Wild Turkey Rare Breed 112.8º
Before you start reading the wrong review, this is the 2015 Wild Turkey Rare Breed bottling, clocking in at 112.8 proof. For the current 116.8 proof, click here.
When I first started really diving into whisky, for whatever reason Wild Turkey was just too hot for me. It’s odd in retrospect - their mashbill doesn’t have the highest rye content, I wasn’t necessarily trying their highest proof stuff either, but for some reason the baking spice and oak spice always blew out my palate before I could really taste anything.
Then, one day, everything changed. It wasn’t the day I tried this, but it was a day. Suddenly, Wild Turkey was drinkable to me - the spice wasn’t overwhelming (if anything it was sweet!) and I was pulling all of those classic, delicious bourbon flavors out of it. I went right for the Wild Turkey 101 and, finding it sweet and sippable, promptly asked Robinson at the Whiskey Ward to pour me some of the Rare Breed.
Wild Turkey doesn’t put out proof bombs like the other major Kentucky distillers - Rare Breed and the occasional special release are the highest they go. And, in a weird coincidence, I ended up trying their “older” Rare Breed release before trying the new 116.8 proof one. It’s pretty good - I have a bottle of it - but I like the newer one better.
Wild Turkey Rare Breed 112.8º: Specs
Classification: American Bourbon
Origin: Wild Turkey Distillery
Mashbill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Proof: 112.8 (56.4% ABV)
Age: NAS
Location: Unknown
Wild Turkey Rare Breed 112.8º Price: Discontinued - 2015 only (Recent bottlings are 116.8 proof)
Wild Turkey Rare Breed 112.8º Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Amber, thin rim and legs.
Nose: Baking spice and a little vanilla. Another tight nose from Wild Turkey, though this could also be because it’s an older bottle. Creme brûlée appears after some air, pleasant oak creaminess and peaches.
Palate: More typical bourbon spices here, with plenty of fiery rye. Front of tongue spice fades to caramel custard, with a heavy feeling in the back of my throat. I like the spicy palate on this. Mouthfeel is oily, though not filling.
Finish: Short - way too short - vanilla and oak. Drops dead like its battery died.
Overall: A pleasant, if spicy, everyday sipper. These bottles can still be found relatively easily, especially on overseas sites, but to be honest I much prefer the newer, slightly higher proof Rare Breed.
Final Rating: 6.6
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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