Welcome back to Bourbon Legends — where we pour something worth finding and then go looking for something that might not want to be found. This week, Justin, Jeff, and Kevin crack open Eagle Rare 10 Year — the allocated Buffalo Trace gem that somehow still sits around $40 when you can actually find it — and dig into Idaho’s own lake monster: Sharlie, the creature of Payette Lake near McCall. Since at least 1920, a large serpentine creature — 30 to 40 feet long, humped back, small dinosaur-like head, and moving with a wake like a motorboat with no boat in sight — has been reported in Payette Lake's 392-foot glacier-carved depths. In 1944, 30 people saw it, Time Magazine ran the story, and monster hunters descended on McCall. In 1946, a physician in a group of 20 watched it dive and resurface for an extended period. In 1954, the town held a national naming contest — won by a woman from Virginia with a punchline from a radio comedy show. In 1985, the Idaho Fish and Game's own fisheries biologist said maybe Sharlie is just smarter than us. A 2023 video went viral. And nobody has ever proven what it is. (Kevin is behind the camera. As always. We have accepted this.) BOURBON OF THE EPISODE Eagle Rare 10 Year | Kentucky Straight Bourbon | Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY From the same distillery as Pappy Van Winkle, Blanton’s, and George T. Stagg. Eagle Rare uses Buffalo Trace’s Mashbill #1 — a low-rye recipe (believed to be approximately 75% corn, 10% rye, 15% malted barley, though Buffalo Trace has never officially confirmed the ratios) — and is aged a minimum of 10 years with every barrel hand-selected. Originally launched at 101 proof in 1975, it’s been bottled at 90 proof since 2005. One of the most sought-after bourbons at its price point; allocation is the main obstacle to finding it. Proof: 90 (45% ABV) | Aged minimum 10 years | Low-rye Mashbill #1 | New charred oak Nose: Toffee, honey, and leather. Palate: Bold, dry, and delicate — caramel, dark fruit, oak, and cocoa, with candied almonds and a rich mouthfeel. Finish: Dry, long, and lingering with warm oak, almond, and a touch of spice. WHAT WE COVER • The lake: Payette Lake, McCall, Idaho — 392 feet deep, glacier-carved, and fed by mountain snowmelt • Native American oral tradition: the peoples who summered in Long Valley were afraid of the lake before any Western account existed • 1920: the railroad logging crew who watched a log start moving under its own power • 1944: 30 witnesses, national media, and Time Magazine • 1946: a physician in a group of 20 watches it dive and resurface • 1954: the naming contest, the winning entry, and why the name is literally a joke about credibility • 1985: the Idaho Fish and Game fisheries biologist who said maybe it’s just smarter than us • 2023: the viral video that briefly made Sharlie a national story again • Eagle Rare 10 Year: the Buffalo Trace backstory, the allocation struggle, and tasting notes SUBSCRIBE New episodes every week. New bourbon. New legend. Hit subscribe so you never miss a pour. #BourbonLegends, #Sharlie, #PayetteLake, #IdahoLakeMonster, #LakeMonster, #EagleRare, #EagleRare10Year, #BourbonPodcast, #Cryptid, #UrbanLegends