[Review] Wild Turkey - 101 50.5%

Back to Kentucky today with a look at Wild Turkey 101. I know I still need to investigate Bourbon / American whiskies further but bit by bit, I will get there. Wild Turkey 101 is a bottle which often recommended by Bourbon drinkers as a solid pour for a very affordable price so when my local supermarket started stocking it, I thought it was time to make up my own mind about it. And I guess as you can see from the fill level on the pictures, it has been very well received. I have drunk a fair amount neat but have also enjoyed it in cocktails (it makes a pretty good old fashioned!)


The mashbill for Wild Turkey is composed of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley and the 101 version is bottled at 101 proof or 50.5%.

Nose: Not overly sweet, herbaceous (coriander, mint) lemon, some fresh oak, nutmeg, toffee but not much vanilla. It gets a little fruitier after a bit of time in the glass (cherries, hints of prunes and aniseed). I do not get too much alcohol for 50.5%!

Palate: Sweet cherries on arrival quickly followed by spices, some woody notes. Vanilla and caramel come through more on the palate. Some cardamom, black pepper and hints of peppermint too. Again, it is quite easy drinking when considering the alcohol content!

Finish: Drying, sweet caramel, oak and still some black pepper and mint around. I also find a fruity side lingering around.

With water: A few drops and experience becomes fruitier and sweeter, with a little more bitterness on the finish though...


Wow, this is my first bottle but I doubt it will be the last. For a Bourbon, it is not overly sweet like some can be and the higher abv helps deliver something different compared to other Bourbon in this price bracket. As I mentioned above, it also works very well in cocktails so what is there not to like about this one? I need to start looking for a replacement bottle soon!


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