Month 11 - Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Wild Turkey Rare Breed
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Country: United States of America
Region: Kentucky (Lawrenceburg: 38.0386N, -84.851W)
Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Strength: 58.4% ABV (116.8° Proof)
Color: Natural Color
Filtration: Non-Chill Filtered
Maturation: Unknown Age (Wild Turkey verbally claims a mix of 6, 8, and 12 years) all in 100% New Charred Oak
Price: $42.99 (Total Wine)

Overview

Could there be any other whiskey to send in November!? Yes, it is cliched; yes, it is close to the nose; and yes, it could even be deemed cheesy, but I adore just about everything regarding Wild Turkey.

While the name Jim Beam is synonymous with bourbon, it is a name several generations removed from the present day and as such has transcended into bourbon mythology. What makes Wild Turkey so endearing is that it also has a mythological name associated to its bourbon, but this person is very much alive and still actively making whiskey.

Jimmy Russell's first day of employment at the Anderson County/Boulevard Distillery in Tyrone Kentucky was September 10, 1954. Thirteen years later, Jimmy was named Master Distiller. As of this writing, sixty-four years after his first day, Jimmy Russell is still Master Distiller at that same distillery, though today it is known as the Wild Turkey Distillery. If you were to ever ponder how Wild Turkey came to be a globally known and respected whiskey, it can be said, completely free of hyperbole, that Jimmy Russell deserves a significant amount of credit for Wild Turkey's success. That success, as most great success stories are, was anything but a sure thing. In fact, its roots lie in the most humble of beginnings - a grocer's generic store brand.

Through the late 1800s into the early 1900s, the Austin, Nichols & Co. was the largest grocery wholesaler in the world. After prohibition however, the grocery industry began to change and Austin Nichols entered into wine and spirit distribution as a means to diversify. By the 1940s, the Woolworth Brothers 'five and dime' concept changed the dry goods wholesale model to such a degree that Austin Nichols decided to exit grocery wholesale entirely and focus on wine and spirit distribution exclusively.

Seeking a generic 'house' brand of whiskey to offer alongside, but at a lower price than name-brand whiskeys, Austin Nichols devised their own whiskey brand - Wild Turkey - and began shopping around Kentucky for barrels of bourbon to purchase and bottle.

The first bottling of Wild Turkey 101 whiskey hit store shelves in 1942 and was a respectable success year after year. Wild Turkey's success became so dependable that in the 1970s, Austin Nichols decided it was in their best interest to shift from bourbon purchaser to bourbon producer. Their first stop - the distillery that had produced the vast majority of the whiskey Austin Nichols had purchased to sell as Wild Turkey - the Anderson County/Boulevard Distillery in Tyrone Kentucky. And so, in 1971, the Anderson County/Boulevard Distillery became the Austin Nichols Distillery and subsequently the Wild Turkey Distillery and with it, Jimmy Russell whose sole marching order was to not change anything,  'just keep doing what your doing and keep your bourbon the same'.

With historical context, it is amazing to think of the Wild Turkey story. When someone orders and enjoys a Wild Turkey, they do not think they are procuring a generic store brand. They don't think they are ordering a well spirit offered at happy hour prices. They are ordering Wild Turkey and Wild Turkey is a legend thanks very much in part to Jimmy Russell's standard of excellence and continuing to produce whiskey the way he was taught by his predecessors. Jimmy transformed the Austin Nichols Wild Turkey from a generic brand to an icon.

In 1980, Austin Nichols sold the Wild Turkey Distillery to Pernod Ricard who in turn sold the distillery to the Campari Group in 2009. Though ownership has changed, Jimmy has not. In 1981, Jimmy's youngest son - Eddie Russell - joined the distillery but not as a distiller, no Jimmy started his son at the bottom of the ladder so to speak. Cutting grass, rolling barrels, cleaning the vast expanse of the operation. Eddie quite literally worked his way up the chain and ultimately became warehouse and maturation manager overseeing all the barrels of Wild Turkey whiskey as they aged. In 2015, Eddie was named Master Distiller when it was thought that Jimmy was retiring. Funny thing about retirement, Jimmy never quite got the memo on that and lo and behold he continued to show up for work each day. And so today, when you visit Wild Turkey, you will learn that they have not one, but two Master Distillers, a father-son combo, both of whom are members of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of fame and as of this year have a combined one hundred and one years of experience working at the Wild Turkey Distillery.

I have often thought of Jimmy Russell as one of the 'Big Four' of bourbon. He along with Booker Noe (Jim Beam), Parker Beam (Heaven Hill), and Elmer T. Lee (Buffalo Trace) helmed their respective distillery during the extremely difficult period between the late-1970s and 1980s, when bourbon was out of fashion and sales were correspondingly low. Each resisted the urge and common marketing ploy to dumb their bourbon down by altering their product and offering a light whiskey, a flavored whiskey, or a significantly proofed-down whiskey. These four legendary whiskey producers not only resisted that trend, they embraced the exact opposite trend - they focused on better, more premium, and more costly offerings. As a result, when the bourbon resurgence began in the late 1990s, all four of their respective distilleries were well-placed with a dedicated, fervent fanbase eager to spread word-of-mouth advertising to the legions of new bourbon fans.

While I am typically quite cynical about corporate-produced sentimentality, I can't help but pass along an official Wild Turkey video about Jimmy Russell. It is an odd thing, despite never meeting Jimmy or Eddie, whenever I think of them, read an interview with them, or watch a video about them, I feel as though they are family members. I have no explanation for this and that warm feeling I have towards them continues on, both literally and figuratively, when I enjoy their whiskey.

Speaking of their whiskey, both Wild Turkey 101 and Russell's Reserve 10-year are mandatory residents on my whiskey shelf. Both represent tremendous quality and value and are readily available year-round. Month 11's Rare Breed is one of the few barrel proof offerings from Wild Turkey. Unlike Month 10's Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof, Wild Turkey's barrel proof comes in at a paltry (sarcasm intended) 58.4% alcohol, around 8% less than Jack. One contributing factor to the lower proof is Wild Turkey barrels their whiskey at a lower proof than the legally-allowed maximum of 62.5%. While their specific barreling proof is not public knowledge, Wild Turkey has verbally stated distillate goes into the barrel at 53.5% to 57.5%. Lower proof at the beginning of maturation can yield lower proof at the end of maturation (for completeness and a fair counter-point, some whiskeys, particularly those aged in the upper levels of rickhouses can gain proof as more water evaporates out of the barrel than in the lower levels). Every couple of years, Wild Turkey will update their Rare Breed batching, resulting in a different bottling proof, but rest assured, Rare Breed is always bottled without the addition of any water. Remember, it's always turkey time when the kickn' chicken is nearby; gobble 'til you wobble my fine malt mates and bourbon buddies.

Tasting Notes

Courtesy of RareBird 101: https://rarebird101.com/2017/08/27/wild-turkey-rare-breed-116-8-2017/

Group Impressions

Since being named Master Distiller at Wild Turkey, Eddie Russell has talked about how his preference in taste profile is different than his father's taste profile. Eddie tends to prefer a sweet bourbon accentuated by spice whereas Jimmy tends to prefer a spicy bourbon accentuated by sweetness. In the Wild Turkey lineup, 101, Rare Breed, and Kentucky Spirit are 'Jimmy's' products whereas Russell's Reserve and Master's Keep are 'Eddie's' products. With this in mind, imagine my delight in reading the near-universal impression noting the spirit's prevalent spice, so prevalent in fact, that many thought this could very well be a rye whiskey and not a bourbon. The operative word there is 'could' as no one was quite convinced enough to conclusively declare so. Fantastic job to all, because that is precisely Wild Turkey's intent - a bold, spicy bourbon.

Not only did everyone pick up on the high-proof of this sample, but more impressively, that this month's sample was not quite the Mike Tyson uppercut of proof that last month's was. Also near-universal was the notion that Rare Breed benefited from a bit of dilution, either via ice or a splash of water, though there were a few brave souls that said it was just fine as is. Brilliant!

Thanks to all for another fantastic month. Eleven down, one to go... or perhaps not!

Jonathan Quayle Higgins
Appearance
Dark amber. Nice slow legs

Nose
Vanilla, caramel, and cinnamon. Spearmint after some time in the glass. Some honey after the addition of water.

Taste
Strong alcohol at first. More spice than sweet. Some charred oak, but the wood is not dominant at all, more like a lingering backdrop to the sip. A lovely mouthfeel, the spice continues through the sip, sweetness is present at the very tail-end of the sip, but make no mistake, this is the spice’s party.

Finish
Medium length with the spice continuing to rule the roost. There is sweetness here, but if I had to assign a ratio, it is 75% spice to 25% sweet. The finish is not drying at all, amazing considering Rare Breed does have some decade-old plus bourbons in it.

Overall
I learned quite a bit while gathering my impressions for Rare Breed. Most importantly, I learned this whiskey was more enjoyable as a second or third pour in a tasting. For the record, my pour-size when documenting impressions is ~3/4 ounce, so that I do not get blasted. Regardless, when Rare Breed was sampled first, I tended to not enjoy it as much as when I had sampled a few other bourbons before Rare Breed. Perhaps my palate had to be broken in; perhaps the pre-bourbons helped open my mind to experience the entirety of Rare Breed. Or perhaps like most things after feeling a bit of a buzz, everything became warmer and more snuggly. Regardless, in the Wild Turkey lineup, Rare Breed is unique in this aspect; I can enjoy 101 and Russell’s Reserve 10-year whether it is the first pour of the night or the last.

I did taste both Rare Breed and 101 side-by-side. The similarities really were staggering. Bravo to Wild Turkey in their batching, because those two whiskeys were amazingly close to each other in both smell and taste. 101 has just and I do mean JUST a bit of grainy astringency to it; could be placebo, but it does lend credence to the idea that Rare Breed has an overall older makeup of whiskey. Unsurprisingly, Rare Breed’s nearly 8% more ABV helped up the spirit’s punch, but I can’t say the improvement justifies the price premium over 101.

The more time I spent with Rare Breed, the more I liked it. This is not a casual bourbon. This is not a turn-your-brain-off bourbon. This bourbon forces you to be an equal-partner in the experience. While I may not always keep a bottle on my shelf, that point may be moot as I would only reach for this bourbon when I am in a contemplative mood with plenty of time to spend engaged in this whiskey’s experience.

Waldo Norris
So this one got me this month, mostly because It was so different in the way that it hit me, that I'm not sure what it is.  Because of my limited experience I am leaning on a slightly uneducated guess.

So here it goes.

Visual
Light copper color with a slight small legs

Smell
Smells of cooked peaches and vanilla and creme brulee

Taste
Not what I was expecting from a sweet smelling nose. This has a strong spice to it, with apples, the flavor of this mellows very quickly after the initial bite and leaves a small zip on the tongue. I'm not sure if I prefer this style of whiskey, I tend to like the mellow and subtle notes of the spice, but because this calms so quickly, and tames completely under ice, I can say this is a good sipping drink.

So here it goes.. my guess.  I am going to say this is a Rye. Not sure why, as I do not believe I have enough to know one versus the other, but this feels different than a bourbon and certainly than a scotch. And just because I am feeling like a good Turkey may have something to do with it, i'll toss in another completely off the wall guess and say it's a Wild Turkey Rye... what would Thanksgiving be without a little turkey.

Apollo
This month's whiskey had a nice dark brown color and very slow-forming legs. To me, the smell was rather sweet with a touch of spice and caramel.

When sipping it neat it felt thick on the tongue and had lots of tingle. It had more of an alcohol burn than usual, so I suspect this was another higher proof sample. It didn't seem quite as a powerful as last month's barrel-strength offering, but it was still pretty strong. I didn't find it all that enjoyable neat, so I tried it with a couple of ice cubes. That definitely helped bring out the flavor which, like the smell, reminded me of sweetness and caramel.

If I had to guess, I think I would call this one a bourbon in the 90 to 100 proof range. It wasn't bad with a few ice cubes, but I don't think I would go looking for it again. It seemed too sweet for my tastes.

Keoki
Novembers offering was much different than the previous month.  Where last month burned the nostrils, this months was much more mellow.

As always, I tasted this batch neat. Maybe I'm getting used to bourbons--or maybe this me was different---but the bourbon this month didn't seem as sweet as some of the earlier months has been.

The sweetness was there, but it didn't overpower the overall taste of the drink. It had good balance. I feel like we've been offered highly sweet and highly abv batches, but in my opinion this is a good balancing act.

It actually didn't smell as bourbon-y as some of the others---maybe it's not bourbon?  Hmmm.

Also, where previous months I has to take my time drinking the offerings, this month was much easier to sip. I'd call this a social whiskey---not trying to show how tough you are by drinking something highly potent---or peaty (which I prefer).

I'd like this on my shelf.

Carol Baldwin
Appearance
Golden Amber color

Smell
Primarily alcohol; wood, maple

Taste
Strong alcohol burn , followed by wood and a mellowing maple flavor, strong astringent finish

Finish
Sharp and lingeringly astringent.

General Thoughts:
An American whiskey. Neat first impression- there is a strong alcohol burn first, followed with sharp woody notes, and some mild maple undertones. It has a very very astringent finish. Tried adding some ice and it mellowed the experience a bit, however the flavor profile remained generally the same- strong alcohol forward, with mild woody  maple tones, then immediately going into the very strong astringent finish that lingers on the palate. For some reason while testing this, I picture a cowboy of the Old West sidling up to the bar and asking the barkeep for a shot, then throwing it back in one go, grimacing hugely, and then plunking the shot glass on the bar with a flourish.

Admiral Hawkes
OK, so after many months of the taste-and-reveal, we’ve uncovered some tendencies of our fearless leader. Yes, he is subject to matching the sample with the season. So I expected Wild Turkey in November, the question was which one would it be, and which label in the WT family? Upon twisting the top off the bottle and having a first whiff I suspected bourbon, a reasonable assumption if we are talking Turkey.

I had a first taste neat and felt that it was a high proof bourbon, and didn’t return for a second taste for 10 days.  On the second taste, I had to reconsider. What I thought was heat felt more like spice, which led me to think we were sampling rye. The aroma was what tricked me. There was that bourbon signature, but a lot of sweetness, even a fruitiness. It seems that many ryes are what are known as “barely legal”, i.e. 51% rye with the rest mostly corn. So I was locked in on barely legal rye.

The finish seems hot as noted above, but in actuality, it was really a spice kick, similar to a Zinfandel or Syrah wine.  Peppery, a bit of Big Red gum, and actually quite smooth after it goes down. This was a pleasant drinker.  Guessing it may yet be 100+ proof, but could just as easily be the 80. So is it Wild Turkey, or perhaps Russell’s Reserve? Not sure, but it is a dram worth being thankful for.