(Photo: Rare Hare)
Rare Hare, the opulent spirits brand founded by Playboy (yes, that Playboy), is expanding its catalog with a 20-year-old single malt whisky from Tasmania
Paying homage to Shakespeare's tragicomedy of the name, "The Tempest," is aged for 17 years in bourbon barrels before being transferred to port casks for an additional three years. The spirit is produced at the Hellyers Road Distillery, one of over 80 whisky distilleries in Tasmania that has established the Australian island as an unexpected spirits hotspot.
Although whisky distillation in Tasmania dates back to 1822, the region famously underwent a far-reaching prohibition from 1830 until the mid-1990s. Hellyers Road honors that legacy with a centuries-old pot still distillation technique that spans three days. The process incorporates Antarctic waters swept by air currents to the island's western shore.
The Tempest is said to balance aromas of ginger, apricots and citrus with heady flavors of freshly baked biscotti and vanilla nougat on the palate. Limited bottles are now available for purchase online at $999.
"It's not often you get to experience the first run of something this unique and exceptional," Rare Hare Spirits Master Blender Alex Moore said. "Tempest is a celebration of the Tasmanian terroir. It should be on the bucket list of any serious whiskey collector."
Rare Hare was launched in 2022, two years after Playboy shut down production of its flagship print magazine.
The brand's spirits catalog has specialized primarily in whiskey since its inception. Its inaugural in-house release, dubbed 1953, was a 17-year bourbon finished in Cognac casks from the Champagne region. Other bottlings include a 30-year Canadian Whiskey and a 60-year Cognac Petite Champagne priced at $599 and $999.
On the agave side, Rare Hare has collaborated with acclaimed additive-free distiller Codigo 1530 on a pair of similarly expensive aged tequilas. Somewhat incongruously with the rest of its catalog, it also recently released a line of vodka hard seltzers with packaging inspired by Andy Warhol.
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