Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Bottled at 120 proof (60% ABV) straight from a single barrel, this is bourbon with nothing pulled back. Fourteen years in an ex-bourbon cask have built real weight into it, and the additive-free bottling means what reached the barrel is what reached the glass.

Pineapple is the surprise here, bright and a little tropical against the burnt sugar underneath it. Vanilla softens the edges, while toasted oak and baking spice give the whiskey its grip. Tobacco lingers after the sweetness fades, dry and warm. At this proof there is heat, but it sits behind the fruit rather than in front of it.

A big cube opens it up without washing out the sweeter notes, though it holds together neat if you take it slowly. The 1.75 L bottle makes it an easy one to keep on the shelf for regular pouring rather than saving for occasions.