Eagle Rare 101 Proof 10 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon (1979 Release)

101 proof. 10 years. Distilled circa 1969. Eagle Rare 1979 Release — a vintage bottle from the original Eagle Rare formula at the historic 101 proof, predating the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection program by over two decades.

Eagle Rare was created in 1975 by Charley Beam at the George T. Stagg Distillery — what is now Buffalo Trace. The original Eagle Rare was bottled at 101 proof (not the 90 proof of the current 10 Year standard expression) and designated as a 10-year bourbon. The 1979 release is from the expression's earliest commercial years — distilled circa 1969 at a distillery that would later produce the most celebrated BTAC expressions, before Buffalo Trace adopted its current name in 1999.

For context: the Eagle Rare 17 Year BTAC, which commands significant secondary market premiums, uses the same production lineage. This 1979 10 Year at 101 proof predates every BTAC Eagle Rare ever released by over two decades and represents the founding era of one of Kentucky's most storied bourbon brands.

Specs

• Distillery: George T. Stagg Distillery (now Buffalo Trace), Frankfort, Kentucky
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Distilled: circa 1969
• Release: 1979
• Age: 10 years
• Proof: 101 (50.5% ABV) — original formula
• Size: 750ml

Explore the Buffalo Trace collection or browse all rare spirits at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why was the original Eagle Rare 101 proof rather than 90? The original 1975 formula bottled at 101 proof — a higher-proof expression that was reformulated to 90 proof in later commercial releases. The 1979 bottle preserves the founding formula at its original proof specification.
• How does this relate to the current Eagle Rare 10 Year and BTAC Eagle Rare 17 Year? All share the same distillery lineage. The 1979 10 Year predates the current 90-proof standard expression and the 17 Year BTAC by decades. It represents the founding era of the Eagle Rare brand at the original 101-proof formula.
• Is the Eagle Rare 101 Proof 1979 still available? Yes — a rare find from the expression's founding era.