Wild Turkey 101
The King. Unquestionably a classic. Bourbon in quintessence. The Blood of Kentucky.
Wild Turkey 101, 2019
ABV: 50.1% // 101 proof
Ages: 6-8 years
Release: 2019
Mash Bill: 75/13/12
Color: The Blood of Kentucky
Non-chill filtered
Nose: Rich. The epitome that every Bourbon attains to be, yet usually falls short of. Vanilla, dark honey & caramel. Big rustic Rickhouse notes; you can smell the sun through the windows against the barrels on a late Kentucky summer. Corn husk, spent peanut shells, fresh straw and oak sawdust. Citrus is more orange & less lemon. Dry to exponential perfection ensuring that this bourbon isn't another cloyingly sweet corn whiskey.
Palate: Full bodied. Kentucky in a glass. Dry, sweet and rich. Most bonded Bourbons don't possess this depth. Caramel, vanilla & a plethora of spices. Oak is the great equalizer here keeping everything in check & restraining the corn from dominating as is the typical downfall of most other, generally young, “craft” bourbons. Cinnamon infused Muscovado simple syrup.
Finish: Long. Black pepper, honey. Corn never dominates. The integration of spirit and oak in your average bottle of Wild Turkey 101, one of the most available Bourbons in the world, is close to flawless. Oak stave embers dying out.
Bourbon and House Rating: 93
The only thing keeping me from rating Wild Turkey 101 at 100 is the fact that Wild Turkey produces other Bourbons, in particular, single barrels of Kentucky Spirit & Russell’s Reserve. That should illustrate in what regard I hold this distillery to.
I gave Wild Turkey 101 a 93 because even a low A rating would do it injustice. From price, to availability, to quality, to heritage, to unquestionable craftsmanship, this bourbon deserves all 93 of those points.