Buffalo Trace Antique Collection Features the Oldest Eagle Rare Bourbon Yet

Every year, Buffalo Trace's highly anticipated Antique Collection, nicknamed the BTAC, gathers significant attention in the bourbon world. For each annual unveiling, the Kentucky-based distillery debuts four to five rare bottlings, showcasing the finest whiskeys from their brands. This year, enthusiasts, collectors, and fanatics look forward to new editions of Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye Whiskey, Sazerac Rye 18-Year-Old Whiskey, William Larue Weller Bourbon, and Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Bourbon, and the return of the George T. Stagg Bourbon after it was omitted in 2021 for not meeting taste standards.

The 2023 BTAC collection features an especially thrilling bottling—the oldest-ever stock of Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Bourbon. You might wonder, doesn't its name imply that all Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old bottles are 17 years old? A fair question, but it turns out that 17 refers to the minimum age to bottle the barrels. The whiskey's actual barrel age varies each year to achieve the ideal flavor profile—and this year's edition is the oldest yet.

Over the next couple of weeks, the bottles will roll out to a variety of retailers, where they're priced around $125. After that, they’ll make their way on to the secondary market where it could cost around five to 20 times as much to get a bottle. So if you're looking to pick one up for the right price, you'd better hurry to your local liquor store—it might already be too late.

Related: Best Bourbons to Drink in 2023

Buffalo Trace 2023 Antique Collection

Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Bourbon

Buffalo Trace aged the 2023 Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Bourbon for 19 years and three months, making this year's bottling the longest-aged since its introduction in 2000. In tribute to the original Eagle Rare that launched in 1975, Buffalo Trace bottled the 2023 edition at 101 proof. The nose offers dark chocolate and cherry pie notes, which complement the well-balanced caramel-drizzled chocolate spongecake flavor. Then, the bourbon finishes with the dry, spicy notes of an earthy cigar box. The Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old was distilled in the spring of 2004, and its barrels were aged in Warehouses C, I, K, M, and Q.

George T. Stagg Bourbon

Aged for 15 years and four months and bottled at 135 proof, the 2023 George T. Stagg bourbon smells like cinnamon and cherry cola on the nose. The palate offers a well-balanced mix of leather, chocolate, and vanilla, complete with a robust, earthy finish. The bourbon was distilled in the spring of 2008, and its barrels were aged in Warehouses C, I, K, L, and M.

Sazerac Rye 18-Year-Old Whiskey

On the nose, the 2023 Sazerac 18-Year-Old Straight Rye Whiskey smells of dried orange, rye grain, clove, and aniseed. The palate features black pepper, vanilla, and waves of oak, then finishes with floral honey and tobacco leaf. Buffalo Trace filled this collection of rye whiskey barrels between the fall of 2004 and the spring of 2005 and aged them in Warehouses K, L, and M.

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye Whiskey

In response to a consumer request for more well-aged and barrel-strength whiskey, Buffalo Trace aged the 2023 Thomas H. Handy barrels for over six years. The uncut, unfiltered straight rye whiskey clocks in at 124.9 proof and yields aromas of orange zest and lemon oil, caramel, and hints of pine. Freshly baked rye bread flavors appear alongside orange marmalade and honey on the palate, followed by the lingering finish of light oak and black licorice.

William Larue Weller Bourbon

William Larue Weller is the Antique Collection’s uncut, unfiltered, and wheated recipe bourbon. Buffalo Trace distilled the 2023 offering in the spring of 2011, aging its barrels in Warehouses C, L, M, and N. The bourbon comes in at a whopping 133.6 proof, delivering aromas of dark brown sugar and vanilla bean on the nose. A warm, full palate of stewed cherry and brown sugar crumble follows. The robust finish then delivers baking spice and a hint of maple syrup.