Wild Turkey Rare Breed Small Batch Barrel Proof Review

Ask any random grouping of whiskey enthusiasts which butt-proof bourbon is their favorite and you're bound to hear Wild Turkey Rare Breed. Impressive, considering popular names like Booker'due south, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, and Stagg Jr. It wasn't always this style. Sure, Wild Turkey has long held its devoted fans and supporters, but a bulk of the bourbon-crazed population has merely recently opened their minds (and wallets) to Lawrenceburg's Finest. This is largely due to the attention granted by a new moving ridge of next-generation whiskey YouTubers, podcasters, and social media influencers. I hesitate to say bloggers, every bit blogging near seems like a dying art in the modernistic-day bourbon-sphere. Salvage for a small few, most of the whiskey bloggers I "grew up with" are gone. At least, they're no longer writing near whiskey regularly.

But delight don't have my observations the incorrect way. I'yard not saying Rare Breed, or even Wild Turkey itself, is a fad. It'due south no more of a fad than bourbon itself. I'grand but conveying the quality whiskey Wild Turkey produces has long been underrated and is only now getting its appropriate due. I never imagined a time when expressions like Rare Breed would exist allocated. However, hither we are. In some areas of the U.South., that'south unfortunately the case. Five years ago, you could easily find bottles of Rare Breed from the mid/late 2000s collecting dust on retail shelves. It may sound like a long time ago, but 2016 was well into the uptick of bourbon's 20-kickoff century blast. Present, many stores tin't keep freshly filled bottles of Rare Breed in stock. Times have definitely changed.

Speaking of freshly filled bottles and changing times, on a casual visit to my local liquor shop I picked up a 2021-dated Rare Breed bottle. Fueled by feverish marvel to gustation how the expression'south profile was holding up, I rushed dwelling to pop the cork and give it a cascade. And what do you know? It tasted like Rare Breed. 🙂 Only seriously, nothing incredibly unlike, though I did find a nuttier vibe than I recalled from past 116.8 batches. I typed upwards my outset-pour thoughts for Patreon and moved on with my evening.

Nonetheless, it haunts me. Is there a divergence – even if slight – betwixt 2020 and 2021 Rare Breed? There's only ane manner to know for certain and that requires a side-by-side tasting. Just, before I become to that (don't worry, it's coming), perhaps it's best I share my impression of 2021's Rare Breed 116.8 on its own.

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Wild Turkey Rare Breed (2021) – 116.8-proof KSBW – reportedly a alloy of six-, eight-, and twelve-yr, barrel-proof bourbon – distilled and bottled past the Wild Turkey Distilling Co., Lawrenceburg, KY

Tasted neat in a Glencairn subsequently a few minutes residual …

Colour: rich copper

Nose: English toffee, vanilla bean, brown sugar, charred oak, ripe orangish skin, nutmeg, baked apples & cinnamon, hints of woody-herbal spice

Taste: (flossy mouthfeel) nutty caramel, dense nougat, chocolate-brown sugar, dear-butter, warm citrus, vanilla cola, molasses, boozy sugariness tea

Terminate: long & comfortably warm ("signature Rare Breed") – salted caramel, pepper, maple chews, spicy oak, sassafras, leather, faint cinnamon & clove

Overall: This 2021 bottling is everything Rare Brood should exist – non a note more or less. In fact, this may be the all-time nose on any Rare Brood since the 2017 label transition. Information technology's loaded with dark toffee, brown sugar, baked fruit, sweet & savory spice, and the perfect caste of maple-esque oak char. It sips well under proof (dangerously so). Hell, it most warrants availability as liter and i.75 liter bottles. Wait – did I say "near?" Forget that! I'll clarify: We demand Rare Breed in liter and 1.75 liter bottles. At that place. Much meliorate.

Regardless of volume, Wild Turkey is boot 2021 off right with its latest run of Rare Breed. That is, January's is no slouch. I just hope I can continue to find it with ease, sans-premium. The list of once-available, once reasonably priced bourbons is seemingly shrinking by the day. While I wish Wild Turkey and the Russell family unit as of acclaim and success (it's well deserved and long overdue), I'd also like to keep drinking their whiskey without driving cross-state or skipping a mortgage payment.

Rating: four/5 🦃

I bet y'all thought I forgot nearly that comparison, didn't yous? Well, I'm pleased to report that this Jan 2021 Rare Breed is more like to my July 2020 bottling than I initially assumed. In that location are slight differences, though nothing impactful enough to claim a shift in general profile. If pressed for an assessment, I'd say this 2021 Rare Breed is sweeter on the nose, nuttier on the palate, and pushing a touch savory on the finish. The 2020 bottling seems to carry heavier char and "burnt" notes, especially on the nose and palate, though minimal in bearing overall.

All said and done, neither Rare Breed particularly stands out over the other; both are exactly what they should be – barrel-proof, "on-profile" Wild Turkey. Will it always be this way? Catchy question. Yes and no. With the launch of the new distillery in 2011, it'south highly possible – even likely – that Wild Turkey's profile will feel change. Unmarried-barrel expressions may display these sorts of traits more than others, as discussed back in January. Batched expressions of varying maturations should maintain their consistency year to year. If there are whatsoever changes of annotation, they should occur slowly. Besides, Wild Turkey 101 and 101 Rye take contained whiskey produced at the new distillery for years now. As far equally I'k concerned, those expressions, every bit well as Rare Brood, have only maintained quality or improved.

For now, let's just keep our fingers crossed that Wild Turkey can roll out plenty well-aged, affordable whiskey to go on us all satisfied. I'd detest to run into a day when Wild Turkey finds itself every bit scarce or insanely priced as Buffalo Trace products. Yes, it's easy to point a finger at the mania surrounding Buffalo Trace expressions (information technology'due south practically obligatory at this bespeak), simply facts are facts. It's fantastic whiskey if found and priced at its suggested retail toll. If not, there's enough of options (and I'm not just talking Wild Turkey). If I ever notice myself in a world where Wild Turkey becomes the new Buffalo Trace (shivers), delight put me back in the Matrix, Morpheus.

dj

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Source: https://rarebird101.com/2021/03/03/wild-turkey-rare-breed-116-8-2021/

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