Eagle Rare Store Pick and Rock Hill Farms with Alex Derthick; Ep. 85

Dan and Alex open an Eagle Rare 10 Year store pick and explore what makes it such a memorable bourbon. Their tasting covers the bottle’s extra age, smooth 90-proof profile, and notes of vanilla, caramel, orange, cherry cola, and gentle rye spice. The conversation expands into a broader discussion about bourbon value, store picks, dusty bottles, Blanton’s, Rock Hill Farms, bottle collecting, and the challenge of finding allocated whiskey at a fair price. Alex shares why Rock Hill Farms remains one of his favorite bottles, while Dan compares Eagle Rare’s 10 and 12 year expressions and explains why store picks can offer a more distinctive experience.Along the way, they discuss bourbon tourism, distillery visits, bottle shares, cork preservation, aging warehouses, old bottle prices, and the personal stories behind their collections. The episode closes with thoughts on the Kentucky Derby, bourbon friendships, and the importance of buying bottles to enjoy—not simply to resell.#buffalotrace #eaglerare #storepick #rockhillfarms #mashbill1 #bourbon #whiskey #bourbontasting #kentuckyderby #horseracing #crescentspringstobacco #bourbonhunting #bourbontrail #podcast #bourbonbrassandbeyond #derbybottle #blantons In this episodeTasting an Eagle Rare 10 Year store pickComparing standard releases with store picksNotes of vanilla, caramel, orange, cherry cola, and rye spiceWhy Eagle Rare is considered a strong value bourbonEagle Rare 10 Year versus 12 YearAlex’s favorite Rock Hill Farms bottleBlanton’s, Blanton’s Gold, and Straight From the BarrelDusty bottles and historic bourbon pricesHow to develop your palate and identify tasting notesCorks, storage, decanters, and bottle displaysBuffalo Trace expansion and aging capacityAllocated bottle lotteries and secondary-market pricingBourbon and Beyond, bottle shares, and Kentucky Derby plansCollecting bottles you actually intend to drinkTimestamps00:00 – Opening the Eagle Rare store pick02:47 – First impressions and tasting notes03:01 – Eagle Rare as a value bourbon05:21 – Orange, vanilla, caramel, and balance10:57 – How flavors develop over multiple sips16:08 – Dan’s dusty bottle collection19:14 – Comparing Blanton’s releases24:32 – Bourbon and Beyond plans36:05 – Eagle Rare 12 Year discussion41:14 – Rock Hill Farms becomes the focus49:27 – Cherry cola, caramel, and single-barrel flavor54:04 – Why Rock Hill Farms sets the standard57:29 – Value-first bourbon collecting63:39 – Negotiation, respect, and friendship71:21 – Master distillers and barrel selection75:06 – Cold storage and ultra-aged bourbon77:16 – Eagle Rare 20 and 25 bottle lotteries81:02 – Final bottle recap82:55 – Sign-offNotable quotes“I think that this is the best value per dollar.”“That is the standard in my opinion.”“If you want the bottle and you’re gonna enjoy the bottle, get the bottle.”Bourbon, Brass & Beyond - https://www.bourbonbrassandbeyond.com Alex Derthick - IG: @captalex8