Wild Turkey Master's Keep 17 Year Bottled in Bond

Thanks in large part to /r/bourbon, I am very big Wild Turkey fan. Wild Turkey 101 has been my house bourbon for years now and I've been on more barrel picks of Wild Turkey more than any other whiskey. That's partly due to Wild Turkey having more availability but it's also because I know I can almost always find a winner or two on a trip there. While my love of their regular offerings is quite high, I've had varying experiences with their limited release Master's Keep series. The first 17 year was good but not outstanding. Decades was good but a high price for what it was. I loved Revival - probably my favorite of them all. Cornerstone was a disappointment as I didn't think it was much better than the regular Single Barrel Rye. All in all that's a bit of a mixed bag when you are talking about bottles that are nearing the $200 price mark so I entered into this latest release with tempered expectations.

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Aged 17 years; 50% ABV; $175

Nose: Dusty bourbon funk, butterscotch, woody vanilla sweets. It's sweet, oaky, and slightly funky. The heat level is pretty low yet it still has plenty of depth.

Taste: The flavor profile is compact and dense - dusty old bourbon, dark red fruits, burnt caramelized sugars like toffee, and lots of syrupy/sugary oak. Again like the nose the heat is very well tamed. It's not quite as viscous or dense as some of the best dusty bourbons I've had but the calling cards of a great older bourbon with a balance of sweet and oak are all there.

Thoughts: I've loved this from the moment I opened and I still do here today. This is the closest I've come to tasting modern turkey that drinks like dusty turkey. Given that is 17 years old and bottled in bond that means all of it was made before Wild Turkey upped their entry proof from 107 to 110 and I think that certainly shows in the quality here. I didn't get to try a lot of new releases in 2020 but for me, this was the best one I was able to get my hands on last year. $175 is a lot to pay for a bourbon but I'd buy this again if I saw it on the shelves.

Rating: B+

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating. 

Wild Turkey Cornerstone Review

Wild Turkey Cornerstone, the fourth whiskey released by Wild Turkey in the United States as part of their Master's Keep series. This time around we get a high proof rye, batched from barrels aged nine to eleven years. As someone who has tasted Wild Turkey rye at the 9+ year old mark straight from the barrel on several occasions, I was excited to see them release a rye with these stats. At the same time though I was very grouchy about the fact that it would be such a high priced offering and initially convinced myself I wasn't interested. My sensibilities went out the window one random day though when I walked into a store and saw a lone bottle of this on the shelf. In a rare moment of taterism, I caved and bought it so here we are. 

Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey; Aged at least 9 years; 54.5% ABV, $180

Nose: The nose is a bit flat - some doughy rye bread, maybe a little zesty citrus, and then your typical American whiskey sweet notes (vanilla, caramel, etc). If I really reach I can barely tell it is a rye with some spicy zip but there's really not a lot of character. I will say this bottle has been open for quite some time so I think the nose is slightly oxidized.

Taste: Much better than the nose. The mouthfeel is full and there a good amount of classic bourbony sweet notes here. There are some light citrus fruits, maybe tangerine? Towards the finish there are some spicy rye spearmint and clove along with decent oaky notes. Again the rye notes seem to be taking a back seat - If I had this blind I'd probably guess it was a high rye bourbon. 

Thoughts: This is pretty decent, bordering on good though like most other Kentucky straight ryes it's not going to blow you away with spice notes. I shared the last of this bottle with another member of my bourbon club and while she liked it she commented it's not really a rye drinker's rye. As someone who also particularly enjoys high proof Alberta and MGP ryes that comment certainly resonates with me. Overall, I don't think this is that much better than the Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Rye you can buy off the shelf today. A few years ago I probably wouldn't have said that but lately I think that product tastes more mature and that comment is a testament to how good it is now. Given that comparison it's hard for me to feel anything beyond meh about this release despite the fact that it's actually pretty good whiskey.

Rating: B/B-

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating. 

1990 Wild Turkey Cheesy Gold Foil Review

Not much to say that hasn't already been said, this is the much revered jewel of the dusty turkey lineup. I pull out a bottle of special turkey every year on Thanksgiving and this one was nearly empty so what better way to polish it off than with a holiday review. Shout out to pappy gift cards and /r/scotchswap (RIP) for making this possible.

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Aged 12 years; 50.5% ABV

Nose: All the classic bourbon flavors but in highly decadent forms - butterscotch cream, caramel syrup, vanilla cake frosting, and a touch of baking spices. A wonderful well rounded nose. It's woody but the wood is heavy handed towards the sweet side which is just the way I like it.

Taste: All of the same from the nose - it tastes like super condensed bourbon. This is a common theme I find in great dusty bourbons like this, it's like someone figured out how to make a bourbon reduction. The sweets, the wood, the spice, it all just has more pop than anything you can buy off the shelf today.

Thoughts: This is a master class bourbon and I think deserved of the reputation as the pinnacle of Wild Turkey whiskeys. This isn't the first time I've reviewed Cheesy Gold Foil and I was a bit more critical the last time I covered it but here today, drinking the last dram out of this bottle, it's everything I could ask for in a bourbon.

Rating: A

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.

Russell's Reserve 2002 vs. Wild Turkey Master's Keep Revival Reviews

Two limited edition products from Wild Turkey released around the same time. One is an expensive 12-15 year old at 101 proof and finished in 20 year old Oloroso Sherry casks. The other is a super limited, super expensive, barrel proof, 16 year old. I love Wild Turkey and Eddie Russell is easily my favorite current master distiller in the industry so this should be fun.

Wild Turkey Master's Keep Revival

Aged 12 - 15 years; 50.5% ABV; Batch 0001; Bottle 38558; $150

Nose: Fruity, older bourbon. The sherry notes are pretty evident and add a nice grape jam layer on top of the sweet, spice, and oak. 

Taste: Lots of typical bourbon notes up front - honey and vanilla followed by familiar Wild Turkey baking spices and lots of fruit glaze. The tail ends off with a hefty dose of charred oak, light spice, and a lot of fruity jam. Again the sherry finish is very evident. Without the fruit notes it very much reminds me of the exported 12/101 that was still being sold overseas up until a few years ago.

Thoughts: I've loved this from the moment I opened it and that feeling remains. It has all the familiarity of a great Russell's Reserve Single Barrel or 12/101 Wild Turkey with a nice dose of fruitiness mingled throughout. This is easily my favorite release in the Master's Keep line and the first one I've ever liked enough to buy a second. If I had any criticism it would be the finish is a touch char heavy / bitter.

Rating: B+

Russell's Reserve 2002

No Age Statement (Distilled 2002, Bottled 2018); 57.3% ABV; Bottle 3085/3640; $250

Nose: A lot more intensity than the Revival which is to be expected given the proof bump. It's not any hotter than it should be for 57% though. Smells like a ramped up older Russell's Reserve Single Barrel. 

Taste: Lots of sweet bourbon notes initially - honey, caramel, graham cracker. That slowly transitions to more wood and baking spice in the middle and lingers on through the finish. It is hefty on the wood and baking spices. I get faint hints of what nerds often refer to as dusty turkey notes. Tasted blind I might suspect this was a vintage Wild Turkey like the donut bottling.

Thoughts: As someone who loves Russell's Reserve Single Barrel, this is very good. There are no surprises here, it tastes exactly like what it should based on the specs. If there are any faults it might be that it is a touch heavy in the oak department on the finish and almost starts to trigger my bitterness flags.

Rating: B+ / A-

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Overall Thoughts: I don't really want to pick a winner here as these are two totally different animals. I love the dark brooding fruit forward profile of the Revival as it's very unique. On the flip-side, the 2002 is a classic high proof old bourbon. Though the 2002 might be the slightly better of the two, I've had more things like the 2002 than the Revival so if you pressed me to pick a desert island pour, I'd ask for the Revival. As for the value, I certainly wouldn't recommend the 2002 at retail or anything beyond that. There are lots of bottles I'd rather have that were 1/5th the price so I'm glad I split this one with a buddy rather than going all in myself.

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Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.

Wild Turkey Longbranch Review

In 2016 Matthew McConaughey signed on as Wild Turkey's creative director. At first his presence was just a short film and then a few commercials but here today we have a new product from them with his name on it. According to a press release it's an 8 year old Wild Turkey bourbon that's been refined (read: filtered) through oak and Texas mesquite charcoal because McConaughey has roots there. It sounds rather gimmicky to me but as a fan of Wild Turkey that is saddened a lot of drinkers don't take their products seriously I'm all for any positive publicity.

No Age Statement; 43% ABV; $40

Nose: Light and easy. Smells like your typical bourbon of vanilla, caramel, honey, and oak. It has some age as any grainy corn mash notes are virtually nonexistent. 

Taste: Like the nose, it's mostly all sweets and oak. It's on the light side in terms of heat so super easy to drink. The lack of proof makes this slant heavily towards a sweet profile which dominates over any woodiness. There's some of the familiar Wild Turkey baking spices in the finish but the spices are mild compared to their flagship 101. Again it tastes like it has some age as there are not really any youthful corn grain notes like I get traces of in Wild Turkey 101.

Thoughts: It tastes exactly like what you'd expect - a slightly more mature Wild Turkey 101 but less bold and noticeably more thin. The flavors are nice but I can't help but think how much better this would be at 101 proof. As a whiskey nerd knowing the significance of 101 to them, I find the proof here mildly infuriating. Having said that, I realize I'm not the target market - this is likely aimed at people who think "smooth" is what makes a great bourbon. Along those lines they've certainly succeeded because it is definitely easy to drink yet still carrying that hallmark Wild Turkey profile. If I were asked to recommend a bourbon to a new whiskey drinker this would be a good suggestion. As for a salty old dog like me though, it was fun to experience and I hope it's successful for them but it's not going to topple my reigning house whiskey, Wild Turkey 101.

Rating: C+

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.

Wild Turkey Rare Breed (116.8) Review

It's no secret I'm a huge fan of Wild Turkey. Russell's Reserve Single Barrel is one of the best regularly available premium bourbons and Wild Turkey 101 is a workhorse both as a daily sipper and a great cocktail base. But then there are products like Rare Breed which on paper sound amazing - a barrel proof bourbon that according to marketing and the Russells is a blend of 6, 8, and 12 year old bourbon. The problem though is the last batch at 112.8 introduced in 2014 tasted like there might be a drop of older whiskeys in the blend as it leaned heavily towards 6 years old. A young, corny, fruity forward vibe dominates the taste and is a far cry from the rich, layered elegance you'll find in the older batches like 108.4 (WT-01-99).

So here we are in 2017 and Wild Turkey has released a new batch, identifiable by a proof of 116.8. I have heard comments ranging from it being a step back in the right direction all the way to night and day better than the previous iteration. Call my a cynic but I'm going into this assuming that it's not going to be much different from the last one. For comparison sake, I tasted this new batch against old one over a period of about a month. 

No Age Statement; 58.4% ABV; $50

Nose: There's a nice base of vanilla caramel sweets but also a lot of heat trying to keep it pinned down. The fusel ethanol notes are a bit rough. Fruity new make notes like apples and pears are noticeable which suggests a younger profile. That familiar Wild Turkey baking spice note is there along with some zippy menthol. Overall, not that noticeably different from the last batch.

Taste: More sweet forward with more wood depth than the nose - I think that's because the ethanol isn't so front and center. Fruity, grainy, corny notes are certainly present though and are as noticeable as the oak influence. It's a mashup of light honey sweets, darker burnt caramel sugars, corn grain, and baking spices.

Thoughts: I don't love it but I don't hate it which is where I stand with the previous iteration. It's slightly richer with a little more oak depth than the previous one so I'd tepidly give this a vote of a small step in the right direction. Overall, it still tastes more like barrel proof WT 101 which is a blend of 6-8 years rather than a blend of 6, 8, and 12 year old product. At $50 a bottle, I'll pass on buying this in the future and stick to regular old 101 at half the cost and equal enjoyment.

Rating: C+

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.

Russell's Reserve Review

Launched in 2001, Russell's Reserve is named after Wild Turkey Master Distiller Jimmy Russell. While it originally entered the market at the same 101 proof of their flagship product, in 2005 it was lowered to 90 proof. I don't know for sure but I suspect that was due to problems maintaining higher proof aged stock given Wild Turkey's extremely low 107 barrel entry proof at the time. After recently covering the 13 year Wild Turkey Distiller's Reserve which I didn't love, I thought it would be interesting to see how a 10 year version with a similar proof stacks up.

Aged 10 years; 45% ABV; $35

Nose: Classic Wild Turkey rye baking spices, lots of oak, and sugary wood sweets (vanilla/caramel/etc). It has that bold modern Wild Turkey character and while it breaths a little warm you can tell it's not as amped up as the 101 product. Still pretty nice though.

Taste: Sadly, more muted than the nose. Honey and brown sugar sweets up front . Oak and spice take over in the finish along with some light dry cocoa powder. Tastes like what it should on paper - an older, watered down Wild Turkey 101. 

Thoughts: Like the 13 year Distiller's Reserve, the down proofing is really hampering this one. All of the hallmark modern Wild Turkey notes are there including those nice rye baking spices but it's just not very impactful. It lacks the bold punch of 101 and doesn't come close to the depth of the single barrel version but I actually like this better than the Distiller's Reserve. It's a decent sweet, spicy, woody combo that I'd put on par with a more expensive product like Blanton's and better than a harder to find product like Elmer T. Lee. At the price, that makes this a nice, solid, above average daily sipper.

Rating: C+ / B-

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.

Wild Turkey 13 Year Distiller's Reserve Review

Despite the lack of many regularly available age stated products in the states, Wild Turkey has continued to offer several of them in the export markets. Our overseas drinkers have steady access to 8 year 101 and in the past a 12 year 101 product was available as well. The 12 year 101 was discontinued in 2014, in part due to Wild Turkey's low 107 barrel entry proof which made maintaining a steady supply of 12 year product at 101 proof difficult. As a replacement, the export markets saw a product a year older but lower proof which is what we have here today.

Aged 13 years; 45.5% ABV; 2014 bottle code; thanks to /u/tnpoplar for the gift

Nose: Healthy amounts of oak, sugary sweetness, and some spice bite. Typical vanilla/caramel and baking spices. Smells like a moderately aged spicy bourbon. I would guess a little higher than 90ish proof from the nose.

Taste: Echoes the nose. Vanilla caramel sweets, some oak, and some baking spices in the finish. The viscosity is rather thin and the flavors aren't very impactful, I would guess lower than 91 proof by taste. The sweet notes seem to be the most dominate and mask the amount of wood depth I would expect in a 13 year old product.

Thoughts: This is alright. The promise of the 13 year age statement looks good on paper but the proofing down works more against it than the extra age helps it. Tasting it side by side with 2015 8 year 101 export, I much prefer the 8/101 of the two. The first time I had this was in a blind 5 way turkey shootout and this barely edged out Forgiven for next to last place. I think that pretty much says it all.

Rating: C+

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.

Old Ripy Review

While I'm a huge fan of Wild Turkey whiskeys, their current owner Campari can pretty much fuck right off. I mean sure they still have some really good products like Russell's Reserve Single Barrel but stuff like the current 101 and Rare Breed are mere shells of what they used to be. The more I learn about the decisions there over the years the more I come to the conclusion that they've been sacrificing quality for profits. So along that cash grab mentality, here we have the latest in whiskey innovations from them, a new series dubbed "Whiskey Barons."

✅ Limited Edition 

✅ High Price

✅ Old-timey Marketing

✅ Made up Distillery

Yep, that's about as much fuckery as Diego's Orphan Barrel line. Campari, wut r u doing. Campari, stahp. 

As for this particular product, we know it was made at the Wild Turkey distillery but not under the supervision of Eddie or Jimmy Russell who were apparently too busy at the time. Marketing materials claim it is "12-year-old and younger whiskies" which is a deceiving way of saying it's a no age statement blend. 

No Age Statement

52% ABV

Non Chill Filtered

$70 (MSRP is more like $50), 375ml

Nose: Heat is about right for 104 proof. I'm getting a dose of fruity new make and also that hallmark Wild Turkey rye baking spice bite. I'd guess about 6-8 years old from the nose. Pretty much a proofed down Rare Breed.

Taste: Upfront is a bit of fruity, grainy new make notes. A lot of wood influence starts to take over in the mid-palate and things even start to get a little bitter in the finish with some dark chocolate and tannic oak. The bitterness seems to be drowning out the Wild Turkey spice note that I love. It tastes something like a mix of a more mature Wild Turkey 101 blend and an oakier Rare Breed proofed down a few points.

Thoughts: The first time I tried this was after tasting Decades which is a pretty mature bourbon. That experience left me with an initial impression that this was rather young and not very good. Revisiting it now on its own I'm finding a lot more complexity but I still don't think it's great. It's not bad, probably on par with current Rare Breed which I am not really a fan of and truth be told I probably like regular ol' Wild Turkey 101 more. Taking the price and marketing hype into account, this is pretty lame and I feel rather ripped off. Maybe that's where the idea behind Old Ripy originated.

Rating: C+

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating. 

Wild Turkey Decades Review

When it comes to bourbon, Wild Turkey is dear to me. The standard 101 is the house bourbon in my bar because it's a hell of a workhorse as both a daily sipper and a cocktail base. Combine that with the fact that I can almost always find it no matter where I am and it just keeps growing on me with each passing year. Then there's Russell's Reserve Single Barrel which I would say next to Four Roses Single Barrel store selections is the best bourbon you can regularly purchase today. Yet despite winning with those great products, Wild Turkey has really shit the bed in the special release department over the last few years. Diamond was such a flop that I can still find it stinking up shelves nearly 3 years after its release. Before that there was American Spirit, Tribute, and Tradition, all of which I found many years after their release and am glad I never sunk my money into. Things did take a bit of a turn for the better last year with the 17 year Master's Keep which I enjoyed but I have a hard time recommending it based on price. Even better was the Russell's Reserve 1998 which is undoubtable the best recent Wild Turkey I've ever had but at $250 MSRP, that was a big pass for me as well. 

So now we have the second release under the Wild Turkey Master's Keep label, this time dubbed "Decades". This one comes in at a higher proof and states it is aged 10-20 years which coincidentally is a violation of TTB regulations since it doesn't list the percentages but the ineptitude of the TTB is a topic for another day. The upped proof and blended aspect read on paper like this has the potential to be one of the better Wild Turkey releases but they've let us down before so I'm proceeding with caution.

Aged 10-20 years

52% ABV

Bottle No. 50782

$170 (MSRP is more like $150)

Nose: Lots of typical bourbon sweet notes of burnt caramel and vanilla. The oak influence is pretty strong. It smells like a much older aged Wild Turkey 101 which is a great thing. 

Taste: Lots of typical bourbon wood sugars, a strong oak backbone, and a big heap of baking spices. I love the bold spicy profile of Wild Turkey and this has that in droves, especially in the finish. The slightly higher proof is undoubtably contributing to that spice tingle but it's far from overly hot and I dare say the perfect amount of heat. The mouthfeel is decent; not as lush as some older dusty Wild Turkey I've had but it's no slouch. This tastes somewhere between a cross of a hyper aged 101 and the best Russell's Reserve Single Barrel you'll ever have. 

Thoughts: This is an exemplary bourbon, especially if you are a fan of Wild Turkey. The oak influence is very strong without being overly woody so it has a lot of depth. The classic bourbon sweet notes are very present as is that hallmark Turkey spice note making for a wonderful balance of sweet, spice, and oak. I have a hard time saying that any bourbon is worth a $150 retail cost these days but of the first Master's Keep, Russell's Reserve 1998, and this, I would say that Decades is easily the best value of the three. While that price is hard to swallow, there's something to be said about the fact that this was not hard for me to obtain and if I want another one I can drive to a store right now and grab another. Given the price, I'm not going to do that but I don't regret having gone after this once. 

Rating: B+

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.

Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Rye Reviews

Over the years I've grown quite fond of Wild Turkey. A lot of that stems from a love of their vintage releases back before the turn of the century but they do have some current products that I enjoy as well. Wild Turkey 101 is my go to as a daily sipper and cocktail base of choice. And if you take Four Roses out of the equation, Russell's Reserve Single Barrel is my favorite readily available bourbon under $60. 

But as good as those two products are, Wild Turkey is on shaky ground with me when it comes to rye. Their 101 rye isn't nearly as good of a base product as the 101 bourbon. It's heavily slanted towards a young profile and not really a good value considering the 101 bourbon is more mature and cheaper. But in late 2015 Wild Turkey launched a new single barrel rye under their premium Russell's Reserve line. Though it's not age stated, the Russell's name implies it's a bit older plus it's bottled at a respectable 104 proof and is non chill filtered. 

Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Rye

No Age Statement; 52% ABV; $67

The nose is a nice bouquet of rye flavors like baking spices, anise, and menthol. There's a very familiar modern Wild Turkey characteristic scent to it, kind of like corny cardboard that I taste in the 101 bourbon. From the nose I'd guess about 6-7 years old. The palate is similarly spicy, more so than I remember with the 101 rye. There is honey and other wood sweets up front but it's very heavy on the baking spices and other rye flavors. The corny cardboard note is toned down so it has some maturity, I'd guess maybe 7ish years old. I'm inclined to call this one a bit of a spice bomb, up there with MGP high rye whiskies but without those quirky dill notes.

Rating: B / B-

Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Rye Liquor Barn Barrel #16

No Age Statement; 52% ABV; $70; Barrel #16, Rickhouse E, Floor 2, Selected by Liquor Barn Series #1

Pretty similar to the non store select bottle - baking spices, menthol, rye bread. The young corny cardboard notes are more muted though so there is less modern Wild Turkey familiarity to it. Overall it smells like a rye spice blast. The taste is very similar to the other barrel with the rye spice notes being very prominent but there is also more traditional wood sweetness up front and in the finish. I feel like this is the more mature of the two and I'd guess it clocks in at around 7-8 years old. I'd give the slight edge to this barrel because it offers more balance in terms of sweet and spice but that's really splitting hairs.

Rating: B

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These were a welcome improvement over 101 rye and show that Wild Turkey can make a good rye whiskey. Though there were minor differences between the two, the core profile is still very similar - a modestly aged, nicely proofed, spicy whiskey. At $60+ they aren't the best value but that's pretty close in price to other rye whiskeys I'd rate similarly in enjoyment like Michter's Barrel Strength Rye and Pikesville Rye. 

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.

Wild Turkey 101 Rye Review

Over the last few years, Wild Turkey has grown on me. I'll freely admit a lot of that comes from having tasted their bourbon from many decades ago which is truly some fantastic stuff. I'm more hesitant to praise many of their current offerings but I do really enjoy Russell's Reserve Single Barrel. Where modern Wild Turkey really shines for me though is their standard 101 bourbon. What I love about it is that it's not very expensive, available everywhere, has lots of spice so it works great in cocktails, and is just an all round solid value for the money. So given that I really like rye whiskey, the 101 rye should be on par or better, right?

No Age Statement; 50.5% ABV; $38 1L

Nose: Eucalyptus, menthol, ethanol, and wet cardboard. It's thin on wood and sweet notes and smells like a young rye whiskey.

Taste: Better than the nose with more sweet notes and some wood depth. The rye notes take backseat to the sweets and don't really hit until the back of the palate. There are some rough young ethanol notes here and a high presence of new make grainy flavors.

Thoughts: I don't really like this and it borders on being kind of a mess. It tastes young and it's not really that spicy for a rye. I'm guessing this is the bare minimum four years old to not carry an age statement and also close to the bare minimum 51% rye. I think the 101 bourbon walks all over this as it has better depth, almost as much spice, more balance, and on top of that it's cheaper.

Rating: C-

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating. 

Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit vs. Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Review

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.

Wild Turkey - 12 year "Cheesy Gold Foil", Tradition, Russel's Reserve 1998, 12 year 101, and Kentucky Legend "Donut Bottle" Reviews

As I mentioned in previous posts, I’ve got a huge backlog of samples that I need to work through and a lot of time off so I’m making a push to bang out as many reviews as possible through the end of the year.

The common consensus in the whiskey community is that Wild Turkey has run off the rails in the last 5-10 years. Their core products like 101 and Rare Breed just keep tasting younger every year and on top of that their special edition releases have been kind of a shit show lately. The most notable recent failure is Wild Turkey Diamond from last year that can still be found stinking up store shelves today. Their latest special release Master’s Keep seems to have fared a bit better but given the $160 price tag the quality to price ratio is way out of whack. This is all a shame because there are many who will tell you that the Wild Turkey of 15-20 years ago is really great stuff. It wasn’t until I tried a 1999 batch of Rare Breed that I fully understood the validity of those claims.

With that knowledge in hand, here’s a random sampling of Wild Turkey releases over the past 20 years that I tasted and rated blind.

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Wild Turkey 12 Year “Cheesy Gold Foil” (Mid 1980’s Release)

 
Aged 12 Years; 50.5% ABV; thanks to /u/madgraf for the sample

Nose: Sweet, not overly woody, not overly hot. Lots of classic vanilla and caramel. Smells like a nice middle aged bourbon should.

Taste: Very rich, chewy mouthfeel. Vanilla cake batter. Not as sweet as the nose but still lots of sweet wood sugars. Finishes with just a little spice and some darker chocolate.

Rating: 92/100

Thoughts: This is excellent stuff. Never had a Wild Turkey that was as easy to drink or as good as this before. I believe these are hovering around $300 on the secondary and while I would never pay that I would seriously consider trading for one.

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Wild Turkey Tradition (2009 Release)

 
Aged 14 Years; 50.5% ABV; thanks to @BreakingBourbon for the sample

Nose: Light sweets, a little bit of fruitiness, and a medium to light woodiness.

Taste: More spicy than sweet from the front of the palate all the way to the finish. Upfront there is some caramel which transitions to darker cocoa in the finish. Also in the finish are some older tannic oak notes that I wish were more present but seem to be buried under lots of spice.

Rating: 85/100

Thoughts: Good but a little heavy towards the spice side for me. Still better than any standard Wild Turkey product I can go buy off the shelf right now. I think this retailed for $125-150 which I would not pay even today.

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Russell’s Reserve 1998 (2015 Release)

Aged 15 Years; 51.1% ABV; thanks to /u/mfpark for the sample

Nose: Very rich. A range of sweets from light like vanilla custard to dark like molasses. A good amount of oak.

Taste: A changeup from the nose. Oakier, less sweet, and more spicy notes. There is a lot of oak depth there which is giving a nice balance with the sweet and spiciness.

Rating: 88/100

Thoughts: Really good, almost great. A nice combination of sweet, spice, and oak. This bottle currently retails for $250 and while it’s good it is very overpriced. I am glad I did not buy a whole bottle though I will say this is probably better than Master's Keep.

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Wild Turkey 101 12 Year (Export bottling)

 
Aged 12 Years; 50.5% ABV; thanks to /u/HawkI84 for the sample

Nose: Lots of classic vanilla and caramel sweetness. Medium amount of wood notes. Very nice, classic bourbon nose.

Taste: A little sweet, a little spicy, and a little oaky. A nearly perfectly balanced bourbon.

Rating: 90/100

Thoughts: Great stuff. There is no real standout quality other than how well everything fits together. Walks all over any Wild Turkey you can buy off the shelf these days. Why they don’t make this available in the states is beyond me. These can be found online overseas for around $125 and while that’s a touch high I am feeling the urge to order one though the value aspect goes to shit once you factor in shipping.

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Wild Turkey Kentucky Legend “Donut Bottle” (Late? 1990’s Release)

 
Aged ?? Years; 56.1% ABV; thanks to /u/madgraf for the sample

Nose: Darker sweets and some tannic complexity in the form of leather and tobacco. I get the impression it has some decent age to it but it’s not overly oaky.

Taste: Sweet initially then lots and lots of spice. There are some darker sweets in the front and mid palate but once the spice takes hold it dominates all the way through to the finish. Not as much oak as I expected given the nose.

Rating: 89/100

Thoughts: The nose was better than the taste. Takes a small hit for being a bit unbalanced towards the spicy side. Still really good and again better than any Wild Turkey product you can buy off the shelf these days. I think these go for $300-$400 on the secondary and while I liked it a lot I wouldn’t track one down at that valuation.

Imaginary Internet Friends Blind Tasting #13: Anything Goes

Here’s another rundown from a blind tasting with our local whiskey group the “Imaginary Internet Friends”. You can read more of the backstory on our group and our previous tastings here if you are curious. The theme for this tasting was a group favorite “anything goes” with no constraints on whiskey type, price, proof, or age. Special thanks to /u/tvraisedme for being our blind impartial who selected a great lineup.

 

These are my blind notes, in order of how I ranked them:

1. Sample E: The nose was a fairly average but classic with medium woodiness and also a nice fruitiness. The taste was spicy with lots of mint and was a bit warm. I guessed it was a Four Roses around 105-110 proof with my alternate guess being Smooth Ambler Old Scout. Reveal: Four Roses /r/bourbon OBSF
2. Sample A: The nose was very woody and gave off an impression of being fairly old. The taste was rich, sweet, and a tad spicy. Very good and only a slight notch below my first pick. My guess was this was a higher rye bourbon around 100 proof, possibly Smooth Ambler. Reveal: Weller 12
3. Sample B: Overall, this one smelled and tasted the youngest of the group. The nose was spicy but also had a lot of youthful banana notes. The taste continued the young trend with green apple notes as well as more spice. Because of the young age and spice I suspected this was my submission (WTRB). Reveal: Henry McKenna 10 year Bottled in Bond
4. Sample C: Again pretty young, the second youngest in the group. The nose was very spicy with slight off-putting chemical notes. The taste was slightly more mature but very spicy. I guessed it was a barely legal rye or high rye bourbon around 100-110 proof. Reveal: Wild Turkey Rare Breed WT-03RB
5. Sample D: The nose was awesome on the first pass. It smelled old with a deep woodiness. On a second pass things took a horrible turn towards the bitter side along with very pronounced old musty wood notes. The taste was more of the same - way too bitter and funky in a bad way. I guessed this was an Orphan Barrel other than Barterhouse. Reveal: 2013 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon

Well, no real surprises here for me as this is exactly how I would have ranked these non-blind. As always, the Four Roses was easy to peg. I’m most disappointed I missed the Weller 12 but I didn’t get the classic cinnamon zip I typically get in BT wheated products though it goes to show that wheated bourbons have a spiciness all of their own that can be hard to differentiate from rye spice. The biggest surprise here for me is just how young the McKenna tasted - I would have guessed this was a 6-ish year old bourbon. Definitely the worst McKenna 10 year I’ve had and reinforces variability of single barrel products. Last but not least, I’m well on record as saying I really dislike the OFBB line and I believe this is the second blind tasting where I’ve placed it last.

As for the group rankings:

1. Four Roses /r/bourbon OBSF with 22 points via /u/dannyg483
2. Weller 12 with 17 points via /u/Imcoolerthanu50
3. Henry McKenna 10 year Bottled in Bond with 15 points via /u/pennbarts
4. 2013 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon with 11 points via /u/helios7
5. Wild Turkey Rare Breed WT-03RB with 10 points via /u/signde

No surprises here as it seems to line-up pretty well with the consensus of the community. The most interesting thing to note is this the 5th tasting where Four Roses has been entered and the 4th time It has taken first place. The fifth time was one of the controversial Q recipes that finished last (though I rated it first, haha). Above all else, this tasting only further solidifies the fact that Four Roses really is the best modern day bourbon you can buy off the shelf.