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Eagle Rare 12 Year vs Old Forester 1870 Original Batch
Eagle Rare 12 Year and Old Forester 1870 Original Batch sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, classically built classic versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Eagle Rare 12 Year | Old Forester 1870 Original Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 95 proof (47.5% ABV) +5 proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$50 – $80 | ~$45 – $55 ~$15 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- Eagle Rare 12 Year does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Eagle Rare 12 Year
Top 3, behind George T. Stagg and Jack Daniel's 14.
Old Forester 1870 Original Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Eagle Rare 12 Year Old Forester 1870 Original Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 7/5 oak: Eagle Rare 12 Year 7 out of 10, Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 5 out of 10
heat 5/3 heat: Eagle Rare 12 Year 5 out of 10, Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 3 out of 10
nuttiness 4/2 nuttiness: Eagle Rare 12 Year 4 out of 10, Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 2 out of 10
spice 5/4 spice: Eagle Rare 12 Year 5 out of 10, Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 4 out of 10
sweetness 7/7 sweetness: Eagle Rare 12 Year 7 out of 10, Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 7 out of 10
fruit 6/6 fruit: Eagle Rare 12 Year 6 out of 10, Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- Eagle Rare 12 Year: Two more years and five more proof points than Eagle Rare 10. Brown sugar and toffee lead, with a drier, more astringent oak finish.
- Old Forester 1870 Original Batch: The first bottle in Old Forester's Whiskey Row Series, recreating the founder's habit of blending barrels from three warehouses. It is the lightest of the series, caramel sweet and easy.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Eagle Rare 12 Year if you want an older, richer step up from Eagle Rare 10 with more brown sugar and oak.
- Go with Old Forester 1870 Original Batch if you want the gentlest, most easygoing pour in the Whiskey Row Series at a lower price point and without hunting for it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks (Eagle Rare 12 Year); neat, rocks, highball (Old Forester 1870 Original Batch).