Rare Breed Rye
Wild Turkey · Wild Turkey Distillery
Wild Turkey's Rare Breed Rye is a barrel-proof statement that channels the distillery's signature robust style into a rye framework. It has the kind of rough-hewn character that rewards a patient pour — add a few drops of water and the cherry and caramel notes bloom. An excellent value for its proof and complexity.
Kit Aromas
Nose
Immediate rye spice — cracked black pepper and dried caraway — layered over caramel and toasted oak. There's a surprisingly sweet undercurrent of vanilla and baking spices that deepens with time in the glass.
Palate
Full-bodied and assertive, with rye grain front and center, followed by charred oak and butterscotch. A touch of leather and dark cherry emerges mid-palate, held together by a viscous, almost chewy texture.
Finish
Long and warming with lingering rye spice, charred wood, and a faint echo of maple sweetness. The proof carries heat but never burns.
- Mash Bill
- 51% Rye, 37% Corn, 12% Malted Barley
- Barrel Type
- New charred American oak (Level 4 char)
- Bottled in Bond
- No
- Single Barrel
- No
- Wheated
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
Rough Manhattan — 2 oz Rare Breed Rye · 1 oz sweet vermouth · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · Stir over ice, strain into a coupe, garnish with a Luxardo cherry.
Food Pairing
Smoked brisket with a black pepper bark
Blended from hand-selected barrels at the Wild Turkey Distillery on the Kentucky River palisades by master distiller Eddie Russell, continuing a family tradition his father Jimmy began over sixty years ago.
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