Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon

Eagle Rare 10 Year is a Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at 45% ABV (90 proof). The age statement is the main fact to know before you pour it. Bourbon sold with a ten-year statement has spent a decade in new charred American oak, and that time usually shows as a drier, more oak-driven style than younger bourbons. Expect a nose of toasted oak, caramel and vanilla, with orange peel and a little dried fruit. The palate in this style typically moves from toffee and light honey into cocoa, leather and baking spice. The finish tends to be medium to long and dry, with oak tannin and a trace of pepper. Because the proof is moderate, the heat stays low and the grain and wood stay easy to read. Serve it neat first. A Glencairn glass suits it best, since the tapered bowl gathers the oak, vanilla and citrus aromas that a wide tumbler lets escape. Pour about an ounce and a half and give it a minute to open up. If the first sip feels tight or dry, add a few drops of room-temperature water. At 45% a little dilution loosens the oak and brings out the sweeter caramel and fruit notes. A single large ice cube in a rocks glass is the other good option. It chills the whiskey and slows dilution, though cold temperatures mute some of the aroma, so try it neat before adding ice. In cocktails, use it where the whiskey is meant to be tasted. An Old Fashioned made with a demerara sugar cube, two dashes of Angostura and an orange peel lets the toasted oak and vanilla carry the drink without much sweetness. A Manhattan with sweet vermouth and a cherry works the same way, because the whiskey's dry spice holds up against the vermouth. A Whiskey Sour with fresh lemon and a light syrup is workable, but the subtler fruit and oak notes of an aged bourbon get lost under the citrus, so many drinkers keep this bottle for stirred drinks. For a highball, use a dry ginger beer or plain soda over a large cube with a lemon twist, and keep the ratio near one part bourbon to three parts mixer so the oak still comes through. At the table, the dry oak and caramel pair well with dark chocolate, roasted pecans, aged cheddar and smoked or grilled meats.