Wild Turkey Rare Breed
Official Bottling| 58.4% ABV
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
A favourite rich and flavourful sipper
Stumbling distance
Sitting on my back deck with my buddy, Lou, is always a treat. I’ve known Lou for 30 years and we live roughly an hour and a half away from each other. Close enough to get together from time to time, but not close enough to hang out regularly.
Thirty years ago we lived in the same town within what we called ‘stumbling distance’. I’d like to say we’ve both grown up a bit but with peace and love directed to my ‘brother from another mother’, he‘s still a wild and rambunctious college guy in all but his physical being.
Lou swears like a sailor, uses the most immature-but-hilarious references, has a liver the size of Texas and he enjoys drinking. I love him to pieces, but when it comes to alcohol, I’m at a stage that would seem aligned with my age. I don’t drink for inebriation or to party hardy. Those days are long gone. I drink for taste. I sip and explore flavours. I try to discern layers. Meanwhile, Lou would just as soon do shots of any liquor followed up with a rebel yell.
When I created my whisky club, Lou was one of the first people I invited. His energy, genuine interest, and humour are infectious. That said, it’s been a challenge to teach Lou to stop, slowly nose a glass, reflect, sip, and reflect. His learning curve got off on a very Lou-like foot. For our second meeting, I sent out a blind flight of five introductory whiskies to members to not only gauge what flavour profiles each member prefers, but also to give the members an idea of the range of flavours and textures that even basic malts can bring. While some had previously been introduced to blended whiskies such as Johnnie Walker and Dewar’s, many of the members were relatively unfamiliar with blended or single malts, but all were interested in going down the rabbit hole.
The introductory flight consisted of Glenlivet 12, Deanston 12, Monkey Shoulder, Aberlour 12 and Ardbeg 10. The meeting was a hit, the discussion was raucous and filled with laughter - and also filled with appreciation for what they’d experienced. My club members couldn’t believe the range of flavours that all derive from water, yeast, barley and time.
And then, there was Lou.
This is a cut-and-paste of the text he sent me after receiving the box of samples and before the meeting – mind you, the box had clear instructions about how to set up the blind tasting, and how to go about doing it. Lou is an immediate charge forward type of guy, so he didn’t even look at the directions, evidently:
“Got real excited with the tasting, didn’t put on the stickers, got all excited, lost track of which is which, poured some more but forgot to clean the glasses. Bottom line, I’m pretty hammered and need more whisky”
So, that’s Lou. He’s come a long way. Over the past year and a half, I’ve managed to instil in him appreciation for slowing things down, being able to read a bottle label, understanding how whiskies are distilled and the differences between all types available.
He’s keen on doing his best with all of that, but his taste buds align perfectly with his demeanour. His lane is big and bold bourbons. He tries his best to appreciate quiet or nuanced single malts, but unless the single malts are peated or cask strength, single malts don’t register on his tongue. He seems to taste nothing but honey on single malts from the likes of Bladnoch, Glen Garioch and Bruichladdich.
However, give him a bourbon and he can peel the layers down like a pro. He’s much more discerning, critical, and accurate in his assessments of the bourbons he drinks. Really quite fascinating.
I’m Lou’s opposite. I’m a single malt guy and the vast majority of bourbons, to me, are of the same oak, vanilla, and caramel profile. However, I’m glad to say with the last five to 10 years of whisky boom, we now have many bourbon distillers focusing on building different layers of flavour. I’m starting to appreciate and familiarise myself with these new bourbons. In addition to last year’s Kentucky Tea Batch of Booker’s on my shelf, I now have a few interesting and varied bourbons that have impressed me.
Back to us sitting on the deck at dusk, reclining with feet up and cigars in hand. Lou, of course, wanted to know what we were going to drink. Trying to be polite he said he was thirsty, but then he barked: “Give me something good. Something with a mashbill. You know, bourbon? Not that stuff that tastes like honey.”
I brought out two healthy pours of Wild Turkey Rare Breed, we toasted to each other’s health and then Lou took a sip. He stopped. He didn’t speak. No sarcastic or caustic comments. No hoots or howls. He looked at the glass, muttered something about the liquid clinging to the glass, and then took another sip. After a few more moments, he simply closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
Review
Wild Turkey Rare Breed, Batch No. LL/KK092006, 2022/11/09, 58.4% ABV
US$51 paid. (£40)
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
A favourite rich and flavourful sipper
Nose
Cherries, plums, and vanilla. Baking spices and peanuts. Aromas of wheat and oat bread in the oven.
Palate
Flavours of cinnamon Graham Crackers and vanilla Nilla Wafers, red fruit and spice: Cinnamon, white pepper and nutmeg. Rich tobacco notes. The red fruits are the ripe cherries and plums from the nose. Toward the finish, building notes of sweet corn and mellow nuttiness come through with a slight reminder this is a barrel strength whiskey. The mouth coating is not to be overlooked: Nice and viscous. After a few sips there’s a warmth in my cheeks and back of my throat from the 58.4% ABV.
The Dregs
After his dram, Lou raved about this bourbon. We spent a long time on the deck and put a sizeable dent into the bottle. It was a great bourbon on a great night.
I almost didn’t pick this Wild Turkey up when I was at the store. That’s because I have an unfortunate visceral reaction to seeing Wild Turkey on a label. Basic 80 proof Wild Turkey and Jack Daniel’s were the two bottles in high school and college that were purchased to drink to get drunk. So, even though Rare Breed is Wild Turkey’s craft bourbon expression, just seeing those words and a picture of a turkey gives me pause.
But I’m glad I was able to see past it. As with other big producers of bourbon, Wild Turkey has turned out expressions with flavourful whiskey. Rare Breed – though it’s been around in other versions (see Kade Dubh’s April 2022 review of a Rare Breed purchased in 1998 as well as a comparison bottle from 2021), it’s been refined over the past five years or so. It’s a barrel strength flavour powerhouse comprising a blend of six, eight, and 12 year bourbons. For $50 USD, without doubt, this is a significant value proposition.
I was tempted to give this a seven out of 10. The flavours are solid and balanced, the price is right. I scored my Kentucky Tea Batch Booker’s a seven and that Booker’s is a bit better than this. It’s almost double the price, so that should give a nudge to the Rare Breed. I just can’t nudge the score up to a seven. I wish I could be more clear and descriptive why, but this is a high-tier six. This is a bottle that I will replace when finished.
When I reach for a bourbon, there are only a few that can carry the day for me. This is one of those bottles. It’s not something that makes me lose time when I sip it, but I do enjoy it. A good, solid pour when you have a bourbon itch to scratch.
And, it stopped Lou and his mouth smack in their tracks. So, it has something else to be said for it.
Score: 6/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. OS
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