Playboy Spirits’ Rare Hare Offers 30-Year Canadian Whisky With Aperitif Finish

by Gary Carter
July 3, 2023

New from Playboy Spirits’ Rare Hare, is something actually quite old … and rare indeed. The iconic brand just unveiled its latest barrel discovery in Lucky Bastard, a limited offering of 2,500 bottles of their 30-year-old Canadian whisky finished in Pineau Des Charentes barrels.

A statement from Playboy Spirits described the unique casks as those containing a regional French aperitif that’s trending in the high-end cocktail scene.

For Lucky Bastard, Rare Hare whisky makers showcase a smooth and refined character that gradually reveals its intricate layers of flavor.

Rare Hare Lucky Bastard — New from Playboy Spirits’ Rare Hare, is something actually quite old … and rare indeed. The iconic brand just unveiled its latest barrel discovery in Lucky Bastard, a limited offering of 2,500 bottles of their 30-year-old Canadian whisky finished in Pineau Des Charentes barrels. (image via Playboy Spirits)

The liquid itself was crafted over three decades, with regular tastings and strategic barrel relocations to ensure the ideal environment for its final maturation and secondary finishing. At that time, Rare Hare’s master blender transferred the mature whiskey into seasoned Pineau Des Charentes casks for 120 days.

Pineau des Charentes is a fortified wine made by blending the French region’s grape juice with young eau-de-vie Cognac, and it imparts a sweetness as well as vanilla flavors to Lucky Bastard.

The tasting notes show a combination of young coconut, plantains, Martinique rhum, serrano chili, anise, and mandarin orange that evolves in the glass.

“This whiskey was made with the collaboration of expert blenders, cooperages, and wine makers,” said Rare Hare Spirits’ Alex Moore. “We tasted weekly and chased flavors using whatever methods regulations allowed. This required close attention to the weather and changing between sunny or shaded parts of our facilities.”

He watched over the finishing process. “Extensive aging requires particular care to prevent over-oaking of a product. As with cognac, aging something for so long takes special attention to design and intention. It’s not a product you throw in a barrel and forget about.”