 year old label