Rare Character Single Barrel VEN-515 9 Year Bourbon (75cl)

This is a single barrel Kentucky bourbon from the independent bottler Rare Character, aged for nine years and carrying the barrel code VEN-515. It was bottled at barrel proof without chill filtration, in a 75cl bottle. The mashbill is 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley, and the barrel was matured on the mid-to-high floors of the warehouse, where temperature swings are greater. The nose offers roasted peanut and burnt sugar, with seasoned oak and dried tobacco leaf. Caramel and dark cherry fill the palate, followed by leather, baking spice and a peppery warmth. The finish is long, with charred oak, vanilla and smoky sweetness fading to dry wood tannins.