A Tail of Two 101s

Ah, Wild Turkey 101 - the quintessential “college pour”, the go-to “this is the bottle I’d drink every day” for bourbon YouTubers everywhere. It’s not usually on my bar, but I do admit it’s got a strong case for the best value-to-price regular release from a heritage distillery.

But wait - this one is 8 years old, not non-age-stated (which only requires 4+). My Wild Turkey fanatic friends would yell at me if I didn’t mention the heritage of 8/101 Wild Turkey, a now-dusty line that was the baseline for Wild Turkey excellence and accessibility for most of the 90s and early 2000s.

As I’ve admitted elsewhere, I’m not the dusty Turkey megafan I find myself surrounded by. It’s good (mostly), but I’m not ready to drop $1500 on a Kentucky Legend (aka the “Donut”). So I know the 8/101 is good stuff. Once Wild Turkey dropped the age statement on 101, though, the 8/101 became much more in demand than it was before and perhaps more than it should have been.

This is all to say that I’m not sure what I was expecting going into this pour. I figured it would be something a little special given it was for Jimmy Russell’s 70th year at the company, but what would be special about it other than the age? Turns out, quite a bit.

At $50 MSRP, this is an easy pickup any day of the week. It has the age you want without the woodiness I despise, the mouthfeel that drinks solidly at 101 or a little more, and a classic Wild Turkey profile that’s not asking you to do anything but enjoy what’s in front of you. It’s not a special release like the Master’s Keep series or something under the Russell’s Reserve line, it’s meant to be widely available. At a comparable price to Russell’s Reserve shelfers (around $55-$60/bottle), I find this much more drinkable, with nearly no proof burn and lots of flavor. I love a Russell’s pick as much as anyone…ok, not as much as anyone cough EJJ and CW…but enough to have one or two around. This I’d buy a case of and share widely, neat or in a cocktail.

Wild Turkey 8 Year 101 Proof - Jimmy Russell 70th Anniversary: Specs

Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Producer: Wild Turkey Distillery

Mashbill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Barley

Proof: 101º (50.5% ABV)

Age: 8 Years Old (Company notes 8-9 year old bourbon)

Location: Kentucky

Wild Turkey 8 Year 101 Proof - Jimmy Russell 70th Anniversary Price: $50

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Wild Turkey 8 Year 101 Proof - Jimmy Russell 70th Anniversary: Tasting Notes

Eye: Light black tea. Thin rims, sloughing droplets and medium legs.

Nose: Warm woody notes, heady. Horseradish spice and a little of the flavor. Smells like it’ll be woody without being too woody. Red raising and a touch of ethanol.

Palate: Caramel bursts out of the glen, simple like Werther’s then complex with black pepper sharpness and an above-proof punch. Mid-back palate gets hit hardest. Wood is nicely constrained by the caramel sweetness. Great mouthfeel that’s oily and coating. Some tannin on the back end gives mild astringency, date and fig opening late in syrup and molasses.

Finish: Becomes much fruitier, late fall into winter, dark and dried, prunes and dates and figs. Moderate, wonderful spice, a touch of astringency and a long Kentucky hug that numbs towards the end.

Overall: I’m not sure what I expected from this, but it exceeds my expectations at every turn. Fantastic palate, mouthfeel, and finish, only the nose coming across as woody holding it back. Great balance and transition from caramel to fruit with spice and wood for body, decadent without being syrupy for an exceptionally reasonable price.