I recently stumbled upon a bottle of Wild Turkey Rare Breed bourbon at a friend’s house and had to ask for a sample. Rare Breed is a limited run made from a combination of 6, 8, and 12 year Wild Turkey batches. It’s dubbed ‘barrel proof’ meaning it goes straight from the barrel to the bottle without being watered down. That said, it packs quite a punch at 108 proof.
First off, I have to admire how Rare Breed is so meaty that it sticks to the inside of my tumbler. The nose was mostly alcohol, but I managed to pull out some subtle scents of tobacco and leather.
On the tongue, Rare Breed is bold and peppery. There is a dryness with subtle flavors of nutmeg and oak from the start. As it mellows, I get some decent orangey sweetness combined with brown sugar on my palette. It finishes crisp, with a warm and comforting burn lingering in my belly for several minutes. Even with a few ice cubes, I was quite impressed with how well it holds up.
I like the complexity and totally respect the product, but have to admit that Rare Breed is a bit bold for my taste. Enthusiasts of a lot of burn will really appreciate this one.
