Rare Perfection 14 Year
$149
Rare Perfection 14
Proof: 100.7
Age: 14 Year
Distillery: Unknown – Bottled by Preservation Distillery
Type: Bourbon Mash Bill – Aged in Canada / Tagged as Bourbon and International
Mash: 4 Grain – Wheated Bourbon (51+% Corn) – Unconfirmed
Website: Preservation Distillery
(Although you can’t find Rare Perfection on the Site)
*Disclaimer: A score of 5 is the midpoint for my reviews. Above 5 I like it. Below 5 I didn’t for some reason. Most of my reviews are between 4-7. It takes something really really special to go above 7 or below 4. See the methodologies for rating at the end of the article
Nose: Fresh Leather, Rubber, Lemon Peel, and Coconut lead the way followed by more traditional notes of Caramel and Red Apple. Very interesting nose. I had to revisit multiple times. “Rubber” doesn’t sound appealing, but the entire nose is over all pleasant.
Taste/Palate: Very mellow and creamy. It starts out with a Butterscotch Malt followed by some mellow Cereal Grains. There’s Citrus Zest that pulls through before giving way to Mild Oak.
Finish: The finish is similar to the palate, but it does have some maturity pull through – Tanned Leather and some Sweet Tobacco. It’s light on the spice, but you can pick up some very subtle Baking Spices.
Verdict: Overall I like it. The price point is on the high side which will take a point or two off on the value category, but it’s has a great flavor profile and it is well balanced. The “rubber” on the nose was not a deal breaker. I would consider this a “treat” sipper due to price point and broken out for rare occasions (see what I did there). I would not consider this buying this above MSRP $149 and if your wallet is tight or you have a small collection there are other bottles that you can pick up that would provide better value.
The Story: I purchased this bottle for a friend that will not accept money for working on our toys (snowmobiles, side by side, etc.). To persuade him to continue to work on these high maintenance machines for us our group buys him some high-end sippers for his growing collection. This time around it was Canadian Club 43 and this bottle. The bonus is he shares the bottles with the group so it’s win-win (for us at least). He’s a trooper!
The Distillery’s Story: “We are the SLOW BOURBON DISTILLERY. At Preservation we pot-distill in the smallest 1-3 barrel batches, Preservation Distillery and Farm is a hidden treasure in Bardstown, Kentucky, the official ‘Bourbon Capital of the World’. Something our family dreamed for over half a century, we are the first and only 100% pot-distilled producer in Nelson County, Kentucky’s Napa Valley for Bourbon. Are you Bourbon Hunting for Pot Distilled, Cask Strength, Single Barrel, Small Batch, Old Bourbon, Rare Whiskey, or Barrel Picks? You’ve found the right place.”
I can’t find anything about this particular line on the distillers site. I’m not sure why. Everything that i gathered is either from the bottle or from a 3rd party site. It was through 3rd party sites that say Rare Perfection is produced by Preservation Distillery that I note it here. On the bottle is says it’s “Rare Lot Canadian Whiskey Bottled By Rare Perfection Distillery”. All indiations are that this is sourced and aged in Canada put out under the Rare Perfection Distillery Brand even through they don’t claim it. Other news sources indicate the primary target for this brand is in the Japanese Markets.
Methodologies for Rating:
1. Dump it down the drain or regift it to someone you don’t care for.
2. This doesn’t even belong in a mixed drink. Use in case of an emergency.
3. It’s really not for me, but I heard some people like it.
4. Its only good when I’ve had too many and it’s decent in a mixer.
5. Average. Not bad, but not special.
6. Above average. Good to bring to an event and you wouldn’t expect any guff from it.
7. Buy two if you see it to make sure you have one on reserve.
8. Very Very good. Constantly a GREAT POUR.
9. Superb. If I were to drink this and only this from now on I’d be a happy person.
10. Perfection is impossible. But this really comes as close as you can possibly get.
Reviewer: David S
Click Image for About Us Page