Wild Turkey Rare Breed
“Wild thing, I think I love you, but I wanna know for sure”
For us the Wild Turkey brand is as American as apple pie and baseball. The Ripy brothers opened their family distillery in 1869 at Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Rare Breed is a single barrel offering and has been around since 1991 (significantly longer than most other single barrels) and originally each release was identified by batch numbers but today the batch numbers have been dropped and each new release is denoted by its unique ABV percentage. The ABV’s have been between 54.2% and 58.4% and is regularly reported to be a blend of 6, 8 and 12 year old bourbons. As this is not actually confirmed anywhere, you are also unlikely ever to find out what percentage of each aged bourbon contributes to the finished product.
It may also be the first bourbon reviewed to which we can attribute phases on the palate when tasting. Spice, pepper, alcohol, heat and sweetness are delivered in that order. Initially a strong burst of alcohol with aromas of orange, cherry and marzipan. The nose is rich sweetness with a smoky/ash like creaminess. The heat and strength of the alcohol hits you very hard. As this fades it gives way to a sweetness which in turn is followed by a smoky finish.
Many reviewers note that today’s Rare Breed taste profile leans it more towards that of 6-8 year old whiskeys and that the contributions from the 12 year old barrels are very limited. Wild Turkey’s master distiller, Jimmy Russell, apparently prefers to drink this straight after it's been chilled in the freezer. Let’s just say we will take his word for it on that one!
Regular readers will know there is not a lot about the Wild Turkey brand that we don’t like, and they continue to increase their portfolio and excite us with their new releases. Wild Turkey Rare breed is without doubt an extraordinary whiskey. We would not suggest starting out with this as the first drink to start an evening with, but it would sit super well as a final night cap to be had at the end of a busy weekend.
