whiskey

Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon Whiskey Review

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My earliest memories of Wild Turkey began in college, when the mere mention of  bourbon made people scrunch their faces.  I suppose bourbon wasn’t too popular back then.  Fast forward several years and I come back to it in the capacity of a bourbon enthusiast.

Wild Turkey is 101 proof.  From what I understand, while other bonded bourbons were being released at 100 proof, Wild Turkey tried to best them by one proof point.  That “101” on the label really stands out.  The company has a long history that can be traced back to 1855.  Master Distiller Jimmy Russell has been in the business for 60 years, and his son Eddie is following in his footsteps as Associate Master Distiller.  I’ve read Jimmy prefers his bourbon around the 6 year mark, and that’s about what you get with Wild Turkey 101.  It’s a blend of 6, 7, and 8 year old bourbons.

On the nose, Wild Turkey 101 gives me lots of caramel, cinnamon, and vanilla.  The first sip lets you know it’s bold (partly due to the high proof).  This tastes like what I’d consider to be an excellent example  of standard bourbon – lots of caramel, a little spice (like nutmeg), some vanilla and a little citrus.  The finish is sweet, a little oaky and long.  Delicious.

Wild Turkey 101 is an inexpensive delicious bourbon at about $22.  I’ve had this neat and I’ve had this in an old fashioned cocktail.  Wild Turkey makes an 81 proof bourbon.  At a couple of dollars more, I’d suggest you get yourself a bottle of 101.   You won’t regret it.

8/10

Old Charter 8 Year Old Bourbon Review

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Time for a look into something quite affordable – Old Charter 8 year old bourbon.  My buddy Scott wants to see reviews of less expensive bourbon, or “bottom shelf bourbon” as he put it.   I guess he’s hoping I’ll rate these much lower than the expensive stuff.  Here’s the thing – being on the bottom shelf doesn’t automatically make it a bad bourbon.  I have a saying:  ” There’s no such thing as bad bourbon.”  There’s okay bourbon, and there’s bourbon that’ll knock your socks off.  I’m excluding blended whiskies – I’m specifically talking about straight bourbon whiskey.  This leads me to Old Charter 8 year old.  I’ve seen it on the bottom shelf most places I go, but I don’t think it belongs there.

Old Charter is put out by Buffalo Trace.  It uses the distillery’s Mashbill #1, the same one used for George Stagg, Eagle Rare and Buffalo Trace bourbons.  This one is 8 years old and 80 proof.  There used to be older variations of Old Charter, but now we’re down to this 8 year old.  Buffalo Trace also puts out a 101 proof.  Getting your hands on a bottle that says “Aged 8 Years” maybe be a little hard – the company has removed the age statement from the label and that version is hitting shelves. I’m not sure if they taste the same or not. I’ve only tasted the 8 year old version.

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I get some light caramel and oak, and a little bit of alcohol fumes.  There’s an overall lightness in the aroma.  Taste-wise, it’s pretty smooth and has a nice medium body at 80 proof.  There’s the standard bourbon caramel sweetness and very light oak.   Even a little depth with some butterscotch flavor, but nothing like its flavorful older brother Eagle Rare.  The finish is light and bittersweet.

Thus far, this is a really nice “smooth” sipping whiskey… definitely better than Gentleman Jack.  I find it pretty palatable.  Great for sipping neat or an ice cube.  I wouldn’t add water to it.  Personally I wouldn’t mix it in a cocktail either.  I prefer a little bit more “bite” in my cocktails, and I don’t think Old Charter can offer that.  I picked up a bottle of this for about $17.

7/10

Sazerac 18 Year Old Rye Whiskey (2014) Review

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Earlier this year I wrote about the 2013 release of Sazerac 18 year old rye whiskey.  There was so much depth of flavor and elegance, it easily became one of my favorite rye whiskies.  Now, Buffalo Trace has release this year’s Sazerac 18 year old rye, along with the rest of their Antique Collection.

For the last few years, Sazerac 18 year old comes from the same well…er, vat of whiskey.  This whiskey was distilled in 1985 and aged 18 years in barrels.  When it came of age, it was taken out of barrels and moved into stainless steel vats, thus killing the aging process.  Presumably, this should keep the whiskey the same or very close year to year.  Some folks say oxidation is starting to play a part.  I’m not sure – maybe I can compare the 2013 to the 2014 edition in a future post.

Buffalo Trace supplied a review sample.  The smell is, to me, the most complex of all the Antique Collection and very similar to last year’s.  I get oak, caramel, molasses, rye spice, cinnamon and nutmeg.  In the glass, there’s a subtly spicy entry, followed by oak and caramel.  Then there’s cinnamon  and even a little mint.  The finish is long and dry.

Sazerac 18 year old rye whiskey can be best described as elegant.  It’s like wearing your favorite old jacket when the weather starts to cool.  The flavors work together too well.  The last few years this has been a standout whiskey, and this year is no exception.  This one comes with my highest recommendation.

9.5/10