Black Eagle Bourbon Whiskey

Rating: 8/23 This is a budget Total Wine store brand that has a 3 year age statement (positive) and was bottled in Minnesota (negative). My expectations are low, but we'll see. Nose: Light and watery with a subtle nectar sweetness when diluted, faint bananas, pears, and an odd oily funk. Nothing smells offensive, but it's generally too weak, lacks character, and has no particularly appealing aroma. Palate: Oh, this tastes young. I detect a bit of bitter ethanol, but mostly it's just flavorless. It's watery and slightly bitter, like whiskey whose alcohol content has dropped too much. There's a faint industrial note, but it's not too prominent. It's just a mild industrial note within the bitterness. There's a slight, watery sweetness, but not much and certainly not nearly enough. There's also some heat from muddled barrel spices that lean towards hot cinnamon. This is also a bit rough. It has a mild burn, then it just irritates my tongue. Hints of caramel appear when I'm lucky, but that's infrequent. The flavor is also really indistinct. This palate is difficult, but not in a good way. There's really nothing to enjoy here. It isn't the most challenging thing to drink, but it's bad. Finish: Drying, persistent harshness, light, bitter, bland, faint spices, perhaps a subtle hint of vanilla. It's not all that bad (at least it's better than the palate), but it's certainly not good. - Conclusion - This might be fixable in something like a maple syrup old fashioned that adds significant sweetness and richness. This is bad, though. It could be an 8 at most. A 6 might be too harsh since it's not actually painful, but a 9 seems excessive. Compared to this, another bottle reviewed 11/23 is so much better, as is a Trader Joe's bourbon reviewed 11/23 (rumored to be from Barton's). I gave The Sexton a 9 and it has some really strange, unpleasant off-notes. This is actually not much worse. The Sexton has more sweetness and character, though, along with less of that watery bitterness. This will be a 7 or 8. Ugh. Revisiting this, I might be convinced it's a 9. Really, I'm thinking an 8 though. Ugh, again.

First, let's establish something: this was obviously an impulse buy. Or perhaps the result of a seasoned whiskey drinker losing a wager. Naturally, a bottle of bourbon advertising itself solely as “individual barreled” amused me greatly. How poor could a product that can't even describe itself beyond that be? Black Eagle is labeled “bourbon whiskey,” so I'll assume it fulfills the most basic criteria. It's aged for 3 years, bottled at 40% ABV, and made in Minnesota. Packaging: The container is so poorly made I had to modify the screw top. It felt like a plea to avoid it. Maintaining an open mind will be harder than opening this container. Appearance: Honestly, the first image that came to mind was dried urine. I sincerely hope that's not what's inside. A quick search for “black eagle” reveals it's a genuine bird species from Southeast Asia. Its connection to a Minnesota bourbon bottle is unclear. Nose: What aroma? It's pure ethanol. Well, maybe grainy, fruity ethanol. At least it's not industrial-grade. I can't recall smelling anything more bland. Even Dewar’s and JW Red have more character. Palate: Did I just taste leftover distillation fractions? Likely. It's sweet, grainy, and harsh, with a hint of charred, metallic vegetal notes. Finish: Mouthwash with a whiskey flavor. Now enhanced with char and bitterness for oral hygiene. Seriously folks. Stay away. The only certainty is their claim of individual barrel aging rather than a massive tanker. This confirms my poor judgment in a bet. There must be superior whiskey made somewhere in Minnesota. 1.0 ~ Irrelevant ~ At least it's not urine *Is it a joke that the site suggests this is 10% ABV? That would be fitting, as you'd need that much mixer to make this drinkable.

Overall impression: Weak, diluted flavor I can't detect any specific flavor notes on the nose. Just a mild ethanol scent. The taste is simply put, watered down. Like the nose, there are no distinct flavors present. Considering the low price, it's a good choice for a "party bourbon," as I call it. Suitable for easy mixing, and no worries if some is wasted. $23.99 for a 1.75L

Smell - peanut shell, honey, corn, mild rye spice, strong ethanol burn. Taste - honey, vanilla, peanut, sweet corn, barrel spice, moderate alcohol bite, finishing quickly, very sweet, and uninspired. This is not good. It's overly sweet, a bit hot, and dull. It drinks more like an inexpensive Canadian whisky.

Appearance: liquid gold Smell: sweet caramel, apple, banana bread Taste: Apple, similar to flat apple cider, bread, light oak, all tones are muted. Likely best for mixing. It's drinkable and not bad, but completely uninteresting.

A Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from Minnesota, born with richness and hints of spice, vanilla, and fruit. Its life, marked by spice, brought notes of caramel and pepper, leading to a complex, medium-length finish. May 2019 / August 2022