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Maker's Mark vs Wild Turkey Rare Breed
Comparing Maker's Mark and Wild Turkey Rare Breed reveals a matchup between a traditional, wheated Kentucky staple and an uncut, spice-driven heavyweight.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Maker's Mark | Wild Turkey Rare Breed |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 116 proof (58% ABV) +26 proof |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$25 – $32 ~$22 less | ~$45 – $55 |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Maker's Mark
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Wild Turkey Rare Breed
Good flavor.
Flavor Profile
Maker's Mark Wild Turkey Rare Breed
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/8 spice: Maker's Mark 2 out of 10, Wild Turkey Rare Breed 8 out of 10
heat 3/8 heat: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Wild Turkey Rare Breed 8 out of 10
oak 4/8 oak: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Wild Turkey Rare Breed 8 out of 10
sweetness 8/6 sweetness: Maker's Mark 8 out of 10, Wild Turkey Rare Breed 6 out of 10
fruit 4/4 fruit: Maker's Mark 4 out of 10, Wild Turkey Rare Breed 4 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Maker's Mark 3 out of 10, Wild Turkey Rare Breed 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- Maker's Mark: The bottle that made wheated bourbon mainstream. Soft, sweet, and deliberately low on spice and oak, with baked bread and honey doing most of the work. Consistency is its real feature.
- Wild Turkey Rare Breed: Barrel-proof Wild Turkey at a price that still looks like a mistake. Everything the 101 does with considerably more force, and one of the most consistently praised bottles in its category.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Maker's Mark if you want a reliably sweet, low-spice wheater that is easy to find and easy to drink at a lower price point.
- Go with Wild Turkey Rare Breed if you want barrel-proof spice and oak with a reputation to match, at half what comparable bottles cost with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails, highball (Maker's Mark); neat, old-fashioned (Wild Turkey Rare Breed).