Old Cassidy Bourbon Batch A-025 Review
- Nick Anderson
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
“A nice blend of prediction and surprise seem to be at the heart of the best art.”
– Wendy Carlos
With rumors abound after its incredible inaugural launch through my friend Frank Dobbins, the Old Cassidy brand from Rare Character was ripe for speculation. With just one other single barrel coming through Unicorn Auctions in 2025, this remains the most mysterious brand from Rare Character, even with the likes of Brook Hill still making waves through the whiskey market. I got to taste Frank's single barrel at a tasting event with Pete and Pablo in Boston back in August of 2024. After one taste, I was fairly certain I knew where it was from. The hints are hiding in plain sight, right there on the front label.
After three individual tastings, I'm ready to give you the inside scoop on what my taste buds picked up on the A-025 batch of Old Cassidy Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Let's dive in on a review!
Company on Label: Bottled by Rare Character Whiskey Co., Lexington, KY
Whiskey Type: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed blend of Kentucky bourbon mash bills
Proof: 123°
Age: NAS, though there is a known 18 year bourbon base in the blend, likely with some 8-10 year barrels added in (this is my own speculation based on taste)
MSRP: $200
Further identification: Batch A-025 is the only batch from 2025 that I am aware of, though there was also another single barrel released for friends and family of Unicorn Auctions
Nose: Upon first pouring this, a big wave of bubblegum came wafting towards me. Bringing the glass to my nose after a bit of rest reveals almond, walnut, and delicate ambrosia fruit salad. A long, rolling inhale is full of an indistinguishable dried fruit medley bolstered by a bit of barrel funk. Light vanilla gives a good bit of Kentucky complexity, a nice find in this glass. I can't say I am immediately captivated by the nose here, but I'm curious enough to continue on for a taste. Coming back after a few sips pulls out aromas of simple, funky oak and crème brûlée. Late in the glass I still find myself befuddled by the rather muted nose compared to the palate, though if I dig, I can still find the light creamy vanilla and barrel funk with relative ease. The empty glass smells of a salted pretzel dunked in a bit of stone ground mustard, fading away before looping back into light sweet tart aromas.
Palate: My first taste is much bolder than the nose was suggesting. Big notes of ripe, black cherries and amaretto bloom into shimmering cinnamon and nutmeg. I find myself with an eyebrow raised, far more impressed on the palate than by the early aromatic introduction. Another small sip is complimentary and confirmatory: buttercream frosting, light cornflake sweetness, buttered cinnamon raisin bagel, and a long linger of salted caramel turn out wonderfully complex. A larger sip and swish are where I get a little lost as the flavors turn a bit metallic and convoluted; perhaps airy, small sips work best here. The mouthfeel is nice, not overly oily but coming across like a well-made vanilla syrup you might use in a latte. As I continue to work through the glass, a subtle development towards some more salty and savory characteristics occurs, trending out of the land of sweetness where we began. I find hints of roasted peanuts and creamy goat cheese before the cherry swings back in strong. Now drinking more like a cherry wine or cherry bounce cocktail, the booziness is beginning to build, showing off all 123 proof points while maintaining a silky safe mouthfeel that won't give you any burn. For my last taste I venture back into the larger sip territory to test the waters, but my qualm remains. The nuttiness that came around earlier is sharper, turning metallic again before settling into a medium-long linger filled with marzipan and goat cheese.
TL;DR: Sweet, fruit-forward Kentucky bourbon with a fun little evolution on the palate
Rating: 4/5
With how much whiskey I have had from both Barton and Wild Turkey through the years, the hallmarks of both distilleries are written all throughout this whiskey. There may be a third distillery blending component I haven't fully identified, perhaps Heaven Hill with that light vanilla and nutty characteristic, though Wild Turkey is also certainly capable of those two flavor realms all on their own. My best guess would be a two-distillery blend, an 18 year Barton component with some 8-10 year Wild Turkey barrels thrown in the mix. All that doesn't really matter, so long as the whiskey is drinking good, which this certainly is!
Overall, it's a really nice bourbon, one I am glad to have scooped up for $200 so that I could help steer folks in the right direction for their own palates. In the convoluted world of what feels like a new label every day, finding where to spend your hard-earned dollar is trickier than ever. Comparing this release to a great Russell's Reserve single barrel, I find a lot to love in both. While the Old Cassidy blend is going to be a little more dynamic and complex, a great single barrel is going to give you a clean and beautiful explosion of flavor at a cheaper entry point.
