Eagle Rare is one of the many whiskeys produced by the folks at Buffalo Trace, a 10-year-old bourbon that’s picked up loads of awards since its first appearance back in the 1970s. It’s changed a bit over the past 40 years, with the name moving between a number of different whiskey producers, but the current incarnation has been in the hands of Buffalo Trace since the end of the 1980s.

The regular Eagle Rare 10 Year Old was, until a few years ago, a single barrel bourbon, with every bottle from just one barrel. These days it’s a small-batch release, giving us the chance to fill the single-barrel gap with our exclusive whiskey.

Nose: Toffee, raisins and marzipan. Caramelised brown sugar follows, along with fruity bread pudding. Under the layers of sweetness are touches of spice and fresh fruit: toffee apples and overripe pears.

Palate: Creamy in texture with bittersweet burnt sugar up front. Apple sauce and raisin sweetness follows, with cinnamon sugar and malt loaf richness. Some apple-skin sharpness floats around the edges along with balancing barrel-char bitterness. A hint of Ribena blackcurrant builds through the middle.

Finish: Hints of mint and menthol fade. Sugar sandwiches appear: brown bread, butter, golden Demerara.

Comment: Well balanced and easy drinking, with spice, fruit and classic bourbon sweetness all coming together perfectly.