Rare Hare Tempest 20 Year Old Tasmanian Whisky Finished in Port Casks
Rare Hare Tempest 20 Year Old Tasmanian Whisky Finished in Port Casks is an 84-proof (42% ABV, per brand/launch press — some retailers list 41%, so a bottle read settles it) 700mL twenty-year-old single malt whisky distilled in Tasmania by Hellyers Road Distillery, one of Australia's oldest distilleries. The spirit spent 17 years in standard-size American oak ex-bourbon casks — a deliberate shift from the small barrels typical of Tasmanian whisky — then finished for 3 years in port casks, for a full two-decade maturation. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 42% (84 proof) per brand press; some retailers list 41%
- Size: 700mL
- Age: 20 years — 17 years ex-bourbon casks + 3 years port-cask finish
- Distillery: Hellyers Road Distillery, Tasmania; locally sourced barley; pot-still distilled
- Brand: Rare Hare Spirits (Playboy Spirits — Plby Group + XL Ventures JV), launched 2024
- Origin: Tasmania, Australia
Twenty Years From the World's Edge
Tempest is a statement of ambition for Tasmanian whisky: two decades of maturation is rare anywhere, and the 17-plus-3 cask recipe — long ex-bourbon aging in full-size casks, then port wood — gives it an architecture few whiskies in its price tier attempt. Rare Hare Spirits, the Playboy Spirits joint venture, debuted it in 2024 as a flagship luxury bottling. Browse the Rare Hare collection and Del Mesa's single malts.
Tasting Notes
Deep and sherried in character: dried fig, plum, and dark cherry from the port finish over honeyed malt and oak — the ex-bourbon years giving vanilla and structure, the long maturation showing as polished leather and gentle tannin.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a tulip glass — a whisky of this age and price deserves full attention. A few drops of water will open the port-cask fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Rare Hare Tempest made?
Distilled by Hellyers Road Distillery in Tasmania, Australia, from locally sourced barley — not Canada, despite the listing's former type.
What is the age breakdown?
17 years in standard-size American oak ex-bourbon casks, then 3 years finished in port casks — 20 years total.
What proof is it?
84 proof (42% ABV) per the brand's launch press; a minority of retailers list 41% — the bottle settles it.
A two-decade Tasmanian statement — buy Rare Hare Tempest online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.