What Bourbon Are You Enjoying (summer 2018)

[Masset1982]

Wild Turkey 8y, just what I needed, cheers! 

 

Will.

[kevinbrink]

20 hours ago, flahute said:

Because it's "close enough".

They don't want to create custom labels every time that tell the exact proof so they choose a proof they know they'll always be able to create and add just enough water to get there with each batch.

 

3 hours ago, fosmith said:

From the Campari web site:

"We’ve always been exceptionally proud of our award-winning Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon. One of the pioneers of small batch bourbon, Rare Breed is pure barrel proof whiskey, meaning no water is added to reduce the level of alcohol during the bottling process.

This special attribute also allows for Rare Breed to change each time we make it. Most recently, it had finished around 112.8 proof, but we’re excited to announce that this year’s breed is a little different.

Hitting shelves this spring, the latest Rare Breed expression coming out of the Wild Turkey distillery pours out of the barrel at 116.8 proof. It’s an unapologetic, bold spirit with tones of warm butter scotch and vanilla, and hints of fruit and spices. Its lingering caramel sweetness makes it a remarkably smooth whiskey. And, with our new proof, we felt it was time to give our packaging a face lift to align more succinctly with our core value for today’s premium Bourbon consumers.

We hope you enjoy it.

Cheers,

      

Jimmy and Eddie Russell, Wild Turkey Master Distillers"

I always figured they were large tanked vatting but man was WT-03RB out in the wild for a long time. 

[flahute]

3 hours ago, fosmith said:

From the Campari web site:

"We’ve always been exceptionally proud of our award-winning Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon. One of the pioneers of small batch bourbon, Rare Breed is pure barrel proof whiskey, meaning no water is added to reduce the level of alcohol during the bottling process.

This special attribute also allows for Rare Breed to change each time we make it. Most recently, it had finished around 112.8 proof, but we’re excited to announce that this year’s breed is a little different.

Hitting shelves this spring, the latest Rare Breed expression coming out of the Wild Turkey distillery pours out of the barrel at 116.8 proof. It’s an unapologetic, bold spirit with tones of warm butter scotch and vanilla, and hints of fruit and spices. Its lingering caramel sweetness makes it a remarkably smooth whiskey. And, with our new proof, we felt it was time to give our packaging a face lift to align more succinctly with our core value for today’s premium Bourbon consumers.

We hope you enjoy it.

Cheers,

      

Jimmy and Eddie Russell, Wild Turkey Master Distillers"

This is called marketing fluff.

".....pours out of the barrel at 116.8 proof......" Ahem. So......every barrel ends up at 116.8 proof? No. Also, RB is a blend of 6, 8, and 12 year barrels. Rare Breed does not pour out of the barrel. Rare Breed is created by blending a bunch of barrels to match a flavor profile. All of those barrels are whatever proof they are at the time of dumping. The proof of the resulting blend is the average of all the barrels that are part of the blend. Do you think they are going to hit 116.8 perfectly every time?

[fosmith]

I was only pointing out that they claim no water was added.  I don't think they are saying it's a single barrel product that is always 116.8 proof.  It's obviously a batched bourbon, like Booker's, and the proof stated is the resulting proof of all the barrels in the batch mixed together.  Since each expression seems to hang around for quite a while, I'll bet each batch contains quite a large number of barrels.  At least they don't also call it a "small batch". 

[flahute]

21 minutes ago, fosmith said:

I was only pointing out that they claim no water was added.  I don't think they are saying it's a single barrel product that is always 116.8 proof.  It's obviously a batched bourbon, like Booker's, and the proof stated is the resulting proof of all the barrels in the batch mixed together.  Since each expression seems to hang around for quite a while, I'll bet each batch contains quite a large number of barrels.  At least they don't also call it a "small batch". 

They claim no water is added. They also claim that a batched product pours out of the barrel at one particular proof.

 

They don't make that much at one time. See the other discussion about batch codes. Get two bottles with different batch codes and try them side by side. They will be different.

[kevinbrink]

6 minutes ago, flahute said:

They claim no water is added. They also claim that a batched product pours out of the barrel at one particular proof.

 

They don't make that much at one time. See the other discussion about batch codes. Get two bottles with different batch codes and try them side by side. They will be different.

Not disagreeing here but figured it was worth pointing out that If it was in fact a large vatting it seems to hold true that there might still be batch variation like for example Saz 18 for a few years there.

[BigRich]

A little actual barrel proof Wild Turkey this afternoon courtesy of Eddie.

 

 

[Radioyada]

Stagg Jr. Batch 8 while watching some Braves baseball.  A nice and quite Friday evening.

Edited September 14, 2018 by Radioyada

[HoustonNit]

A little actual barrel proof Wild Turkey this afternoon courtesy of Eddie.
 

 

We’re all jealous, very cool.

[HoustonNit]

I always figured they were large tanked vatting but man was WT-03RB out in the wild for a long time. 

Exactly my thoughts as well and yes found it odd some of those older batches hung around for so many years. Than again bourbon wasn’t as popular so maybe tanked vats stuck around for a number of smaller bottlings.

[foppa78]

I'm working my way through my first bottle of Elmer T Lee. Sometimes I enjoy it. Other times I think it tastes like rubber bands. I'm still trying to figure this one out.

 

[CardsandBourbon]

Tonight was a hefty pour of 4R SmB followed by some HPR.

[flahute]

8 hours ago, kevinbrink said:

Not disagreeing here but figured it was worth pointing out that If it was in fact a large vatting it seems to hold true that there might still be batch variation like for example Saz 18 for a few years there.

I've heard about that variation in San 18 though I've never tasted it myself. I could see it happening though considering that the whiskey was held for something like 10 years 

I have a harder time seeing that happening in RB over a year or two.

[flahute]

2 hours ago, HoustonNit said:

 

Exactly my thoughts as well and yes found it odd some of those older batches hung around for so many years. Than again bourbon wasn’t as popular so maybe tanked vats stuck around for a number of smaller bottlings.

 

Current batches hang around for 2-3 years at a time so I'm not sure about that.

[Wedelstaedt]

Enjoying a great  WTKS PS tonight.  This one has med-high viscosity, a myriad of flavors, with that famous WT balance. 

 

Cheers

[kcgumbohead]

A friend kindly shared a sample from a LBS barrel pick of Hillrock Farms solera aged bourbon I knew nothing of it and while tasting, it struck me as very “winey” . I looked at his bottle and sho nuff its finished in a cab barrel. I liked it a lot and that cab finish was very present so I guess I am a fan of finished bourbons as well. This would be a terrific change of pace pour to have on hand, then I saw the price...

WTRB and OGD114 it is.

Edited September 15, 2018 by kcgumbohead

[HoustonNit]

LOL.  AND, THANKS!  I picked up two (2) 750s of a store pick WSR today - one to taste and one to use in vatting if appropriate after tasting.  Your post encouraged me to go get my almost empty "Grandpa Weller Four Grain" (2 units of OGD114 to 3 WSR) and double-check my label (which I just copied here).  GeeTen picked the ratio although some other SBers liked other ratios - 50/50 works, too.  I tried several and decided the 2:3 is for me.

Ah Grandpa Weller 4 Grain, will get the name right for the next batch. I recall GenTee doing a 50/50 blend which I did this time and in the past, but will try the 2:3 blend next time.

[mwmac]

8 minutes ago, HoustonNit said:

 

Ah Grandpa Weller 4 Grain, will get the name right for the next batch. I recall GenTee doing a 50/50 blend which I did this time and in the past, but will try the 2:3 blend next time.

 

All this discussion about 4 Grain vatting motivated me yesterday to mix a 50:50 blend of OGD 114 and WSR.  Will visit it in a few weeks...

[CUfan99]

I’m enjoying some OGDBiB in honor of the most entertaining SB’r ever @Harry in WashDC. Copious amounts in my yeti tumbler and the BBQ sauce on the grilled chicken. 

[Radioyada]

EHT Four Grain tonight while enjoying some football. 

[Harry in WashDC]

1 hour ago, CUfan99 said:

I’m enjoying some OGDBiB in honor of the most entertaining SB’r ever @Harry in WashDC. Copious amounts in my yeti tumbler and the BBQ sauce on the grilled chicken. 

  Everything I am, and everything I hope to be I owe to my love of bourbon.  OR, to my first Army squad leader - Chuck Boohar.  [Shake it off, Toughee.  Life goes on.]

 

Fresh olives to eat and Gin & It cocktails to drink for happy hour (1 oz. London Dry gin and 1 oz. sweet vermouth on the rocks) followed by brats on the grill w/Gewurtztraminer followed by OGDBIB while watching "Shetland".

[Mako254]

Amazing depth on this. Layers of flavor. 

 

 

[HoustonNit]

Amazing depth on this. Layers of flavor. 
 
 

Jealous!

[trufunk]

Fighting Cock/ Coke, whilst smoking 4 Briskets tonight!

[Postal Grunt]

It was a pour of Booker's, Kathleen's Table at 127.4 proof. It's hard to tell whether that stuff is meant to put hair on your chest or take it off your head, always an adventure.