Tastes

Tasting- 2 oz, neat in Glen Cairn, mine was Lot#3 Rich, coating, and chocolatey with hints of cereal bar and a bit of raisin. There is a nutty flavor and delicious oakiness to it that is very inviting. The more it opened in the glass the more the nose bloomed. Reminds me of older Willett as I am convinced by the label (Bardstown, KY) and taste profile that could be the provenance although there is a Vanwinkle lineage in other reviews. It closely resembles the popular "Hello, Wednesday" pick to me. The 12 years in the barrels has done this well. The richness is especially nice, and the little alcohol kick at the end before a fantastically long finish is well placed. Loved it, but I also didn't pay for it. That said it is a huge price to "pay to play." Price as no option, I would definately place this on a top 10 list if you enjoy something not afraid to showcase rye being forward in a bourbon- which I very much do. Price as a factor.....makes you cringe a bit

Taste- 2 oz. neat in Glen cairn Nose- departure from the usual boiled peanuts, caramel, and brown sugar of signature Beam products. This has smoke, oak, and vanilla front and center and then you get the sweeter notes. Palate- Upfront is oak and vanilla giving way to cherry, like a cherry cola and a bit of honey. There is a woodshop taste about it too which isn't overly done but puts it right on the edge of overoaked. In addition I get cigar box and just a hint of bitterness towards the back. Finish: Nice warming finish. Not the ass kick of the 25th Anniversary bottle, or the warming sensation of KC120, but more gentle. The finish is nice and long with a sweet cherry pop on the end. Definately outkicks it's coverage so to speak at 100 proof. Overall: A bit too much oak for me here. Although I enjoyed it, I didn't find it better than a 12-14yr KC 120 at twice the price. Will you be sad you bought it- absolutely not! Will you be happy with bang for the buck?- that is where you might scratch your head?

Taste- neat in 2 oz. Glen cairn Nose- a bit subdued once the ethanol clears out. I then get a masa type, stoneground corn smell (think unsalted tortilla chip), dusty peanut shells, barrel char, and black licorice. It is not your typical bourbon nose. Palate- the taste is floral upfront, perhpas on the line of honeysuckle? The palate also has hot buttered sweetcorn, and a hint of the dusty peanut shells. There is also some smoke in their as well. Reminds me of roasted corn over a charcoal grill. The mouthfeel is richer then the actual palate. Finish- stone ground corn, creamed butter, floral kind of like sweetpea. Overall: Pleasantly different. The weakness is that the flavors are not as vibrant as I might would have wanted them to be. They don't jump out at you and there is some searching involved This is a subdued offering. The strength is that the white corn although removing caramels, and butterscotch sugary elements, did impart some tasty floral and dusty elements that made you dig in. Way different then the traditional Woodford, or the sweeter, chewier and charred Double Oaked. It is a good case study of how different corn in the mash can impart different flavor. This will lend itself easily to scotch drinkers who disdain the more sugary notes in bourbon, and embrace the more floral notes.

Taste: 2 oz. neat in glen cairn, then 1 oz with 2 drops of water in a flight with three other WTMK expressions. Nose: The first thing that strikes me is that signature Wild Turkey dusty, funky nose. It isn't soggy or woody but more like an old leather library book. Think the nose on Rare Breed but older, dustier, and amped up, and with less ethanol. Moving past that I got delicious vanilla with apple blossoms. I wouldnt say the taste was exactly all floral, but more like that smell you would get when walking through an orchard- part flowers, part apple skins. Lastly, plenty of oak. The nose seems to bloom and roll out of the glass and fills the room. Palate: The dusty WT funk note is unabashedly front and center. Vanilla transforms to a spicier cherry note, almost like cherry cough lozenger followed by oak and then fading to ripe red apple. All the while there is barrel char hiding in the background that is just enough not to overwhelm, but let you know that this has been in the barrel for a good long while. The complexity on the palate is a captivating roller coaster ride that features all the best of the things that Wild Turkey is known for, and perhaps the best is yet to come on the finish. CAUTION- Some may get overwhelmed with the dusty WT signature note. Fans like me will say they have been waiting all of their Turkey lives to get to that level in a bottle, while others may lament that there was something in there that was "just a bit off." This expression is aimed at Wild Turkey's fan base, and not a bottle to get you started into their product line. Finish: At 100 proof this outkicks the coverage and finishes like a barrel proof. Not in an ethanol way, but in the rich, warming, and lasting finish. My guess is that at bottling this did not have to be downproofed to get to 100 proof much. The richness is so there, and any bitterness that may have been imparted by adding water is completely missing- a great thing! You get vanilla, cherry, a bit of clove, and nutmeg that will keep you coming back for more! Overall- The bottle lives up to the hype. That said, $175 is a lot of money to pay for the experience. I say this every year when the WTMK series is released, and I think alot of the excess cost is in the fancy magnetic box. What really made me happy on this one is that WT did not stray at all from what makes it a favorite. Instead it took its very best, and then the careful aging made something super that much better! I was afraid that this might be over oaked and taste like soggy wood, but it was not. Just the right amount for an elder statesman without going overboard. The next night I set up a tasting board of 17yr BiB, 17 Yr, Decades, and Revival. I kept Cornerstone out of it to be fair, and here is how I picked them- 1. 17 BiB 2. Revival (could have been a toss up with Decades but the rich, sweet, jamminess of the Sherry finish had me at hello) 3. Decades 4. 17yr- a distant 4th It will be very difficult to knock this out of the running for bourbon of the year.

Tasting- 2 oz. In glen cairn neat, and then 2 oz with 2 drops of water. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, cherry, and marshmallow with oak and light sawdusty woodshop. Palate: A butterscotch bomb! Tastes like those yummy yellow candies and caramel-vanilla cremes. Their is oak in the background, and a hint of nutmeg on the finish. This is a liquid candy bowl Finish: Medium and warming. That butterscotch stays on the tongue and leaves you wanting more with a hint of nutmeg to round it all out.. Overall- Big fan of this one! Super sippable and has all the flavors of grandma's candy dish without cloying sweetness. The texture is velvety smooth and buttery. I love what Michter's does with the low 103 entry proof. It adds incredible texture and layers of flavor without all of the water. This may have been a 5/5 for me if it was higher in proof. I am not complaining about it at all, it is jist that water seemed to thin it a bit, and I like to dial my bourbon in to my liking. That said....the 94.4 proof from the bottle hit the spot perfectly. $130 is a high pricetag to pay, but if you got it, do not hesitate to use it to grab a spectacular bourbon.

2 oz in glen cairn. This was batch 303 (2nd batch). Nose- sugar cookie,vanilla ice cream and cinnamon. There is also honeycrisp apple, and the floral scent of a blossoming fall apple orchard. Palate- absolutely delicious! Somewhat sweet, somwhat sour. The cinnamon stick and vanilla icecream on the nose are on the palate creating a boozy snickerdoodle. Then that delicious honeycrisp apply turns to sour apple green jolly rancher fading into an apple cider-like finish. Finish- smooth finish (shorter with little burn). The finish is not pronounced but transitions from palate to finish and then fades gently. Some may find fault with this as it does not hug or heat you up. I love the gentle transition from sweet bourbon to spicy rye gently and seemlessly which fades like cider. Really well done here! Overall: This is now one of my favorite Wild Turkey expressions. It captures those wonderfully sweet and sassy flavors in Russell's bourbon and adds those spicy, puckery tastes from WT rye and then dovetails them into a wonderful "sweet and sour" sauce! Think Highwest Boureye...but better. The proof is perfect as it is not too hot, or too timid, but just right. Reminds me of the old reeses peanut butter cup commercial- "you put your chocolate into my peanut butter! "No, you put your peanut butter into my chocolate." Everybody wins, and an incredibly tasty creation is born here.

Taste- 2 oz Neat in Glen cairn, no water needed Appearance: Reddish to light amber, coat8ng with lush, slower running legs. Nose: Cherry, oak, buttered rye bread, and butterscotch. Thereis also some tremedously delicious milk chocolate. Hardly a bit of ethanol. Palate: Coating buttery mouthfeel. You are hit with chocolate some nice apple and cereal bar up front. Some spicier notes let you know this is a quality rye. There is some dill and a small bit of mint in the background with nice oak, barrel char, and cherry pie topped with butterscotch to greet you. Finish is like an old friend, warm and with open arms. The buttery note you road in on is the buttery note you ride out on. It is superb. Overall: First, I get almost none of the notes from the pro reviewer at all! Second, it is one of the best ryes I have had. I put it in the category of a 6 year WFE, Cornerstone Rye, Michter's 10 yr, or some of the Handy years. Reminds me alot of 2017 Handy as a matter of fact sans the earthiness. I had had the entry bottle- Roundstone Rye.....and hated it. It was thin, solvent like, and just NO. Took me a year to get the courage to try this at it's 99.00 price after Roundstone was so dissapointing. I had a friend whom I traded a bottle of Old Fitz for a Russell's 2002 who also happens to work at Catoctin Creek. The thing about whiskey folks is that we like to talk and share what we love and hate. In the process of our trade we did just that. He gently twisted my arm on this one and I am so glad he did!

Appearance- Dark Amber, many thin slower running legs. Clings to glass in a nice thicker coating. Taste- 2.oz neat in glen cairn and then 2 drops of water. Nose- Banana and raisin hit you immediately followed by plum, molasses, and oak. Nice, fragrant, nose Palate- Layers of orchard fruits- (perhaps ripe red apple?), chewy caramel, burnt brown sugar, and raisins. There are also some floral characteristics in the background that are opened up with water. Finish: Banana and browned butter are prominent followed by baking spices and some dry oaky heat. Warming and long, perhaps a bit too hot and dry neat, but the addition of a couple drops smoothed it out enough to cover that flaw. Overall- At first I was hesitant given the price and the marketing- strange emphasis on the golden age of Hollywood, and the "Lucky Stage 7" at Warner Bros. I was fearing this to be some hyped, gimmicky bottle tie in like the Star Trek produced by Silverscreeen bottling Company, or the Terry Bradshaw bottle that recently came out. I can truly say that it isn't. This is a really nice bottle of Kentucky Straight Bourbon with 12 yrs of age on it, batched nicely. This is rumored to be from Barton (1792 and many other good ones!) but the labeling says "Distilled and Bottled at Lucky 7 Spirits, Bardstown KY". I doubt very much they have actually been distilling their own and then aging it for 12 years, and the distinct banana nose and notes throughout make me think that the Barton rumors are more true. There is a 6 year version out for about 1/3rd the price. The strength is in the many layers of flavor and really nice nose. The weakness may be an overly hot and dry finish for 100 proof. Overall I wouldn't shun this one. It is a pleasant surprise.

Taste- 2 oz. neat in glen cairn. Nose- French vanilla, and butterscotch dominate a soft nose. There is also a pastry-like aroma that reminds me of pop-overs. Taste- Really nice notes of sweet vanilla, fresh churned butter, and a slight maple note. The mouthfeel is very coating for the 92 proof. There is a pleasant sweetness and balance to this one. Nicely rounded. Finish- long lasting pastry type finish.....think boston cream donut, almost custard like. The only flaw is a bit of bitterness that lingers. There is a cherry tartness that is a great surprise at the end if you stay with it Overall- I am really impressed! This reminds me alot of a wheated version of Yellowstone. It lacks the oaky older notes of a more elder statesman, but it delivers on the sweet, pastry-like taste of a great wheated bourbon. What really surprised me is the luxurious richness for what looks like a younger bourbon (strawlike in color appearance) and a lower proof (thinner quicker running legs). This is likely attributed to the french oak finishing which adds a nice complexity level, and perhaps tempers some of the rougher edges. I can't help but make the comparison to some of the 4 year old Yellowstone store picks that I have had and thoroughly enjoyed, although this is punched up a bit in flavor layers. A definate bottle buy for me.