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WT Kentucky Spirit vs Rare Breed 116.8


PiraSea
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Rarebird 101 had a thoughtful post on the potential for WTKS and if Campari were to consider and act on some of what was presented in that piece WTKS could become a compelling product vs a bottle that one has to talk oneself into buying. If you haven’t read it, IMO its a great read for fellow turkey heads.

This thread has inspired me to add yet another WTRB to the bunker, my love for that one knows no bounds!!?.

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8 hours ago, Kepler said:

 

Are you sure about this?

 Rare Breed currently CF (sadly). An NCF duty free offering in the works. 

 

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23 hours ago, Mako254 said:

Like squire, most of my WTKS purchases are from a barrel I have sampled or a trusted friend has vouched for. 

 

I have a love hate relationship with WTKS. Part of it is how is is priced in my market ($57-59— the same as Russell’s ((a superior product in my opinion)). 

Part of it is how consistent and quality 101 is. Part of it is how a competitor (Beam) prices KCSB

So if I’m at my local I see the following bottles:

Wild Turkey 101 750 mL for $23

WTKS 101 750 mL for $59

Russell’s Reserve single barrel $59

(110 proof, ncf, 9 yrs)

Knob Creek single barrel 750 mL for $44

(at least 9 yrs, often 12 or more 120 proof)

 

So what reason has Campari given me ( a self admitted turkey fan) to purchase WTKS? They KO’d the cool bottle and gave it Rare Breeds hand me downs. 

NAS, still chill filtered. Outside of a honey barrel, why am I spending x2 on wtks for what I would pay for 101? Especially when there is another WT single barrel offering more proof and age ? The KCSB is looking pretty good at this point. 

 

I say all that to say, Campari hasn’t done WTKS any favors. A simple barreled on and bottled on date as well as NCF would give consumers ( me and @flahute and @bourbon4all mainly) a reason to buy. Throw some 12 year barrels out there and now we are cooking. 

 

As to Rare Breed, I keep getting defective bottles. A whole in the bottom or a leaky cork. They always seem to turn up empty not long after purchase. 

 

And also agree w/ @squire early Rare Breed is in another universe. 

 

 

6AD9BC34-4CD5-41E3-B13B-1CADF9109698.jpegPS. Thanks to @Enoch for sharing this with me. 

This is correct. 

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On 5/10/2019 at 5:25 PM, fishnbowljoe said:

yBourbon and jazz. A great combination. :D

 

Biba! Joe

Indeed.   Listening to Grant Stewart tonight,   a young-ish tenorman with a lot of Dex in him.   And sipping from my freakazoid KS barrel pick,   I wrote about this one a couple of week ago, from Warehouse M,  although I mistakenly described as a Pennsy State Store  pic,    No,  it's a Canal's pick,    But it's the perfect Turkey at the perfect proof,  the Honey Bird that swings by my way just once in a blue moon.  

 

And that,  I think, is the true appeal of the KS.    Yeah,,  I know the RRSiB is higher proof,,  and non-chill-filtered,  and I love the stuff.    But Jimmy Russell said years ago that WT was made to be drank at 101 proof, and he's right.   I don't want to add a splash of water,   101 goes down smooth as silk.    And In KS I am getting a single barrel of 101 individually selected to represent the flavor profile.  

 

Maybe it's a conceit,  and paying a $30 - $40 premium to enjoy that conceit is absurd.  Maybe.     But just like jazz is music where you keep craving more because of the solos,  a single barrel is bourbon thriving on a riff,   out there on a limb,  and the experience of eavesdropping on that ONE BARREL showing it's stuff,  flashing that perfect balance like it's alchemy,  is the same kick I get from good jazz.  

 

So I pay for the conceit,  and dig.     

Edited by Jazzhead
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14 hours ago, Mako254 said:

 Rare Breed currently CF (sadly). An NCF duty free offering in the works. 

 

Exactly

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On 5/10/2019 at 4:59 PM, Mako254 said:

Like squire, most of my WTKS purchases are from a barrel I have sampled or a trusted friend has vouched for. 

 

I have a love hate relationship with WTKS. Part of it is how is is priced in my market ($57-59— the same as Russell’s ((a superior product in my opinion)). 

Part of it is how consistent and quality 101 is. Part of it is how a competitor (Beam) prices KCSB

So if I’m at my local I see the following bottles:

Wild Turkey 101 750 mL for $23

WTKS 101 750 mL for $59

Russell’s Reserve single barrel $59

(110 proof, ncf, 9 yrs)

Knob Creek single barrel 750 mL for $44

(at least 9 yrs, often 12 or more 120 proof)

 

So what reason has Campari given me ( a self admitted turkey fan) to purchase WTKS? They KO’d the cool bottle and gave it Rare Breeds hand me downs. 

NAS, still chill filtered. Outside of a honey barrel, why am I spending x2 on wtks for what I would pay for 101? Especially when there is another WT single barrel offering more proof and age ? The KCSB is looking pretty good at this point. 

 

I say all that to say, Campari hasn’t done WTKS any favors. A simple barreled on and bottled on date as well as NCF would give consumers ( me and @flahute and @bourbon4all mainly) a reason to buy. Throw some 12 year barrels out there and now we are cooking. 

 

As to Rare Breed, I keep getting defective bottles. A whole in the bottom or a leaky cork. They always seem to turn up empty not long after purchase. 

 

And also agree w/ @squire early Rare Breed is in another universe. 

 

 

6AD9BC34-4CD5-41E3-B13B-1CADF9109698.jpegPS. Thanks to @Enoch for sharing this with me. 

I concur, I had stated here a short time back this newer rendition of WTRB was growing on me, but the earlier RB bottles I’ve had seem a notch above what I’m drinking currently though.. Still very soilid however..

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On 5/10/2019 at 11:56 PM, Kepler said:

 

Are you sure about this?

I watched a video featuring both Jimmy Russell and Fred Noe (I don't recall the interviewer/host), in which they were tasting Rare Breed and JB Distillers Cut.  Jimmy was quite proud that Rare Breed was NCF and had been released very soon after Booker's came to market.

 

Edit:  Found it, re-watching to verify I'm not mis-remembering.

 

 

 

Edited by rjg1701
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On 5/13/2019 at 10:31 AM, rjg1701 said:

I watched a video featuring both Jimmy Russell and Fred Noe (I don't recall the interviewer/host), in which they were tasting Rare Breed and JB Distillers Cut.  Jimmy was quite proud that Rare Breed was NCF and had been released very soon after Booker's came to market.

 

Edit:  Found it, re-watching to verify I'm not mis-remembering.

 

 

 

He does say non-chill filtered at about the 5 min mark. 

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On 5/1/2018 at 6:23 PM, PiraSea said:

I’ve been able to get my hands on both now and have found that the Rare Breed 116.8 is a lot better to me than the single barrel 101 that is KY Spirit. 

 

Is this just just a matter of higher proof/cut less on the rare breed side? I would expect the rare breed is just small batch of the same mashbill found in the single barrel KY Spirit.

 

Both are really good, but I’m partial to the 116.8.

Agreed, I was more partial to RB as well.  To me, the mouthfeel was almost like scotch with the flavor profile of bourbon.  KS was good, but I just got a lot of brown sugar from it.  Didn't seem as complex.

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As far as the costs of WT101 vs WTRB and WTKS, etc. I see what you are all saying, but if you are running WT you would think differently.  Their job is to maximize revenue with the product they have.  If they can sell as much of their premium bottlings at the higher price, they will, and so would I.  The other issue in play is that WT101 is not given it's due as a $25-$30 bourbon.  I think it's every bit as good as BT and other bourbons that get a lot more love nationally.  WT101 is more of a traditional "in your face" bourbon that may not appeal to newer fans of bourbon, so that may play a role as well.

 

For years I've always said that the #1 sign of a bad bar is if they have WT80 on the shelf instead of  WT101

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On ‎5‎/‎5‎/‎2018 at 6:59 AM, fosmith said:

Wish I could find it here in the Bay Area.  Every place I shop still has the 112.8 on the shelves.  I thought that one was pretty good, despite the critical reviews, but I'm anxious to try the 116.8 since it seems to be much more well received. 

Just found some in Antioch at BevMo.  You can also find some at Total Wines littered throughout the Bay Area.  Just have to call ahead to confirm proof.

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On 5/18/2019 at 11:46 AM, Canarse said:

As far as the costs of WT101 vs WTRB and WTKS, etc. I see what you are all saying, but if you are running WT you would think differently.  Their job is to maximize revenue with the product they have.  If they can sell as much of their premium bottlings at the higher price, they will, and so would I.  The other issue in play is that WT101 is not given it's due as a $25-$30 bourbon.  I think it's every bit as good as BT and other bourbons that get a lot more love nationally.  WT101 is more of a traditional "in your face" bourbon that may not appeal to newer fans of bourbon, so that may play a role as well.

 

For years I've always said that the #1 sign of a bad bar is if they have WT80 on the shelf instead of  WT101

 A friend of mine and I have an ongoing conversation comparing drinking 101 to driving stick shift. Might not be for everyone but the people who like it are adamant about it. 

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18 hours ago, Shizzy said:

Just found some in Antioch at BevMo.  You can also find some at Total Wines littered throughout the Bay Area.  Just have to call ahead to confirm proof.

Thanks for the tip.  Actually, just picked up a bottle of 116.8 at TW in Pleasant Hill last week.  Good price too - right around $40, IIRC. 

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2 hours ago, fosmith said:

Thanks for the tip.  Actually, just picked up a bottle of 116.8 at TW in Pleasant Hill last week.  Good price too - right around $40, IIRC. 

That's my favorite spot to pick up hooch, currently.

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Here in Pennsy,  the Rare Breed is  $45,  and that, folks, is a bourbon bargain    For some reason I can't fathom, the State stores still have Turkey-tail KS,  but priced at $65, twenty bucks more than the RB .    They are store picks,   so that might account for some of it,  but I've been getting my KS from Jersey,  where's it's only fifty bucks.   

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