Marshmallow | Rye spice | Baking spice | Vanilla bean | Underlying ethanol | Its proof is front and center

Sweet vanilla | Orange marmalade | Cinnamon stick | Rye spice | Light grain | Baked bread | Bold spice dominates

Dry cinnamon | Baking spice | Oak | Rye spice | Heat increases gradually

Rare Character is a company focused on helping others select single barrels. The company states that “Rare Character Whiskey is a purveyor of fine American whiskey, focused on unique selections tailored to each of our customers and partners.” The company offers a number of different options for single barrels including bourbon, rye, and whiskey. Each of their bottles is adorned with a picture of a painting and a wax top, although it needs to be mentioned that no pull strip is included under the wax, which makes for quite the experience when trying to open the bottle for the first time.

This Rare Character bourbon selected by Founder’s Choice is a whiskey sourced from Indiana with all signs pointing to MGP. This 5 year old barrel strength bourbon isn’t afraid to show its proof, as the nose reveals an underlying layer of ethanol which leaves no doubt that this bourbon is ready to hit hard. The palate is full of sweet and spicy notes, however, in the end the spice tends to dominate its sweeter dance partners. Surprisingly, the finish is more mellow, starting with notes of drier spice while slowly developing an increasing level of lingering heat. The sip overall is a little unbalanced due to its proof, but still delivers enough character to intrigue lovers of higher proof bourbon.

The bottle being reviewed comes from barrel TRT-07.