Wild Turkey Rare Breed was first released in 1991 by master distiller Jimmy Russell as a blend of 6 to 12-year-old bourbons. All the bourbons use the signature Wild Turkey mash bill featuring a high rye content in addition to corn to create the perfect balance of sweetness and spice. Jimmy wanted to create an “uncompromised Kentucky bourbon” expression that was so pure that it was not even cut with water, bottled straight from the barrel at cask strength.

Wild Turkey Brand has a storied history that started with the Ripy brothers in 1942 who brought the brand to life with a signature recipe that dates back to 1869. As the story goes, the Wild Turkey name comes from when a senior distillery executive brought along a bottle of that signature recipe on a wild turkey hunting trip to share with his friends. In the years following his friends would ask every year if he could bring along a bottle of that delicious “Wild Turkey bourbon” from the previous trip. The name stuck and the rest, as they say, is history.