Rare Character is an extremely interesting independent bottler. They have a team of industry veterans that they utilize to source incredible barrels. I’ve loved Rare Character since we selected our first barrel in December of 2021. They seem to have reached a new level recently with the release of their Exceptional Series Bourbons & Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskeys. Any barrel we bring in disappears within hours. It’s another brand that has people trying to hack passwords on products to get a bottle. While these are extremely limited, we’ll have more exciting products from Rare Character in the very near future.
Since first trying these Malt Whiskeys in January we knew we wanted to get our hands on one. When we finally had the opportunity we were torn on these two samples. Both unique in their own right, Dee gravitated toward the 10 year (E-M13-23) and Brian gravitated to the 13 year (E-M10-68). Thankfully, we were able to bring both of them in for Seelbach’s!
Rare Character Whiskey 10 Year Exceptional Series Kentucky Straight Malt Barrel #E-M13-23 134.9 proof – Selected by Deestilled & Seelbach’s
The nose is toffee, raw almonds transitioning to candied almond the longer it sits in the glass, sweet dark chocolate, ripe plum, and wafts of chili pepper.
The palate is a myriad of spices: cinnamon, cracked pepper, allspice, and ginger with caramel and soft vanilla notes.
The finish is long with dark chocolate truffle, cigar smoke, and wood chips.
Rare Character Whiskey 13 Year Exceptional Series Kentucky Straight Malt Barrel #E-M10-68 124.4 proof – Selected by Abandonbourbon & Seelbach’s
The nose is soft whipped chocolate, tart cherry (skin and flesh), funky, candied grape sweetness, with chocolate malt and butterscotch continuing.
The palate is funky fruits, cherry cola, butterscotch, and perfumed with oak, leather, and chocolate.
Finish is long and leathery with waves of chocolate, caramel, and tobacco leaf throughout.
About: The Exceptional Series from Rare Character exemplifies the driving mission of their brand: to release the most distinguished and highest quality whiskeys they can possibly source. While their Single Barrel Series is focused on customization and creativity, this new series is focused on curation and exceptional craftsmanship. These spirits are truly unique; they’re even older and more scarcely available than the rest of our offerings. Every bottle released through this series is at least 9 years old, and is of exceptionally Rare Character.
