Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon Whiskey

The Wild Turkey Rare Breed bourbon whiskey is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey distilled and bottled in Kentucky. In 1869, the Ripy Brothers built a distillery in Tyrone, near Lawrenceburg.

After Prohibition, they merged with the current facility and resumed distilling. The  Gould Brothers bought out the Ripys in 1952. Subsequently, Pernod Ricard bought the brand and the distillery in 1980.

The bourbon acquired its name in 1940 when a distillery executive called Thomas McCarthy grabbed a few sample bottles of  101-proof whiskey from the warehouse to take with him on a trip in South Carolina to hunt wild turkey.

The whiskey was such a hit with his friends; they repeatedly asked him to send them more of that “wild turkey bourbon.” The rest is history. The nickname became a famous brand, as Wild Turkey bourbon hit the shelves not long afterwards. The Wild Turkey label carries a vividly printed, seemingly engraved illustration of its namesake.

Wild Turkey Rare Breed is a “barrel-proof bourbon” (54.1% ABV), meaning it has no added water to lower the proof or dilute the bourbon after it’s been distilled. This Wild Turkey Rare Breed bourbon whiskey is a unique marriage of Wild Turkey 6 year old, 8 year old, and 12 year old stocks.  The Campari Group owns the Wild Turkey brand.

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Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon Whiskey Review

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 54.1%

COLOUR: Quite a dark colour, and the official description is dark caramel. The caramel theme pulls through in the rest of the bourbon as well.

NOSE: Lots of caramel notes mixed with sweet spice and woody oaks. The nose is rich and sweet and invites you to dive straight in. Hints of cinnamon and nutmeg mixed with vanilla and sweetness.

PALATE: Without water, this Wild Turkey is big and spicy. A bit of alcohol burn that softens and mellows after adding water. There is a distinctive sweetness to this bourbon that I have not tasted before.  Notes of burnt caramel, oak, cinnamon and pepper.

Water transforms this bourbon into a smooth, creamy, big mouthful glass of yumminess. Getting the whisky to water ratio right made all the difference. We had a 1:1 ratio (1 tot Wild Turkey Rare Breed: 1 tot water).

FINISH: Builds for a long time and end in pepper, nutmeg, oak and caramel sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It is a bold bourbon that satisfies. We could not resist a second glass. This Wild Turkey Rare Breed bourbon whiskey is sure to become one of my favourite bourbons. I can’t wait to try more from this American distillery.

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