Old Wild Turkey Rare Breed Gold Tube

[Anwalt]

I see a WTRB cheapish at auction.  Older bottle, gold tube.  Searched here and elsewhere, cannot place the year.  No serial/ID number, 700 ml, so European.

 

Anyone have a sense of the age of the bottle and if there were good years for WTRB?

 

Thanks!

Edited January 28, 2023 by Anwalt

[Wedelstaedt]

1 hour ago, Anwalt said:

I see a WTRB cheapish at auction.  Older bottle, gold tube.  Searched here and elsewhere, cannot place the year.  No serial/ID number, 700 ml, so European.

 

Anyone have a sense of the age of the bottle and if there were good years for WTRB?

 

Thanks!

The 112.8 proof was around 2016. In my opinion, this is the only WTRB, that was/is Meh. It works pretty good to add proof to some of WT 90/91 proof varieties. Otherwise, I would not pay more than the $40 they were going for back then.  
 

Pretty gold tube though ;-)) 
 

Cheers

[fosmith]

The 112.8 was the batch before the current 116.8.  I thought it was pretty good but the current batch is much better. 

[Anwalt]

I very much like the current batch.  A little surprised that the old stuff wasn't better than the new, as that is often the refrain.  

 

Thanks, as always, for your perspectives.  

[Kepler]

Agree with the others.  This might be considered weakest batch ever of WTRB but I have not tasted all of the really old versions.  Certainly the weakest of the recent ones.

 

On the bright side, like Wedelstaedt said above, this one makes a great blending agent for other WT offerings that need a little extra "oomph" ... I like to blend this 112.8 RB with the 13 year 90-ish proof bottlings like Diamond and Distillers Reserve that are underproofed.  The result is better than the sum of the parts!

 

 

Edited January 29, 2023 by Kepler

[Kepler]

3 hours ago, Anwalt said:

I very much like the current batch.  A little surprised that the old stuff wasn't better than the new, as that is often the refrain. 

 

This was made during a transitional period when well-aged stocks were low and the product suffered.  The regular WT101 from this period was also under-aged.  It's kinda ironic that taters now overpay on secondary for WT101 from this period just because the label is different than the current label.

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2023 by Kepler

[Anwalt]

9 hours ago, Kepler said:

 

This was made during a transitional period when well-aged stocks were low and the product suffered.  The regular WT101 from this period was also under-aged.  It's kinda ironic that taters now overpay on secondary for WT101 from this period just because the label is different than the current label.

 

 

 

 

Very good to know.  I have thankfully learned to check with you guys who where into it back then.

 

Granted, "back then" would be pre-2020 for me!  

 

OK, very loosely related topic...any recollections of Dot's Batch of Bookers, 2015-2?  There are some of those floating around on European auction sites - and not at absurd prices, at least compared to what Bookers goes for now.  I know, I know, many of you think what Bookers goes for now absurd!

 

Just wondering if 2015 was a good period for Bookers.  The reviews are pretty good - but they are not in the context of "compared to today".

[PaulO]

11 hours ago, Kepler said:

 

This was made during a transitional period when well-aged stocks were low and the product suffered.  The regular WT101 from this period was also under-aged.  It's kinda ironic that taters now overpay on secondary for WT101 from this period just because the label is different than the current label.

 

 

 

I can back this up about the WT 101.  The last bottle of Austin Nichols standing turkey on the label did not rank highly with me.  The current stuff is great.

Taters are just collecting labels.

[fosmith]

6 hours ago, Anwalt said:

OK, very loosely related topic...any recollections of Dot's Batch of Bookers, 2015-2?  There are some of those floating around on European auction sites - and not at absurd prices, at least compared to what Bookers goes for now.  I know, I know, many of you think what Bookers goes for now absurd!

 

Just wondering if 2015 was a good period for Bookers.  The reviews are pretty good - but they are not in the context of "compared to today".

2015 was a great year for Booker's.  Probably the best year of the named batches.  I've never had Dot's Batch but I've heard it's great.  Always wanted to try it.  2015-01, Big Man Small Batch is amazing, the second best batch of Booker's that I've tasted after C-07-B7.  Center Cut is said to be an excellent batch as well. 

[Harry in WashDC]

6 hours ago, Anwalt said:

 

Very good to know.  I have thankfully learned to check with you guys who where into it back then.

 

Granted, "back then" would be pre-2020 for me!  

 

OK, very loosely related topic...any recollections of Dot's Batch of Bookers, 2015-2?  There are some of those floating around on European auction sites - and not at absurd prices, at least compared to what Bookers goes for now.  I know, I know, many of you think what Bookers goes for now absurd!

 

Just wondering if 2015 was a good period for Bookers.  The reviews are pretty good - but they are not in the context of "compared to today".

Here's a Beam-sponsored site listing every Booker's release by age, barrels blended, tasting notes (although Beam's palate might not match yours hahahah), and some back story.  You can find the MSRP for each batch elsewhere, though, in reviews on other bourbon blogs like BreakingBourbon.com.  When the MSRP went North of $70, I switched my allegiance and started dipping into my Booker's stash. 

 

https://www.bookersbourbon.com/batches/

 

You might do a search on SB for "Dot's Batch" if you haven't already to see what we said back then.  Back on thread - do the same thing with WT 101 circa 2016, and you should find some discussion here; several of us noticed a "change" in the profile about then.  WT 101 wasn't the only product with a "change" due to an age reduction due to increased demand.   Basic BT at that time also was moved from my "Whenever I want it, I WANT it!" to MEH.  WT was back in form by 2018 for me, but It was about 2020 before the basic BT recovered/  Because the WT line is almost always available while Saz/BT brands are spotty, my allegiance has shifted a ton. 

[Kepler]

11 hours ago, Anwalt said:

 

Very good to know.  I have thankfully learned to check with you guys who where into it back then.

 

Granted, "back then" would be pre-2020 for me!  

 

OK, very loosely related topic...any recollections of Dot's Batch of Bookers, 2015-2?  There are some of those floating around on European auction sites - and not at absurd prices, at least compared to what Bookers goes for now.  I know, I know, many of you think what Bookers goes for now absurd!

 

Just wondering if 2015 was a good period for Bookers.  The reviews are pretty good - but they are not in the context of "compared to today".

 

I had the Dot's Batch, it was good.  I don't recall it being amazing or anything but it was a good representation of what good Booker's tastes like.  I can confirm what @fosmith said about C-07-B7, that one is indeed amazing.  I also really liked Center Cut a lot but the B7 is better.  I still have both of those in my bunker and I have the B7 opened and I do go back to it every now and then and its always excellent.

[Anwalt]

5 hours ago, fosmith said:

2015 was a great year for Booker's.  Probably the best year of the named batches.  I've never had Dot's Batch but I've heard it's great.  Always wanted to try it.  2015-01, Big Man Small Batch is amazing, the second best batch of Booker's that I've tasted after C-07-B7.  Center Cut is said to be an excellent batch as well. 

 

Thanks for the info.  I took the chance and got a few.  I now very much look forward to trying it.  And thanks for the notes on the others, noted should I spot them.  I very much look forward to comparing them the more recent iterations.

 

4 hours ago, Harry in WashDC said:

Here's a Beam-sponsored site listing every Booker's release by age, barrels blended, tasting notes (although Beam's palate might not match yours hahahah), and some back story.  You can find the MSRP for each batch elsewhere, though, in reviews on other bourbon blogs like BreakingBourbon.com.  When the MSRP went North of $70, I switched my allegiance and started dipping into my Booker's stash. 

 

https://www.bookersbourbon.com/batches/

 

You might do a search on SB for "Dot's Batch" if you haven't already to see what we said back then.  Back on thread - do the same thing with WT 101 circa 2016, and you should find some discussion here; several of us noticed a "change" in the profile about then.  WT 101 wasn't the only product with a "change" due to an age reduction due to increased demand.   Basic BT at that time also was moved from my "Whenever I want it, I WANT it!" to MEH.  WT was back in form by 2018 for me, but It was about 2020 before the basic BT recovered/  Because the WT line is almost always available while Saz/BT brands are spotty, my allegiance has shifted a ton.

 

Thank you for taking the time to explain on both counts.  And the search suggestions are spot on - doh!  I could have done a better job in that regard.  Good for future reference.

 

That's a thoughtful shift in allegiance.  You guys definitely got me to try the WT/RR.  For me it still had connotations from my childhood of "low end".  Not so.  The RR SiB's and WTRB have really earned a constant spot on the shelf and in the glass.  

 

Thanks again gents.  It's why I come hither.

[Anwalt]

40 minutes ago, Kepler said:

I had the Dot's Batch, it was good.  I don't recall it being amazing or anything but it was a good representation of what good Booker's tastes like.  I can confirm what @fosmith said about C-07-B7, that one is indeed amazing.  I also really liked Center Cut a lot but the B7 is better.  I still have both of those in my bunker and I have the B7 opened and I do go back to it every now and then and its always excellent.

 

You guys have great memories, serious notes, or both.  Thank you again, noted.  Looking for to both trying Dot's in its own right as well as comparing.

[Kepler]

19 minutes ago, Anwalt said:

 

Thanks for the info.  I took the chance and got a few.  I now very much look forward to trying it.  And thanks for the notes on the others, noted should I spot them.  I very much look forward to comparing them the more recent iterations.

...

 

 

Yep that would be interesting to see how it compares.  I haven't had the chance to do that yet, so do let us know your impressions whenever that happens.

[markandrex]

22 minutes ago, Anwalt said:

 

You guys have great memories, serious notes, or both.  Thank you again, noted.  Looking for to both trying Dot's in its own right as well as comparing.

https://www.bookersbourbon.com/batches/
 

You can search the tasting notes and age statements back to 2015.  
I agree with most of the comments here that the older dates were “better”  but I do enjoy a Bookers pour on a regular basis.  
Dot’s (if i remember correctly there is a dog on the batch label) was quite enjoyable.

[fosmith]

19 hours ago, markandrex said:

Dot’s (if i remember correctly there is a dog on the batch label) was quite enjoyable.

Yes, Dot was Booker Noe's dog, a Jack Russel Terrier, IIRC.