Wild Turkey Master's Keep: Decades

In 2015 Wild Turkey created Master’s Keep, a high end and limited edition bourbon. These barrels were hand-picked by Master Distiller Eddie Russell after aging for 17 years. Master's Keep is the oldest whiskey Wild Turkey has released to date. As expensive as it was intriguing, I decided not to buy a bottle as it was only 86 proof; I happily turned my head and focused on something else. 

Fast forward to Spring 2017, Master’s Keep Decades is the second premium bourbon released from Wild Turkey. The 10- 20 year-old barrels selected for Decades (also hand-picked by Eddie Russell), represent “the very best of two decades of bourbon making”. Bottled at 104 proof, this was bourbon I was excited to get my hands on! 

Details

-Blend of bourbons aged between 10 and 20 years

-104 proof
-Price: $149

Nose: Caramel, butterscotch, oak, and smoke- very vibrant and inviting.

Taste: Layers of sweetness, with milk chocolate, butterscotch, and caramel candies. Dried fruits, such as raisins and apricot add depth to the mid-palate; this is well-balanced bourbon.  The mouth feel is thick. The legs of the bourbon run slow on my glass and are noticeably wide. A backbone of smoke and toasted oak keeps the sweetness in check.  

Finish: Long with a bright sweetness that dims into a dry, mouthwatering oak.

Conclusion: The mingling of these younger and older barrels was executed very well. It’s vibrant bourbon with deep character. Master’s Keep Decades has exceeded expectations in regards to flavor profile, but I’m not happy with the price tag. Overall, this is a very good, one time purchase for any bourbon enthusiast, but if the phrase “limited edition” doesn’t create jubilant fireworks in your head, I can’t justify spending $150 on this one.

My Rating:  B+ (Very Good)

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Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon

Russell's Reserve whiskeys are handpicked by father and son Master Distiller duo, Jimmy and Eddie Russell. Jimmy has recently retired, but these two gents have a combined 90 years of experience in the bourbon industry. Russell's Reserve is known as the higher end, yet readily available line of Wild Turkey products. I think it's worth noting that the Distillery has recently relabeled the majority of their products; I first saw these new Russell's Reserve labels in late 2015, and think they look damn good.  

Details:
-Single Barrel #2442, no age statement
-110 proof
-Price: $49

Nose: Pleasant with a plethora of barrel sweetness. Toffee, cane sugar, vanilla, and toasted oak.  

Taste: A rich, bold burst of rye spice and black pepper linger on the palate. Vanilla, glazed pastries, corn, and toasted oak help mellow out the back end.  

Finish: Medium in length with a slight bite.  

Conclusion: This particular barrel was aged in warehouse H on the 7th floor. Barrels aged in the center section of a warehouse will typically yield a well balanced whiskey, and this bourbon is exactly that; sweet yet spicy, sharp yet smooth. While I enjoyed drinking this neat, the burst of rye and pepper spice also make a great cocktail.  

My Rating: B+ (Very Good)

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Bourbon Brothers Review: 

Russell's Reserve 10 Year

Russell's Reserve is a line of whiskies created for the 50th Anniversary of famed Master Distiller Jimmy Russell. These small batch barrels are hand selected by Eddie Russell (Jimmy's son), who was recently announced as the new Master Distiller for Wild Turkey.

Details: 
90 proof
10 years old 
Taken from the center cut of Wild Turkey rickhouses 

Color: Bright Amber

Nose: Not too many complex flavors, however the few that are present are rich and robust. Sweetness is the first thing you notice. Distinctive rye spice and oak round out the sweetness for a very balanced nose.

Taste: Delicate yet full flavored; initial brown sugar sweetness combines with toffee and vanilla.  This transitions to a dry and peppery mid palate.
   
Finish: Fairly smooth and medium in length; sweet tobacco with a spicy rye kick.

Conclusion: The Russell's Reserve line is amongst the higher end Wild Turkey products available, and at $35 for a 10 year bourbon, this whiskey is a steal. 

My Rating: B+ (Very Good)

Bourbon Brothers Review:

Wild Turkey Diamond Anniversary

On this snowy, Thanksgiving day, what better way to celebrate the start of the holiday season than with a Wild Turkey! This bottle of Diamond Anniversary pays tribute to Jimmy Russell's 60 years at the Wild Turkey Distillery. As the longest active Master Distiller in North America, Jimmy has forgotten more about bourbon than most of us have ever learned.

Details:
A blend of 13 and 16 year old bourbon barrels
91 proof
$125 750ml

Color: Golden Amber

Nose: Caramel and vanilla sweetness up front along with a light, citrus-orange zest.  It's an elegant and complex nose with a floral bouquet, black pepper spice, and toasted oak rising from the glass. 

Taste: Initial sweetness that transitions to a thick and spicy mouthfeel. It's well balanced with honey, vanilla, brown sugars, cayenne and black pepper.

 Finish: A medium finish with a delicate sweetness, rye spice, and mature oak.

Conclusion: This is hands down the best Wild Turkey bourbon I have ever tasted. Jimmy's son Eddie hand selected and blended this bourbon and it makes me really excited for his future releases. Diamond Anniversary bourbon is a very drinkable whiskey that hits all the high points of what you'd expect from a great bourbon. When I bought the bottle, I was initially disappointed that it was not 101 proof (come on, WT 101 is THE brand), but this certainly exceeds my expectations. 

My Rating: A (Great) 

Bourbon Brothers Review: 

Wild Turkey Forgiven

Wild Turkey Forgiven is a blend of six year old bourbon [78%] and high proof, four year old rye [22%]. The back story behind this product is that the Wild Turkey Distillery staff accidentally mixed the two whiskies.  When Master Distiller Eddie Russell tasted it, he deemed it "exceptional whiskey more than worth of bringing to the market", and thus "Forgiven" was born. It is bottled at 91 proof. 

Color: Amber

Nose: Vanilla, Ginger, Cinnamon, Rye Spice, Oak

Taste: Creamy Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Ginger, Spearmint, Clove, Oak

Finish: Short and Smooth. Brown sugar, oak, peppery. 

Conclusion: Personally, it matters not whether this is a true story or just a creative idea from their marketing team; I like the story and I like the whiskey. It is a limited edition offering (unless the distillery crew happens to make another mistake), so I suggest you pick it up if you can find it. 

My Rating: B (Good)

Video Review: 

Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon

Good evening from The Blundon Bourbon Review. Tonight i'm happy to share with you my Wild Turkey Rare Breed bourbon review. WTRB is a combination of Wild Turkey 6, 8, and 12-year-old stocks which makes for a very smooth bourbon given the high ABV.

Wild Turkey Rare Breed 108.2 proof and while this one was a gift from my brother-in-law during his recent trip to the bourbon trail (note the custom labeling for my wife and I), this bottle can be purchased for $40.

Color- Dark amber with dark red tints

Nose- Dark chocolate, hazelnut, candy, cherries, vanilla

Taste- (Neat from a Glencarin Glass) A wave of rye spice that is strong yet mellow, followed by defining notes of eggnog, mint, orange, cherries and tobacco.

Finish- Long and spicy with a bitter tail. Simply yet bold. How I prefer my bourbon.

Conclusion- Upon finishing my dram i'm left wanting another pour. The bitter finish is certainly present, however it is not overwhelming. For being rye heavy, WTRB is a great expression of a barrel proof (uncut with water) bourbon and, a great introduction to the higher proof products on the market. This is the first barrel proof reviewed on this blog and I look forward to diving deeper into the barrel proof market. 

My Rating- B+ (Very Good)