Decoding Rare Character Whiskey: Complete Guide to Brook Hill, RCLR, Single Barrel Series & More

If you’ve ever stood in front of a shelf of Rare Character bottles – different wax colors, sub-brands, and obscure batch names – and thought “What on earth is all this?”, you’re not alone.

Rare Character has gone from pandemic-era upstart to one of the hottest American whiskey portfolios in just a few years, with Single Barrel Series, Brook Hill, RCLR, Exceptional, Old Cassidy, Pride of Anderson County and more all jockeying for attention. Some of these bottles already command serious money at auction and on the secondary market.

The problem? For most consumers (and plenty of retailers), the brand architecture isn’t obvious. There’s no neat annual release calendar, and some labels come and go.

This guide is here to fix that. We’ll break down the core Rare Character pillars, explain the special and limited lines, and show you how to shop the brand without getting overwhelmed.

Why Rare Character Feels So Confusing (and Why It’s Worth Caring)

Rare Character isn’t a traditional single-distillery brand. It’s a portfolio built around sourcing, selecting, and blending barrels from multiple producers, often with creative finishing or high age statements.

That flexible model is exactly what makes the whiskey exciting – but it also means:

• New labels and sub-brands can appear quickly.
• Some projects are one-offs or short runs.
• Not every bottle has a simple, “this comes out every fall” story.

So if you’ve ever tried to reconcile Brook Hill, RCLR, Single Barrel Series, Exceptional, Old Cassidy, Pride of Anderson County, Fortuna, Obliteration, Hurst Knoll, Curated Batch… and given up? Totally fair.

The good news: underneath the chaos, there actually is a logic. Let’s start with the four pillars that matter most.

The Four Core Pillars of the Rare Character Portfolio

These are the lines that define Rare Character for most drinkers.

Single Barrel Series – The Flagship Nerd Candy

What it is:
Rare Character’s Single Barrel Series (SBS) is the flagship line: unique single barrels of bourbon and rye selected for clubs, retailers, and bars. Each barrel gets:

• A barrel code that encodes mashbill, source, and barrel number.
• A colored wax top that loosely groups flavor profiles.
• Custom front label art for the picking group or account.

You’ll also see historical sub-lines like:

• Finishing Series – SBS barrels finished in unique casks.
• Native/Exotic Wood Series – SBS barrels finished in non-traditional woods (these have effectively sunset). 

How to think of it:
This is the playground. If you love hunting single barrels, comparing barrel codes, and chasing specific wax colors or distillate sources, Single Barrel Series is where you live.

RCLR – Small Batch for a Wider Audience

What it is:
RCLR (Rare Character Limited Release) is the small-batch line: blends designed to reach a national audience rather than just one store or club.

Key ideas:

• Built from multiple barrels blended to a specific profile.
• Batches change over time – there isn’t one “forever” recipe.
• Designed to be more widely available than one-off single barrels.

How to think of it:
If Single Barrel Series is hyper-specific and collector-driven, RCLR is the “grab-and-enjoy” expression: still geeky, but meant to be repeatable and accessible when you find it.

Brook Hill – The Flagship Ultra-Premium Line

What it is:
Brook Hill is Rare Character’s top-tier, black-label line. It resurrects a historic Kentucky brand name and repositions it as their answer to BTAC/Willett Family Estate/Pappy-tier whiskey, with Kentucky and Indiana bourbon and rye in the 6–20 year range.

Expect:

• Higher age statements (8+ years, with some very old releases). 
• Premium packaging and tight allocations.
• Pricing and secondary demand that reflect its “halo” status. 

How to think of it:
If you want to understand Rare Character’s ambitions at the top end, Brook Hill is the lens. It’s where they plant their flag in the “serious collectible bourbon and rye” territory.

Hurst Knoll – Cocktail-Focused Rye

What it is:
Hurst Knoll is a cocktail-focused Kentucky rye positioned around approachability and price (roughly in the ~$50 SRP lane).

Instead of being a hype monster or auction favorite, it’s designed to pour well in:

• Old Fashioneds and Manhattans
• Highballs and bar programs
• Everyday home mixing

How to think of it:
This is Rare Character’s workhorse rye – something bartenders and home cocktail nerds can lean on without feeling like they’re raiding their trophy shelf.

Special & Limited Lines Explained (The Stuff That Confuses Everyone)

Beyond those four pillars, there’s a rotating cast of special projects. Here’s how to make sense of them.

Exceptional Series (Incl. Malt & Wheated)

What it is:
The Exceptional Series is a line reserved for barrels that are, well, exceptional – unique options that don’t quite fit Brook Hill, but are too good to disappear into Single Barrel Series. Every bottle is at least 9 years old.

You’ll see:

• Exceptional Series Bourbon (including wheated variants)
• Exceptional Series Malt (often high-age Kentucky malt whiskeys)

How to think of it:
Imagine Pete and Pablo taste through inventory, find something special that doesn’t neatly fit Brook Hill’s identity, and decide: “This deserves its own lane.” That’s Exceptional.

Old Cassidy – High-End Batch Series

What it is:
Old Cassidy is a high-end batch line, effectively a sibling to Brook Hill but with its own identity and blend concepts. Think of it as carefully constructed batches using special parcels of whiskey that don’t wear the Brook Hill label.

How to think of it:
If Brook Hill is “black-label, ultra-prestige,” Old Cassidy is “high-end passion project batched whiskey” – still limited, still premium, but with its own personality.

Pride of Anderson County – Turkey-Adjacent Collaboration

What it is:
Pride of Anderson County is a collaboration brand built around Wild Turkey distillate, created with Turkey expert David Jennings (Rare Bird 101).

It has seen very limited releases and, at times, has been paused due to brand/ownership dynamics, but the concept is clear: Kentucky straight bourbon and rye from Lawrenceburg’s most famous hill.

How to think of it:
This is Rare Character’s love letter to Wild Turkey – and the auction prices show how loudly the market has responded.

Fortuna & Fortuna Barrel Proof – On Hiatus, But Important

What it is:
Fortuna was Rare Character’s second product line, a revival of a historic “dead” brand name, released as a sourced and blended bourbon. Later, Fortuna Barrel Proof dialed things up for enthusiasts.

Today, Fortuna is on hiatus, but it matters for understanding the portfolio because it was one of the first proof-of-concepts that Rare Character could revive heritage labels and make them relevant again.

Obliteration – Ultra-Limited, One-Off Unicorn

What it is:
Obliteration is essentially a personal single barrel project from founder Pablo Moix – a hazmat-level bourbon with only 36 bottles – and one of Rare Character’s rarest and most hyped releases.

How to think of it:
Not a “line” you’ll track like RCLR or Brook Hill. More like a legend in the lore – the kind of bottle that shows up in auction stories and message-board flexes.

Maple-Finished Ryes & Bourbons – Sunsetted Experiments

What it is:
You may have seen Rare Character maple cask finished bourbon and rye on shelves or in photos. These were intended as small-batch releases but at times got treated like picks and special barrels.

They’ve effectively run their course – part of an experimental arc that informed where the portfolio should (and shouldn’t) go next.

Curated Batch – Custom Small Batches with Bands & Key Accounts

What it is:
Curated Batch started as an idea to collaborate with bands and musicians – small batches with custom art, separate from RCLR. Over time, this evolved into custom small batches for select long-time accounts, also with bespoke label art.

How to think of it:
It’s a bridge between Single Barrel Series and RCLR: more than a single barrel, but still deeply tied to a specific group or account, with a heavy emphasis on creativity and relationships.

So… Is There a Rare Character Release Schedule?

Short answer: no fixed cadence.

Unlike seasonal limited editions that drop every fall, Rare Character’s release rhythm is driven by:

• Distributor demand (markets asking for more product).
• Inventory reality (what barrels are ready and compelling).
• Strategic timing for new lines or collaborations.

In other words:

• Single Barrel Series happens when clubs, retailers, and bars select barrels.
• RCLR batches appear as blends come together.
• Brook Hill, Exceptional, Old Cassidy, Pride of Anderson County, Curated Batch appear when the team believes the whiskey is ready and the story makes sense.

From a consumer’s perspective, it can feel chaotic. From the brand’s side, it’s portfolio building on fast-forward.

How to Shop Rare Character Without Getting Overwhelmed

Instead of trying to track every label, use this simple framework:

1. Pick Your Use-Case First

• Top-shelf, special-occasion sipping?
  Look for Brook Hill, Old Cassidy, and select Exceptional Series releases.
• Daily drinker or sharable “wow” bottle?
  Target RCLR and well-reviewed Single Barrel Series.
• Cocktail workhorse?
  Reach for Hurst Knoll rye or more approachable SBS barrels.

2. Use Wax Colors & Barrel Codes as Tools, Not Homework

If you’re deep in the Single Barrel Series rabbit hole, wax colors and barrel codes help you chase similar flavor profiles and distillate sources.

If you’re not that geeky? Don’t stress. Focus on:

• Age statement
• Style (bourbon vs rye)
• Trusted picker (club, retailer, or bar you align with)

3. Start With One Line and Build From There

A simple progression might look like:

1. Try RCLR to get a feel for the house style.
2. Grab a Single Barrel Series pick from a retailer or club whose palate you trust.
3. Trade or hunt your way to Brook Hill or Exceptional once you know Rare Character is your lane.

4. Lean on Clear, Honest Retailer & Club Communication

Because Rare Character’s portfolio moves quickly and evolves often, good retailers and whiskey clubs are your best filter:

• They can tell you where a bottle sits in the hierarchy.
• They can give real-world tasting impressions beyond label copy.
• They can warn you when something is more experimental than “sure bet.”

Final Thoughts – Portfolio Building in Real Time

Rare Character isn’t following the slow, linear path that big Kentucky distilleries did decades ago. Instead, they’re building a modern whiskey portfolio in real time:

• Multiple sub-brands
• Fast iteration
• Aggressive single barrel and small-batch programs
• A willingness to launch and sunset labels as they learn

For drinkers, that can be confusing – but it’s also part of what makes the brand so fascinating. Once you understand the four core pillars (Single Barrel Series, RCLR, Brook Hill, Hurst Knoll) and how the special lines (Exceptional, Old Cassidy, Pride of Anderson County, Fortuna, Obliteration, Curated Batch, maple finishes) plug in around them, the whole ecosystem starts to click.

If you’ve bounced off Rare Character before because it felt like too much, consider this your map. Start with the line that matches how you drink, then explore outward. The bottles may be complex – but your shopping strategy doesn’t have to be.