Wild Turkey Bourbon 101

Well. Initial smell is nail polish remover/varnish mixed with some serious peanut funk (almost Beam yeast-esque). Then you get some dry erase marker. Beneath that, youthful wood and raw, green spirit. Close your eyes and there's a touch of the Wild Turkey signature--a smell I describe as like walking into a deli, all brining spices (caraway, clove, dill, peppercorns) and rye. Taste is--I have to admit--surprisingly mellow for 101 proof (the heat builds on the finish), offering up an initial citrus sweetness, then lots more of that nuttiness, and some white pepper. Soggy wood, light caramel. Green, un-integrated wood. Gone in a flash, again, are those Wild Turkey brining spices, followed by a slight sourness, vanilla, some bitter wood. This whiskey feels shockingly young, and I'd love to do a side-by-side with much older bottlings to see if the distillery is just cutting corners. I like Kentucky Spirit. I like Rare Bird. I like the Russell's Reserve bottlings. But the flagship just doesn't work for me. I suppose I can better understand the appeal of the Dirty Bird in the US, where it's a fairly reasonably priced offering. Outside of the US, however, where it sells for a premium ($39 in Canada), it's just not worth it.