Editor’s Note: This whisky was provided to us as a review sample by Spirit Investment Partners. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link towards the bottom of this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
Do you ever find out about something and feel like you should be surprised about it, but just find yourself thinking, “Of course that’s a thing”? Well that was the moment I had when handed a sample bottle of Playboy Spirits’ Rare Hare 1953. This product is on the market as a joint effort between Spirit Investment Partners (SIP) and Playboy. SIP has been involved in several projects including Heaven’s Door.
For those who still think of Playboy as just a magazine with centerfolds, you may be surprised to learn everything they are involved in today. Playboy is largely a lifestyle brand including ventures in sexual wellness, clothing, and home décor. Their efforts in the spirits industry began in 2021 with a tequila from Codigo 1530.
This year’s release is the Rare Hare 1953, a 17-year-old bourbon finished in XXO cognac casks. A release limited to 1,953 bottles that include a NFC with a code to join the Rare Hare Society, a membership that will offer exclusive access to events and travel. 1953 is the year Playboy was founded, and this bottling is in commemoration of that year.
When reading over the press release on BevNet I had immediate concerns when reading the CEO spoke about the, “$500 billion-plus global spirits category.” I have doubts when someone speaks about the profits of spirits over the product they look to provide. Playboy Spirits is sourcing their products and this release has no real information about what is in the bottle. I was unable to find a mash bill, a distillery, or even a state it was made in.
The only information is that it was bottled in Memphis, Tennessee, the location they will be using for bottling all releases from Playboy Spirits.
So what details can be deduced from the bottle? Well, it’s straight bourbon, so according to TTB regulations it’s made with at least 51% corn, and while it could be getting sourced from multiple distilleries it’s coming from at most one state (the state it’s distilled in is unknown). They aged it for at least 16 years in charred new oak barrels (no details on the type of oak). It was finished in XXO Cognac casks from the Champagne region of France for one year. XXO is a designation for Cognac that has been aged at least 14 years.
Before I get into tasting notes, a small disclaimer from me: I find it very rare that I enjoy bourbon that has been aged longer than ten years. The taste of the barrel overpowers the grains and becomes a practice in drinking oak. While other regions can often age longer due to milder climates, the rate that bourbon takes on the qualities of oak makes these old bourbons largely undrinkable.
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Now that isn’t to say there isn’t a market for them. I saw a lot of people drop a lot of money to try a pour of these kinds of whiskies during my time as a bartender. But, did any of them really enjoy what they were drinking? Or were they just excited to be drinking that rare thing they read about in some lifestyle magazine?
Tasting Notes: Rare Hare 1953 Anniversary Edition
Vital Stats: 55.5% ABV. Straight bourbon aged a minimum of 17 years and finished in XXO Cognac barrels. This is a 1,953 bottle run. MSRP $639.99
Appearance: This is a rich amber color. It forms a ring of very small droplets around the glass that take a very long time to fall.
Nose: While pouring this it smelled like a Cinnabon. In the glass it smells like butter and brown sugar. It has a noticeable fruitiness with dried cherry and pineapple. There is a bit of vanilla and oak in there as well. I really enjoy how this smells.
Palate: This is quite hot and almost unpalatable for me out of the bottle. I get heavy oak and tannin, a slight spice and tobacco, and a fruit quality that is so faint I’m not sure if it is just from the nose. Watering this down certainly helps with the heat, but the oak is just too much for me. The addition of water makes this like licking a barrel that has had some caramel drizzled on it. The finish when diluted is just a heavy oak and tannin.
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