Wild Turkey 101 – 8 Years Old
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Export; Sold in Japan
50.5% ABV
$25
Website
What the Distillery Says
For more than 60 years, legendary Master Distiller Jimmy Russell has been crafting Wild Turkey 101 the right way. With a high rye content, this iconic bourbon is perfectly aged in American White Oak barrels with the deepest char for more character.
What Gary Says
Nose: Musty oak, vanilla, bitter chocolate, cinnamon spice with nutty caramel.
Palate: Classic Wild Turkey spice – cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper with honey and vanilla, just a hint of dark chocolate and caramel.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with pepper spice and oak trailing.
Comments: This is only available in select export markets (this isn’t the ‘dusty’ 8 yr you may have found in the states years ago). To benchmark it, I first sampled it in a blind side-by-side with current Wild Turkey 101. Personal preferences will vary, but I actually liked the domestic NAS Wild Turkey 101 over this – although they were insanely close. This had just a touch more oak and a touch less caramel to me than the other, but were incredibly similar. That said – this didn’t strike me as something special I’d seek out (and I take some comfort in knowing that I’m not missing out). Although if you like more oak in your bourbon, this might edge out what you find on the shelf – although again, the differences weren’t significant to me.