The oldest ever bottles of Buffalo Trace Eagle Rare whiskey are going up for auction in London – and we were among the first people in the world to try it

If you think about American bourbon, you’ll immediately - if inevitably - be thinking about Buffalo Trace and its delicious offshoots: Old Rip Van Winkle, E.H. Taylor, George T Stagg, amongst others. One of the stars in its rye crown is Eagle Rare, usually known for the 10 and 12 year old expressions. However, over at London's Bonhams Auction House on Bond Street, the brand is offering up something a little more unique: two bottles of its oldest ever expressions: Eagle Rare 30.

Celebrating the unveiling of the 30 year old bottles, Buffalo Trace Distillery is presenting a highly curated online auction of some of its rarest and highly coveted American whiskeys, meaning you could get your hands on it yourself, if you have a couple spare grand burning a hole in your wallet.

Running from 24th April to 8th May 2026, the sale will feature the first and second bottles ever produced of Eagle Rare 30 alongside a range of individual lots and curated collections from across the Eagle Rare portfolio - including 10, 12, 17, 20, and 25 Years Old - and we got to taste a dram of each.

Eagle Rare 17

First debuted in Buffalo Trace’s 2025 Antique Collection, the 17 is a phenomenal whiskey, and (until we tried the 30) our favourite from the brand. It's softer on the nose than its 10 and 12 counterparts, with a deeper and richer caramel oakiness. It offers a more open nose and a sort of sweet spot between the intensity from a longer maturation, and the gorgeous deep flavour.

The 17 is the best entry point into really stunning whiskey without wanting to add anything to help open up the liquid. Even if you don't typically drink whiskey neat, you're almost guaranteed to enjoy the 17 straight up. If you were going to cherry-pick just one bottle from the range to swipe a sip from, this would be ours.

Eagle Rare 20

The 20, which goes for around £3k, doesn't spend any time ageing within Eagle Rare’s temperature-controlled warehouse, unlike most of the other expressions, leading to something a little more unusual. It opens with a smooth tobacco flavour that’s quick to dry on the palate, giving a spicier taste. It has quite a bit of bite on the palate; it’s more intense and darker than the 17 with less sweetness.

Eagle Rare 25

The 25 was released in 2023 and has a much fruitier nose than the rest of the range. Hailing back to the beloved soft, almost Christmas cake reminiscent fruits that you’ll find in a lot of Scotch whiskies, the 25 is a surprisingly softer and almost fresher complement to the range.

Eagle Rare 30

The fairytale-esque rarest of them all, the Eagle Rare 30 is just exquisite. We almost didn’t want it to be as good as it is, being one of those cautionary tales about distilleries chasing age over quality, but alas, it is not. It tastes like a meal, being beautifully rich and soft whilst adding spice and leather to a light smoke. It almost reminded us of mezcal in the way it layers smoke with flavour, with neither overwhelming nor fighting the other.

The lots on offer are:

• Lot #1: The first bottle ever produced of Eagle Rare 30 Year Old, in addition to a private single barrel tasting experience featuring up to five Buffalo Trace bourbons hosted at either Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, KY or Buffalo Trace Distillery London, its tasting room located in Covent Garden. Estimate: £7,500-10,000.
• Lot #2: One bottle each from the entire Eagle Rare collection: 10, 12, 17-Year-Old (3 x 700ml bottles), a Double Eagle Very Rare, 25 and the second bottle produced of 30-Year-Old (3 x 750ml presented in their signature display cases). Also includes one-night luxury accommodations at Stagg Lodge, the Distillery’s VIP, invite-only lodge overlooking the historic campus. Estimate: £20,000-30,000.
• Lot #3: One 700ml bottle each of Eagle Rare 17-, 12- and 10-Year-Old as well as an Eagle Rare 10 single barrel pick experience hosted at either Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, KY or Buffalo Trace Distillery London. Estimate: £7,000-10,000.
• Lot #4 - #5: One 700ml bottle of Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old from the 2025 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Estimate: £800-1,300.
• Lots #6 - #10: Each offering a six-bottle case of Eagle Rare 12-Year-Old (6 x 700ml bottles). Estimate: £700-1,000.
• Lots #11- #15: Each offering a six-bottle case of Eagle Rare 10-Year-Old (6 x 700ml, bottles). Estimate: £200-400.

The auction: Eagle Rare 30-Year-Old Bourbon Takes Flight: The Ultimate Eagle Rare Release is running at bonhams.com from 24 April – 8 May 2026.

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