Wild Turkey Distiller’s Reserve 13 Year Old
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
45.5% ABV
$50-$70 (Japanese market)
Website
What the Distillery Says
(I think*)
The highest peak of Kentucky Straight Bourbon by a world-famous parent-child distiller.
There are parents and children who devote their lives and passions to making bourbon. Jimmy Russell and Eddie Russell continue to adhere to the traditional recipes of their predecessors and never compromise. After 13 years of aging while being nurtured by its sincere attitude and the rich nature of Kentucky, it is finished in a premium bourbon with a dignified style and a special taste suitable for Wild Turkey.
* The above is what Google Translate showed that Wild Turkey’s Japanese web-site (which I needed to VPN into Japan to get to) says about this product.
What Gary Says
Nose: Vanilla, oak and rickhouse must, leather, baking spices with toasted orange zest.
Palate: Soft caramel, vanilla, oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, faint sour citrus note with a bit of pepper.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with oak, caramel and soft pepper.
Comments: For Wild Turkey fans, I’m guessing this is a miss more than a hit. It has that mature oak note (with the oak heavier on the nose than on the palate) but this lacks the spice kick I look for (and frankly expect) in Wild Turkey – and for the age, it isn’t as complex as I had hoped. The nose has more complexity for me than the palate. I was really looking forward to trying this, but was disappointed. I have fond memories of some dusty Wild Turkey 12 yr old bourbon, which this bears no resemblance to, but that probably wasn’t a fair expectation. Maybe if this was a higher proof it would have delivered.