Baked cinnamon apples | Aged oak | Light vanilla powder | Light rye spice | Baking spice | Hints of fresh baked breakfast rolls | Crisp

Brown sugar | Toasted oak | Light caramel chews | Baking spice | Cinnamon apples | Touch of dark fruits | Touch of rye spice | Classic flavors with a hint of fruit

Peppercorn spice | Dry chewy oak | Leather | Rye spice | Dry lingering heat | Its age shines through

This year’s Eagle Rare 17 Year brings the age closer to its namesake and comes in at just 5 months over its 17 year moniker. Compare this with the 2021 release that came in over a year older at 18 years and 6 months. It remains the only bottle in the Antique Collection that comes close to a more traditional classic bourbon flavor profile due in part to its manageable 101 proof and rye as the secondary grain in the mashbill.

While the overall sip contains lots of classic bourbon scents and flavors, its focus on fruits is its most intriguing aspect. These fruits become readily apparent as the nose is dominated by noticeable baked cinnamon apples. Its crisp aromas make you perk up and prepare you for what the remainder of the sip offers. Moving into the palate, these cinnamon apples are still noticeable, but no longer the center of attention. Instead, they’re joined with equal amounts of classic flavors along with a touch of dark fruit which adds nice contrast. It’s the finish where the more than 17 years this bourbon spent in barrels is most noticeable. Its dry, chewy oak and leather border on being a tad too much, but never quite cross the line into being too dry. Overall, it’s a nice showing for Eagle Rare 17 Year. While it’s definitely not the most dynamic sip in the 2022 Antique Collection and the finish is pushing the limits of enjoyable dryness, in the end it will surely please those who are looking for a manageable sip that focuses on classic flavors.