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📚Background: A timeless classic from Campari owned Wild Turkey distillery, WT101 is a highly successful mass market offering crafted under the watchful eyes of Master Distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russel (of Russel's Reserve fame). Jimmy incidentally just clocked his 70th year of employment with the company where he started sweeping floors before working his way up to Master Distiller. The Wild Turkey product family includes an 81 proof budget edition, 101 bourbon, 101 rye, and Wild Turkey American Honey Liquor, in addition to more premium offerings like Wild Turkey Rare Breed and Kentucky Spirit. There are also 8-year and 12-year iterations of Wild Turkey 101 produced primarily for Asian markets (read: Japan). All editions are lovingly aged from one of two mash bills, the bourbon bill discussed below and a rye recipe, likely with the same yeast being used for both. Wild Turkey products are distilled to a barrel entry proof of 115, somewhat lower than many other producers. This means that there is much less dilution when getting down to that 101 bottling proof which can result in increased flavor and a thicker mouthfeel. It is worth noting that the entry proof has crept up over the years after sitting at 107 proof for most of the Turkey dynasty timeline (110 in 2004 upped to 115 in 2006). For a full timeline, see this excellent write-up from RareBird101, the world's foremost Wild Turkey writer. Turkey ages its whiskey in traditional wooden and tin-clad rickhouses, rotating barrels between floors to even out the effects of temperature on aging. Most of the Wild Turkey still in the world today has been produced on the distillery's modern still which entered service in 2011. Stills each have their own unique character, and the transition from the old equipment and cypress fermentation vessels to the current modern steel tanks is largely attributed to the minor shift in flavor from "Dusty Turkey" to the the whiskey we still love today. Campari has financed a large expansion of the distillery, due to be completed in 2025, which will add an additional 5 million proof gallons of production capacity for a total of 14 million proof gallons per year. It's a great time to be a Turkey fan!
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| Wild Turkey 101 - No Stranger to Awards |
🧪Proof: 101 proof, 50.5% ABV
🎨Color: R5- a charming orange brown, some legs
🥔Mash Bill: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% barley. No Age Statement but the producer cites that juice in the blend is between 6-8 years, though brand ambassadors have confirmed that there may be spirits aged as much as 10 years in the blend depending on what is needed to achieve the right flavor profile. Wild Turkey only uses non-GMO grains in its mash bills. They further note that a number 4 char is used on the barrels, also known as an "alligator" char for how the rippling looks like reptile skin. Most bourbon is barreled at either level three or four, but the additional carbon in a level four char may help to filter our some undesirable compounds and can promote a smoother finish.
👃Nose: Citrus, Oak, and maybe a bit of nuttiness, slight whiff of ethanol. Cinnamon Broom.
😜Palate: Sweet and approachable with the usual bourbon flavors, caramel, vanilla, and oak. Mid palate you can start to pull out some baking spice flavors mixed in with some booziness. Well blended, otherwise I think it would taste a bit hot.
💦Finish: Medium-short with a bit of orange peel, white pepper, and nutmeg. A little zip of heat lingers after the flavor has gone.
🏆 Overall: 6/10 - Very Good - A Classic - Wild Tukey 101 is one of the greats. It's not overly complex and isn't afraid to roughhouse a hair going down. It's darn good. There's a reason both whiskey aficionados and frat boys gravitate to this bottle. If you're planning on getting after some quantity, there are few better partners. By volume, this is probably in my top four for total volume consumed, and I don't see that changing. I will say that it is meant to be DRANK. Oxidation and headspace don't do this bottle many favors. In my experience, 101 is best at first crack and fades substantially with time and exposure to air. I rated it across the last handle and noted a small but recognizable decline from around 6.25 to 5.5 over the course of about 12 months. One good soldier down, off to the store for another!
⚖️Rating Scale:
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume it by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws | Struggle to get through the bottle
4 | Serviceable | Mixing or ice recommended.
5 | Good | Drinkable Neat | An agreeable dram indeed.
6 | Very Good | Any flaws offset by interesting flavors | A cut above.
7 | Great | You find yourself reaching for this one often | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Serve to Impress Guests | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite | You guard this bottle jealously.
10 | Perfect | You didn't think anything could be this good | A clear champion.