Photo Credit: Jonathan Rabon

A picture surfaced on social media today of the highly anticipated Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye Whiskey. This latest addition to the Rare Breed lineup was seen in the hand of one lucky consumer. Immediately following the first sighting of the new Master’s Keep 17 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon, this image is the first I have seen surface of the latest Wild Turkey line extension.

Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof Rye is a Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey bottled at 112.2 proof and non-chill filtered. According to Eddie Russell, “it will be a blend of 4, 6, 8 and 12 year old rye.” He continued saying “I never put rye on the high floors for aging, and that’s why the proof doesn’t get super high.”

Rare Breed was first released in 1991, and Wild Turkey fans have been seeking out their affordable and available barrel proof offering ever since. Rye whiskey has been taking the market by storm, and when this high proof beauty was announced by Wild Turkey, whiskey enthusiasts across the globe were extremely excited. For me personally, this release is one of my most highly anticipated new whiskeys of 2020.

Distribution footprint is currently unknown, but given Wild Turkey’s track record, I am anticipating all parts of the country will be able to find this new rye offering. For 90% of us, we can walk into the liquor store and pickup Rare Breed Bourbon off the shelf. I predict this will also be the case for the Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye in due time. MSRP will be slightly higher than it’s bourbon counterpart at ~$60. I was told this bottle was purchased in Portland, Oregon for $59.99.

Jonathan Rabdon, owner of the new bottle was kind enough to provide a brief review of his initial impressions:

Neck Pour notes for Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof Rye. Non-chill Filtered 112.2 Proof (56.1% abv)

• Color: Light amber color, viscous, coats the glass well. Legs were slow to form and the cascaded reluctantly.
• Nose: Caramel, mint, sage, black pepper, green apple peal, Bartlett pear, leather, green tea, milk chocolate, and graphite.
• Palate: Warming spices hit initially with waves of cinnamon followed by black pepper. Silky and coating mouthfeel with sweet caramel throughout.
• Finish: long, transitions to spice, leather, and green tea. I rather enjoy it thus far.

I don’t know about all of you, but I could not be more excited to finally see this whiskey is on its way! Given my recent affinity for rye whiskeys, this is one I will not pass on picking up. Are you all excited to see Rare Breed Rye finally hitting shelves?