Wild Turkey 101 vs Wild Turkey Rare Breed: Head to Head!

Discover the differences between Wild Turkey 101 vs Wild Turkey Rare Breed in this in-depth comparison and decide which Bourbon is better for You!

Wild Turkey 101

Nose	Caramel, oak, vanilla, citrus
Palate	Baking spice, caramel, oak char, mint
Finish	Long, baking spice, oak char
Alcohol content	101 proof (50.5% ABV)
How to drink	Rocks, cocktails
Similar to	Buffalo Trace, Evan Williams BIB

On the nose the Turkey 101 (Review) is sweet, with hints of honey, caramel and vanilla along a charred oak note.

It offers a nice mouthfeel as it has a buttery feel, a bit warm at first, giving way to vanilla, brown sugar, baking spice, hazelnuts and a light touch of mint.

The finish is medium to long, pleasantly warm, high in charred oak as each Wild Turkey bottle and a satisfying note of old leather.

Wild Turkey 101 (Alternatives) strikes a solid balance between oak spice, old leather and sweet notes, it is complex but yet easy to drink with quite a pleasant finish.

This is good tasty bourbon that gives a moderate yet pleasing burn; add a large ice ball if you want it go down easy.

The Wild Turkey 101 is one of the best bourbons in terms of value, it goes head to head with much pricier and elite bottles making it a no-brainer.

If you’ve tried the regular Wild Turkey 81 you are going to find the 101 to be a an upgrade.

There are a few facts worth knowing about the Wild Turkey 101:

• Wild Turkey’s mash bill is comprised of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% barley.

• This whiskey ages for no less than 5 years in heavily charred casks.

• Wild Turkey uses non-GMO grains to make whiskey.

• Wild Turkey barrels its whiskey at a lower entry-proof, meaning the spirit is a lower proof as it comes off the still prior to maturing; that lower entry proof allows to more flavor from the grains.

• The whiskey is pulled from the barrel at 109 proof before being proofed down a notch.

• The 101 won a gold medal at the International Wine & Spirits Competition.

Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Nose	Vanilla, caramel, oak
Palate	Baking spice, burnt sugar, vanilla, oak, old leather
Finish	Vanilla, old leather, oak char
Alcohol content	116 proof (58% ABV)
How to drink	Rocks, cocktails
Similar to	Kentucky Spirit, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength

On the nose, the Rare Breed offers an aroma rich in honey, along cinnamon, charred oak and very little ethanol to it.

On the palate, the Rare Breed delivers a good creamy texture, pleasing warmth up-front, with butterscotch, brown sugar, vanilla and oak.

The finish is medium to long, warming, rich in vanilla, old leather and the signature Wild Turkey charred oak note.

It drinks warm as you might expect from something bottled at 116 proof, yet it does not overwhelm as it is sweet and satisfying.

In fact, it drinks quite nicely as it has a creamy texture and rich sweetness well balanced against oaky and spicy notes.

This Rare Breed Bourbon is one of the best in its class and it tastes better than bottles priced twice as much making it a champ in terms of value for the money.

Learn how it compares to the Old Forester 1920!

There are a few facts worth knowing about the Wild Turkey Rare Breed:

• Rare Breed is barrel-proof, meaning it’s uncut, bottled directly from the barrels at the proof it reached in those barrels.

• Rare Breed is a blend of whiskeys aged between 6 and 8 years and 12 years.

• The Rare Breed was not chill-filtered, this is a common practice among the industry as it prevents the liquid from becoming hazy, but some purists assure that the filtering also removes precious tasting notes from the dram.

• The mash bill is made from 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% barley.

• Gold at the New York International Spirits Competition 2020.

• Wild Turkey belongs to the Campari Group based in Milan, Italy.

Wild Turkey 101 vs Rare Breed: Price comparison

Prices are approximate and stated in USD:

Whiskey	Price
Wild Turkey 101	$27
Wild Turkey Rare Breed	$55

Wild Turkey 101 vs Wild Turkey Rare Breed: Which is better?

The Rare Breed is an improvement over the already good 101

Whiskey	101	Rare Breed
Nose	✅	✅
Body		✅
Palate	✅	✅
Finish		✅
Value	✅	✅

• Rare Breed is better than the 101 as it is an incredibly smooth and tasty bourbon despite the high proof. Those leathery and oaky notes make it a one of a kind bourbon with flavors uncommon to this spirit.

• It can’t be denied that there is a huge price gap between the two but there is also a huge gap not only in alcohol content but in aging as the 101 is matured for no less than 5 years while the Rare Breed is a blend of 6-8 and 12 years.

• Personally, I prefer the Rare Breed over many Scotch single malt whiskies price with a much lower proof making the Rare Breed a good purchase.

• If you are drinking on a tight budget the 101 is a bargain, you are unlikely to find such a good dram at that price.

• If you find the Rare Breed too warm add water and over time you will grow accustomed to it.