Kentucky Spirit or Rare Breed?

[sob0728]

I am going to go higher end WT today. Should I go with the KS for $37.99 or the RB for $29.99? Any suggestions or thoughts?

[Bmac]

I have often wondered this before I ever joined the board. I mostly read through Bourbon Enthusiast.com's tasting enough to determine that both are very different. Therefore calling one over the other is tough.

KS is a "single barrel product" that based on other reports, has been getting steadily younger, hotter and with more edges. So, if you can find the pewter or dark top...go for that.

Rare Breed is a barrel strength product. I have no idea on it's age. Personally, I have been leaning towards getting that because it offers more value in terms of experience. You can cut this to various proofs and enjoy it so many different ways. With KS...you're more limited.

That's my take on it. My vote is Rare Breed....unless you can get a dusty of KS.

[tommyj1986]

I've had a couple newer bottling of KS and its good, but if I recall correctly I liked the RB more myself as well.

[jburlowski]

RBI without a doubt. KS is, sadly, a shadow of its former self.

[unclebunk]

I've rarely found that the extra money for the KS was worth it. Rare Breed has consistently delivered good quality for me, so that's where I'd head if given the choice. Either way, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

[JayMonster]

I am going to go higher end WT today. Should I go with the KS for $37.99 or the RB for $29.99? Any suggestions or thoughts?

If I could get Rare Breed at $30, it would probably be my everyday pour.

[sob0728]

Well, that makes it easy. Thanks guys.

[Brisko]

Late to the party, but) is the way to go.

[ebo]

Personally, I don't think KS is any better than RB... just a little different. RB is my choice, for no other reason than price. Both are worth having.

[cigarnv]

Rare Breed for me...

[fricky]

No contest. Rare Breed is my favorite of the 2.

[kyrocklover]

Another vote for Rare Breed.

[spinningrecords]

I like them both but give the nod to RB.

[Bmac]

Wow, that is the most concensus I have seen about one product over another. I think that seals the deal for me too. I suspect my next purchase will be RB.

Thanks for making this thread!

[thezenone]

I actually disagree with most people on this forum regarding this topic, I like KS better than RB. In fact I ended up trading my bottle of RB for some Johnnie Walker Double Black, which was a steal IMO. I thought the bottle of RB I had recently was lacking in flavor and depth. Both the KS and RB were recent releases. For the money I'd rather have OWA than either KS or RB, so take that for what it's worth.

[trumpstylz]

RB. Just more interesting. And the ages are on the bottle- 6, 8, and 12 year (but we have no idea what percent each one makes up).

[Bourbon Boiler]

WTKS is one of my go-to's. If you get a dark top, it's a no-decision. I'd still prefer the light top to RB on sheer quality, but the WTRB is probably the better value.

[Clavius]

Rare Breed. I love the barrel proof bourbons.

[Roadsaw]

Rare Breed just beats out KS for me.

[ratcheer]

I prefer Kentucky Spirit for those times when I want a really special drink, such as when I have an old friend over, whom I have not seen in a long time. To me, KS is a very elegant pour. On the other hand, all of my bottles of KS are fairly old, maybe 10 years or so, and I have no idea how they compare to the more current bottlings. Mine are superb.

That said, I also really enjoy Rare Breed, just on different sorts of occasions. I like Rare Breed when I want something better than an everyday pour. For some reason, I like RB as a large drink, which to me is about 2 1/2 oz over a nice pile of fresh ice cubes. Heaven in a glass!

Tim

[unclebunk]

I prefer Kentucky Spirit for those times when I want a really special drink, such as when I have an old friend over, whom I have not seen in a long time. To me, KS is a very elegant pour. On the other hand, all of my bottles of KS are fairly old, maybe 10 years or so, and I have no idea how they compare to the more current bottlings. Mine are superb.

That said, I also really enjoy Rare Breed, just on different sorts of occasions. I like Rare Breed when I want something better than an everyday pour. For some reason, I like RB as a large drink, which to me is about 2 1/2 oz over a nice pile of fresh ice cubes. Heaven in a glass!

Tim

[B1bomber]

Where does one get Rare Breed under $30? I seldom see it below $45 here in NJ, most of the time it hovers around $50. And KS is usually in that same bracket, $45 or so.

[JayMonster]

Where does one get Rare Breed under $30? I seldom see it below $45 here in NJ, most of the time it hovers around $50. And KS is usually in that same bracket, $45 or so.

Every Shop-Rite Liquors I have been to in NJ has it for $39, as does Shopper's Vineyard. (That's not $30, but it is better than $50)

[sob0728]

Where does one get Rare Breed under $30? I seldom see it below $45 here in NJ, most of the time it hovers around $50. And KS is usually in that same bracket, $45 or so.

Minnesota! It's so damn cold here in the winter they give us a break on whiskey prices. They know we need it to warm up.

[unclebunk]

Where does one get Rare Breed under $30? I seldom see it below $45 here in NJ, most of the time it hovers around $50. And KS is usually in that same bracket, $45 or so.

Here in Chicagoland I often shop at one of the nearby Binny's stores where RB goes for $40 and KS sells for $50. Of course, being the cheap ass that I am, I usually wait for items above $35 to go on sale, particularly when Binny's runs their 15% off deals. And other stores in my area frequently have RB at $37 or so as a regular price (with KS at $45-$47), so I guess we're quite fortunate in that regard.