Rare Hare 1953 Anniversary Edition - Review

Stats

Rare Hare 1953 Anniversary Edition

Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Finished in XXO Cognac Casks

Playboy Spirits

Distilled by: Undisclosed

Aged 17 Years

111 Proof

Mash Bill: Undisclosed

Retail Price: ~$570

Limited to 1953 Bottles

Poured Neat in a Glencairn

Color: Amber

Nose: Caramel, Nutmeg, Dried Figs and Apricots

Palate: Spiced Fruit Forward, Slight Oak, Toasted Caramel and Cream

Finish: Medium to Long Linger. Viscous coating with hints of Baking Spices throughout

Overall: "Our tribute to the year Playboy was founded, '1953' is Rare Hare's inaugural product release. Bottled at 111 Proof in a luxury package, this 17-Year Aged Straight Bourbon whiskey was finished in XXO Cognac casks from the Champagne region of France. Because of the whiskey's rarity, only 1953 bottles were produced for the US market. Rare Hare's '1953' release embodies craftsmanship, sophistication and a passion of Playboy Spirits"

The XXO Cognac casks play a huge part in the flavor of this from start to finish. As much as I tried to pinpoint where I've tried the 17 Year Straight Bourbon, it was a lost cause with the dried/spiced fruits dancing around my palate. By no means am I upset that I couldn't pick out the source...it only sparks more of my curiosity. The drinkability of this pour is outstanding. One of the smoothest (yeah, I used "smooth") 111 proof pours I've ever had. This might be one of those bottles to consider bringing into your bar, or in my case your Library just for the conversation starter. It's not cheap by any means, but you can see the elegance and beauty in the bottle and package design. Give them a look here: https://www.rareharespirits.com/

This was certainly a treat. I appreciate the gesture from Playboy Spirits to have the opportunity to give this an honest review.

Library Rating: 8.3 / 10

Trade-Up Tuesday - Part 3

Part 3 - If you’ve been following the past two weeks, you’ve seen me start with a relatively inexpensive bottle and eventually turn it into two somewhat harder to find bottles.

This trade was another that caught my eye early on. When I say that, I mean the bottles being offered should bring some attention within the whiskey community. Single Barrel Selections generally tend to be crowd pleasers. So, I went through with the trade that sent two Henry McKenna 10 year bottles in return for a 1792 Single Barrel and a 1792 Bottled In Bond, both being Single Barrel Selections. Retail valuations matched up fairly well and once again, both parties were happy.

There’s always something out there for everyone and I really hope these trades are helping folks find certain bottles they generally cannot find on a normal basis.

What do you think of Part 3? Could you have predicted after only two trades, I’d have 2 1792 Single Barrel Selections after starting with a sub-15 bottle?

Keep an eye out next week to see what these bottles fetched.

Recap: JTS Brown -> Buffalo Trace SiB Selection -> 2x Henry McKenna 10 Year -> 1792 SiB (SP) & 1792 BiB (SP)

Trade-Up Tuesday - Part 2

Last week I revealed a fun project I’ve been working on since late last year. If you haven’t read about it yet, please check it out.

Today I bring you, Part 2:

I had a pretty good feeling the Buffalo Trace Single Barrel Select would gather a little attention and I wasn’t wrong. Message after message rolled in and I was loving it. This trade seemed to be a little easier but also a bit more overwhelming than anticipated. Buffalo Trace is pretty hard to come by here in North Carolina while it practically sits on shelves elsewhere. So being this was a Single Barrel Selection, I knew it would raise a few more eyebrows here.

A major focus of mine while beginning this project was to be as fair as possible. I also wanted to meet more folks in this amazing community. After each accepted offer, I always confirmed they were happy with the deal. As long as both parties were happy, it was a win-win. Meeting in person also helps to put a face to the name and goes much further.

So, let’s get to the trade. What was the offer that got me excited here? How about a Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel Bottled In Bond? How about 2 of them? Yup, that did it for me. The person I traded with mentioned it really wasn’t his favorite so he had no problem letting them both go for the Buffalo SP. Again, I made sure and the smile on his face said it all.

How do you feel about this second trade?