Review #393 - Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye
The sister product to Wild Turkey's ever-popular Rare Breed Kentucky Straight Bourbon, this is their Rare Breed Rye. This is the barrel-proof version of their rye whisky, coming in at 56.1% ABV (112.2 proof), significantly higher than widely-available 101 proof rye.
There's no age statement on the bottle or website, but this is thought to be a blend of rye barrels in the 4 to 8 year range; it's also a 'barely legal' rye whisky, with a rye grain proportion of about 51% of the total mashbill. While a lot of the specs are quite similar to that of the Rare Breed bourbon, this rye does have one advantage - the standard version isn't chill filtered, while the US-version of the Rare Breed bourbon is.
Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye
USA - Rye
Current Locally Available Price: USD 70 (2024)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 56.1% ABV
Details: Not chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 17 months; bottles at 60%, 60%, and 60% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: This is interesting - a few different facets. Some spice - lots of menthol and mint, dill, anise, black pepper. Plenty of herbal notes, and oak is strong, adding hints of barbecued wood and brown sugar, maybe molasses. In the background, we found earthy scents, as well as cola; with time, we smelled rhubarb pie, apple cider vinegar, and dried orange rind across our tastings. Good mix of fruit, spice, and oak.
Palate: Nice and warming, with a medium-thick mouthfeel. Plenty of sweetness from brown sugar, cherry candies, and mint gum; that's balanced by spices like anise, cinnamon, menthol, and a hint of bitter amaro. Nice herbal flavors like dill and rosemary... in the end, more sharp menthol and medium oak.
Finish: Subtle notes of earth and perfume, some candied strawberry, but this is more dominated by brown sugar and anise spice. The texture is nice, and it's still warming, though not overpowering; orange rind, menthol, tannins, and hints of savory grains round out the profile. It's a medium-long finish.
Final Note: We enjoyed this rye quite a bit - the profile was different across our tastings, leading to lots of detailed notes. A great mix of sweetness, spices, herbs, and oakiness - this is complex and takes time to dissect. The strength also allows it to pack plenty of punch, and the texture is great.
Value is decent, as well - while this isn't a cheap rye, coming in between $60 and $70, it justifies that price in our minds.
Our Average Rating: 7.3 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.36
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
