Eagle Rare 10 Year
Frankfort, Kentucky
A decade in new charred oak on Buffalo Trace's undisclosed low-rye mashbill. The age statement is the whole point of the bottle and also the reason it scores above the category baseline.
- Age statement
- 10 years
- Barrel entry proof
- 125
- Aging
- New charred oak, 10 years
- Congeners
- High
- Histamines
- Moderate
- Polyphenols
- High
- Sulfites
- Very Low
- Tannins
- High
- Sugar
- Low
- Additives
- Very Low
- Calories
- 110
- Sugar
- 0g
15.8g ethanol at 45% ABV. No sugar, so every calorie here is alcohol.
In its favor
- ✓No additives permitted under US law
- ✓Genuine 10 year age statement rather than a marketing term
What to watch
- !Ten years of new-oak contact means high tannin and polyphenol extract
- !Mashbill undisclosed
Factor by factor
Congeners High ▾
Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.
Histamines Moderate ▾
Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.
Polyphenols High ▾
Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.
Sulfites Very Low ▾
Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.
Tannins High ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Low ▾
Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.
Additives Very Low ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
Eagle Rare is the clearest illustration on this page of the trade this site keeps pointing at: age is a flavour asset and a chemistry liability. Ten years in new charred American oak produces the depth people buy it for, and it also produces the highest tannin and polyphenol extraction of any standard-proof bourbon here.
Note that it scores worse than Buffalo Trace, which comes off the same undisclosed mashbill at the same distillery and the same 90 proof. The only material difference is barrel time. If you are choosing bourbon on chemistry rather than on flavour, that comparison is the one to internalise.
Eagle Rare 10 Year questions
How many calories are in a shot of Eagle Rare 10 Year? ▾
About 110 calories in a 1.5oz shot at 45% ABV. All of them come from the alcohol, since there is no sugar.
Does Eagle Rare 10 Year have sugar? ▾
No. Eagle Rare 10 Year has 0g of sugar per 1.5oz serving.
Is Eagle Rare 10 Year gluten-free? ▾
Not by label. Eagle Rare 10 Year is distilled from a gluten-containing grain, so US rules bar it from claiming gluten-free. Distillation does remove the gluten protein, and the Celiac Disease Foundation considers distilled spirits safe for most coeliacs. If you would rather avoid the question, pick a spirit distilled from corn, potato, grape or agave.
What proof is Eagle Rare 10 Year? ▾
Eagle Rare 10 Year is 90 proof, which is 45% alcohol by volume.
Does Eagle Rare 10 Year give you a bad hangover? ▾
Eagle Rare 10 Year scores 7/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 7/10 for bourbon overall. The main drivers are its congeners, polyphenols and tannins.
Is Eagle Rare 10 Year vegan? ▾
Yes. Eagle Rare 10 Year is listed as vegan, with no animal-derived ingredients or fining agents.