Last week, I talked about picking up a private selection of Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel. Well, on the same shopping trip, I also picked up a private selection of Kentucky Spirit. I hadn’t thought about Kentucky Spirit for a while. I don’t usually purchase it. I’d rather have Rare Breed at a higher proof and a lower price.
So it was a weird coincidence that just after my first Kentucky Spirit purchase in a while, I stumbled across a partial eulogy for Kentucky Spirit on the excellent site Rare Bird 101. In that article, I noticed that the wonderful fan shaped bottle is in the process of being replaced with the new Rare Breed bottle.
This makes me sad. Sure, using the same bottle as another product in your line up is a good move from both a cost savings and a design consistency standpoint. But in this case they are getting rid of a truly beautiful bottle. One that is gift worthy. Alas, all things pass and the only constant in life is change. And the good news is I don’t drink the bottle, I drink what is inside of it.
Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel (Haskell's Barrel 18-0863)
Purchase Info: $54.99 for a 750mL bottle at Haskell’s, Bloomington, MN
Details: 50.5% ABV. Barrel number 18-0863. Aged 8 years 5 months.
Nose: Pipe tobacco, wintergreen, vanilla, green apple and oak.
Mouth: Sweet and spicy. Follows the nose with green apple, wintergreen, vanilla and oak.
Finish: Sweet and spicy with decent length. Lingering pipe tobacco, oak and apple.
Thoughts: This is a delicious pick. So much so that I literally paused writing this tonight to run to the store and grab a second bottle. I wanted to be sure I got a second one. It reminds me of a sweeter and even more oak forward version of 101. Big fan.
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