Rare Character 'Old Mate' Single Barrel Cask Strength 6 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey (750ml)

Rare Character are purveyors of premium American whiskeys tailored to their customers and partners. Bottlings under the Old Mate label represent the first barrel picks to make it out of the USA and are exclusive to Australia. Aged six years nine months - only slightly longer than its sibling Bourbon - this single barrel selection might be initially cagey on the nose but coats the mouth with oily rye, becoming dense, chewy, bittersweet and gently tannic before a slow surge of dark chocolate, peppermint rock candy and dark rye bread. The finish leaves a spicy warmth followed by toasty American oak and hints of caramelised fruits. Distilled and aged in Indiana from a mash bill of 51% corn, 45% rye and 4% malt, this intense but relatively sweet expression maintains controlled tension until the last. Bottled in Kentucky. 57.61% Alc./Vol.

Notes from the bottlers... Winter mint, leather, brown butter, honey tea, fried dough; light apricot and peach jam on the finish, before rounding out with oak tannins, pepper, and vanilla. This spent a chunk of its life in metal and concrete warehousing; lending to the light tropical fruit and sweet notes, the rye spice is underlying the whole profile for a richer mouthfeel and complexity.