Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Rich, Dried Fruits
2022-11-27
Since 1991, the Rare Breed has been part of the core range of the Wild Turkey distillery. The Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a blend of 6, 8 and 12 year old whiskeys, and gets bottled uncut.
The mashbill contains 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley - which leads us to expect a sweetish, slightly spicy whiskey. Like all bourbons, the Wild Turkey must also mature in a new, freshly burned out Virgin Oak barrel. The barrel was burned out to Char 4 level, also called Alligator Char. Char 4 is the highest char level.
Wild Turkey Rare Breed
Wild Turkey Rare Breed (@whiskyedition)
Kentucky Straight Bourbon | No Age Statement | 58,40 % ABV. | 47,00 €/l | Wild Turkey Distillery | produced in USA (Kentucky) | Whiskybase ID 213992

Smell

As usual for a bourbon, the Rare Breed opens with a slight smell of solvents which fades quickly. This is followed by a multi-layered aroma explosion of popcorn, blackberries, fruity cherry, caramel, sugar syrup (maple syrup), and a good portion of oak. Very well woven and integrated variety of flavors overwhelms at the first moment. At the second nosing after the first sip, additional citrus notes, black tea and even more intense caramel are perceptible.

Taste

Whoa. We've rarely experienced such sweet stickiness and chewy viscosity in a whiskey and also whiskey. Once the taste buds get used to the sweetness, rye and oak spice make the second impact. The third, very dry round is characterized by leather, tobacco and dried tangerine.

Finish

The finish is long, warming, dry and chewy - in a positive sense.

Thoughts

This dram is extremly viscous, almost like syrup. Despite the alcohol content of over 58%, the sweetness is - one almost has to say - easy to drink. We have a very intense Kentucky Straight Bourbon with depth in our glass.
The Rare Breed is an excellent introduction to high-level bourbons, although not suitable for whiskey beginners.

Rating: 86/100 - Excellent (Marcel: 83 | Sascha: 89)

Value for Money: 5/5 - Very Good

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Preview Image Source: The Whisky Exchange

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