Eagle Rare 17 Year 2021 Bourbon

Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2021 Antique Collection)

Price

$1,799.95

✔ Authenticated by the house — seal, fill level, and label inspected before release
✔ Documented provenance on every bottle
✔ Climate-safe, collector-grade packaging

Age: 17 Years Old (2021 Release) | Region: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA | Proof: 101 Proof

Secure payments

Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

101

Proof

50.5%

ABV

750 mL

Format

17 Yrs

Age Statement

4-Bottle

BTAC Set

Kentucky

Region

Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old 2021 is the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection release from the year the collection shipped as four bottles instead of five: Buffalo Trace withheld George T. Stagg because the earmarked barrels did not meet the brand's profile. This bourbon is bottled at 101 proof and carries the label's standard 17-year statement.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

The four-bottle year: 2021 is the Antique Collection released without a George T. Stagg after barrels failed to meet brand standards.

Chairman's Trophy: captured the top Chairman's Trophy accolade for bourbon at the 2022 Ultimate Spirits Challenge evaluations.

101 proof standard: the fixed bottling strength Eagle Rare 17 has carried continuously since the 2018 release.

Low-rye recipe: Kentucky corn, Minnesota rye, and North Dakota malted barley — Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1.

Spring 2003 fill, 18 years 6 months at bottling: the distillery's first announcement printed 2002 and was corrected to 2003 the same day, so this is an eighteen-year bourbon under a seventeen-year label.

Nº 02

Buffalo Trace Distillery & Antique Collection Heritage

Frankfort 17-Year Maturation

Distilled at Buffalo Trace Distillery (DSP-KY-113) in Frankfort, Kentucky, the 2021 Eagle Rare 17 represents nearly two decades of patience. Anchor of a historic four-bottle BTAC allocation, this release encapsulates the refined, extra-aged profile of Buffalo Trace's premier low-rye mash bill.

Nº 03

Craftsmanship & Cask Architecture

Low-Rye Recipe & Lower Floor Maturation

Mash Bill #1 Platform

Low-Rye Bourbon Core

Distilled from Kentucky corn, Minnesota rye, and North Dakota malted barley for a sweet caramel and polished oak foundation.

Warehouses C, Q, K & M

Floors 1, 2, 3 & 5 Aging

Spread across four rickhouses over 18 years and 6 months, with 73% of the original whiskey lost to evaporation.

101 Proof Standard

Precision Proofed Elegance

Precision proofed to 101 proof (50.5% ABV) with limestone spring water, prioritizing cherries, coffee, and fresh garden herbs.

Independent Stave Oak

#4 Heavy Char Cooperage

Entered the barrel at 125 proof in new 53-gallon American white oak barrels subjected to a 55-second #4 char fire treatment.

Nº 04

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Distillery Tasting Notes

Sensory Profile

Nose: Concentrated aromas of ripe orchard cherries and thick vanilla pastry cream open up against heavily seasoned white oak.
Palate: Rich buttery caramel and dark roasted coffee notes glide across the tongue alongside dark fruit and leather.
Finish: Substantially long and warming; old barrel oak char, sharp black pepper, and clean fresh garden herbs.

Strategic Position

Two things make the 2021 the one collectors chase out of the recent run: it took the Chairman's Trophy for bourbon at the 2022 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, and it comes from the year Buffalo Trace could not produce a Stagg. It follows the 2020 Eagle Rare 17 that preceded it, precedes the 2022 release that followed, and sits beside the 125.3-proof Weller from the same 2021 set in Midnight Whiskey's vault.

Nº 05

Collector Note & Index

Vault Provenance

→

Chairman's Trophy Winner

Recognized with the top Chairman's Trophy award at the 2022 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, anchoring its high collector acclaim.

→

Bourbon Vault Context

Catalogued within the primary Whiskey Collection and The Vault at Midnight Whiskey.

Collector IndexER17 2021 RELEASE

Distillery: Buffalo Trace (DSP-KY-113)
Series Position: 2021 BTAC Allocation (4-Bottle Set)
Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Proof / ABV: 101 Proof (50.5% ABV)
Age Statement: 17 Years Old Label (18Y 6M Actual; Spring 2003)
Format: 750 mL

Explore the bourbon collection this Eagle Rare 17 Year 2021 belongs to.

Nº 06

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
PRODUCER / DISTILLERY	Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky (Sazerac Company)
COLLECTION	2021 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (4-Bottle Set)
CATEGORY	Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
AGE STATEMENT	17 Years Old Label (18 Years 6 Months Actual; Distilled Spring 2003, Bottled Fall 2021)
PROOF / ABV	101 Proof / 50.5% ABV
WAREHOUSE / FLOORS	Warehouses C, Q, K & M (Floors 1, 2, 3 & 5; 73% Evaporation Loss)
FILTRATION	Chill Filtered
MASH BILL	Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 (Low-Rye Bourbon)
ACCOLADES	Chairman's Trophy · 2022 Ultimate Spirits Challenge
REGION	Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
FORMAT	750 mL
SKU	088004021443-21

Nº 07

Records & Assurance

Production Methodology

The 2021 Eagle Rare 17 was distilled at DSP-KY-113 in Frankfort, Kentucky from Mash Bill #1 low-rye corn mash. Milled through a #10 screen, cooked at 240°F with reverse-osmosis limestone water, and sour-mash fermented in carbon steel. Double distilled through a beer still and doubler to 135 proof, then barreled at 125 proof in Independent Stave #4 charred white oak. Matured across Warehouses C, Q, K and M on floors one, two, three and five for 18 years and 6 months, losing 73% of the original fill to evaporation, before precision proofing to 101 proof and chill filtration for the autumn 2021 Antique Collection. Buffalo Trace's first announcement gave the fill year as spring 2002 and corrected it to spring 2003 the same day.

Authentication & Vault Preservation

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was there a George T. Stagg in the 2021 Antique Collection?

No. Buffalo Trace released the 2021 Antique Collection as four whiskeys — Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old, William Larue Weller, Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye and Sazerac Rye 18-Year-Old. Master distiller Harlen Wheatley said the barrels earmarked for Stagg in 2006 no longer met the brand's profile, and that the distillery would not lower its standards or the age by drawing on the following year's supply.

What proof is the 2021 Eagle Rare 17?

The 2021 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old is bottled at 101 proof, or 50.5% ABV. That is a fixed bottling strength rather than a barrel-proof figure, and it has been Eagle Rare 17's standard since the 2018 release. The label carries a 17-year age statement.

What are the official tasting notes for the 2021 Eagle Rare 17?

Buffalo Trace describes the 2021 Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old as having a nose of ripe cherries, vanilla cream and oak, a palate of caramel and coffee, and a long finish of oak, pepper and fresh herbs. The bourbon is bottled at 101 proof from the distillery's low-rye Mash Bill #1 and released once a year as part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Buffalo Trace Distillery · Eagle Rare 17 Year (2021 Release)

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Eagle Rare

The Elemental Distinction

Buffalo Trace Distillery & Antique Collection Heritage