Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof Bourbon Whiskey (700ml)

Rare breed, as the name suggests, is a unique bourbon experience. A marriage of Wild Turkey 6, 8 and 12 year olds, Rare Breed is 'barrel proof', meaning that it is bottled at barrel strength with no water added to lower the proof or dilute the flavour. Master Distiller, Jimmy Russell follows suit even after bottling - he keeps his Rare Breed in the freezer so he doesn't have to add ice, which would melt and ultimately dilute the flavour! Non-chill filtered.

Other reviews... A clever glass bottle, its roundness reinforcing the mouthfeel and character of the bourbon itself: one of the most rounded in all Kentucky. In some ways this whiskey is the blueprint for Bourbon: its characteristics embrace what we mentally define as Bourbon. - 95.5 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2023

Cotton candy, marshmallows roasting over an open campfire, baked apples, and cornbread batter start a whiskey that then offers hints of caramel apples, pumpkin pie, and roasted pecans. Water opens it up to more nuanced fruit, spice, and sweetness. Without water, brown-sugar butter dominates about mid-palate and leads to a long finish. Dilution makes this a completely different whiskey experience. 90 points - whiskyadvocate.com

...The nose is distinct with chocolate mint notes, baking spice, plenty of vanilla, and a bit of pepper. On the palate, it’s an awfully hot whiskey, which helps bring out more of the toasty wood notes alongside those almost candylike notes of sweetness. Water won’t hurt ya: It’s a big help in coaxing out notes of flambed banana, toasted marshmallow, and some coconut notes. The finish is a big one: Bursts of caramel sauce, milk chocolate, and a vanilla reprise. - drinkhacker.com

"The nose offers spice and spearmint, with vanilla sweetness hiding behind heat. The palate opens with brown sugar and vanilla, leading into burnt toast and char. Sultry smooth all the way through even with its hefty proof. Dry oak and spice come out on the finish with pine, mint, and the lingering rich sweetness of vanilla in myriad forms, think: vanilla frosting, pudding, and pound cake." - distiller.com

Gold Medal at the 2000 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Notes from the producer... Dark amber colour, indicative of the age of the blend, this offers a rich, deep, aromatic nose. Assertive with hints of light oranges, mint, and tones of sweet tobacco reminiscent of grandfather's pipe-bowl. Complex, full bodied palate, long, warm and nutty , lingering in the mouth with hints of hot peppers and well-toasted whole wheat bread, yet soft despite the power of the alcohol. One to be savoured.