Ask any whiskey fan who has tasted bourbon from the 80s or 90s and they will tell you Wild Turkey has fallen pretty far what they once were. While the flagship 101 product available today is a still a decent buy, it’s much less refined and tastes a lot younger than the age stated version from years ago. The bigger travesty is how far Rare Breed has gone down the toilet as each batch since the 99 version has gotten progressively worse - so much so that I’ll probably never buy another bottle again. Then there are the legendary bottles from the glut era like the 12 year “Cheesy Gold Foil” or Kentucky Legend “Donut Bottle” that are amazingly good. Those releases run circles around the kind of mundane offerings we’ve seen lately from Wild Turkey like Diamond that I am sure can still be found stinking up shelves 3 years after its release if you look hard enough.
So, are there any great Wild Turkey products left that aren’t limited editions with an ultra premium price tag? Today we give their two top of the line single barrels offerings a shot to find out.
Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit
No age statement; Barrel #2733, Bottled on 12/3/15, Warehouse O, Rick 2; 50.5% ABV; $50
Nose: Sweet and spicy. Salted caramel, baking spices, light menthol. Smells about like a ~7 year old bourbon.
Taste: Echoes the nose - it’s both sweet and spice forward. It has a decent amount of wood depth but it’s still got hints of some green woody youth. The finish tapers off with spicy smoky char that is a little hotter than it should be given the 101 proof. I’m guessing this is about 7-8 years old.
Thoughts: I’ve been through three different bottles of this that ranged from great to forgettable with this one being somewhere between those two. Granted, it is a single barrel and two of those bottles were store selections so take that for whatever it’s worth. To me, this is an extra aged version of the 101 product at nearly twice the price. It’s got the similar profile of 101 as it’s sweet and spicy with a nice full mouthfeel but doesn’t offer a lot of balance outside of that. It’s probably very similar to the same product offered ~20 years ago as 101 with an 8 year age statement.
Rating: B-
Value: I don’t factor price into my ratings. At $50, these can be a bit of a gamble. If you have access to a store with a private selection and an open bottle for you to try before you buy, give it a shot as you might land a real winner. If not, I’d recommend more consistent single barrels such as Four Roses private selections or Smooth Ambler over this.
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel
No age statement; 55% ABV; $55
Nose: Vanilla, dark chocolate, and burnt caramel. Lots of mature wood and only small hints of spice. Richer, deeper, and more mature than the Kentucky Spirit. Smells like a ~11 year old bourbon.
Taste: Lush, thick mouthfeel. A touch more woody than sweet but a nice balance of the two. Like the nose, the sweets are darker and the wood is deeper than the Kentucky Spirit. It certainly doesn’t taste young and there are even hints of older funky wood in there that make it really interesting. The classic Wild Turkey spice is there in the finish but is toned down and smoothed out by wood notes.
Thoughts: Easily the best Wild Turkey product you can go buy off the shelf today. I’ve been through a few bottles of this and find it to be much more consistent than the Kentucky Spirit. I really like the wood depth here and how it smooths out that bold spice profile the younger Wild Turkey products are known for. It’s able to do that while keeping a good amount of sweetness and not becoming overly bitter like some of the extra aged Turkey products I’ve had.
Rating: B+
Value: Again, I don’t factor price into my ratings. At $55 in today’s market, I feel this bottle is good buy. I’d still give a nod to Four Roses private selections or Booker’s over this but it’s a nice change of pace if you are in the mood for something different.
No comments:
Post a Comment