Tastes

Ah, WT101. I went through 3 bottles of you purely on old fashioneds before discovering your true value. WT101 is a special bourbon for many a bourbon fan, and for good reason. The nose is all things one looks for in classic bourbon - sweet with hints of spice, leather and tobacco. The palate carries on from the nose and adds oak and vanilla. The medium finish is warm, mouth-coating and satisfying. While not a mind-blowing whiskey, it isn't meant to be. Wild Turkey 101 is THE quintessential bourbon experience, especially for beginners. THIS is what bourbon can and should be. 101 outpaces many a whiskey double it's price and easily beats anything in the same price-range. A blend of 6 and 8 year bourbons, you'll be hard pressed to find a better sipper or mixer for the price.

Ah, Eagle Rare. What a bourbon. One of the early bottles I shared with a friend a couple months prior to seriously getting into the hobby. While it holds a special place in my heart, ER is a whiskey I'm conflicted over. Despite being only 90 proof, 45% ABV, it manages a pleasantly medium finish. An incredibly sweet nose leads onto a palate that doesn't quite match the nose. Oak dominates with hints of vanilla and toffee sweetness. The finish makes this, however, as it lasts longer than a 90-proofer has any business lasting. Ultimately, a great product at MSRP but, for the same price, I can access WTRB and other higher-proof offerings that simply give me more bang for my buck.

Has that WT nose. Almost reminds me of RR10 on the nose, tbh. Tobacco, leather, cinnamon spice and a touch of earthiness. When I first opened the bottle, I hated it. Between friends, we drank half on night one. I guessed, if I gave it two weeks in a half-full bottle, it would get better. It did. It tastes a lot like a diluted blend of WT101 & RR10 but without the strengths of either it falls at a weird in-between and demands asking whether this product was a necessity in WT's lineup. The answer? No. Final verdict? After 2 weeks with some oxygen, Longbranch has all the characteristics of a good WT product, but ultimately falls short, especially in its price-range, of being a product worth purchasing for ~$20 more than WT101 or $5 less than Rare Breed.

Wanted to revisit my initial review. A second and third pouring some time later has revealed this to be quite a tasty, honey-forward bourbon. Still not something to blow your socks off but definitely worth the $40 I paid for it.

First pour. Plenty of oak and honey sweetness on the nose. My wife detected apple crisp too. Oakey and oily on the palate with a vanilla sweetness. A very bourbon-y bourbon. Worth the price? No. An excellent bourbon? Yes!

Heavy oak-forward with a light vanilla and semi-lingering finish. The "official" distiller.com reviewer was clearly already drunk, as a nose description of "cocoa powder dusted chocolate truffle" is so far up its own ass as to already being a crock of horsecrap before even smelling it yourself that you know the rest of the review is meaningless drivel as well. Decent bourbon that's not worth the asking price in BC Canada when you can get Rare Breed for $3 more and 101 for $20 less.