Wild Turkey Bourbon 101

So what do you do when you have what's widely seen as one of the best daily drinking, can mix, and be loved by geeks and novices alike bottles of bourbon? Well duh silly, you make a new label, put in vastly inferior juice, and hope nobody cares. Nose - mostly just vanilla. Some ethanol, some light oak, bit of toast. Perhaps some toffee, cream, cherries, vanilla. Look it's classic bourbon, just lacking any real depth, nuance, or well hint of age. Taste - this is where things go south fast. Where's the turkey character? Where's the funk? Where's the hints of at least some 6 year bourbon? What once was a catch all do all kind of entry level bottle now noses and tastes like a high quality mixer. You seriously will struggle tasting this to think wild turkey. All and all a travesty, but I can't say this is terrible bourbon. It's easy drinking for the proof and has a nice vanilla profile that'll mix well and isn't offensive. This seems like both a push to save money with youger bourbon and an attempt to repurpose this brand as a bar mixer vs dive bar safe sipper. An interesting, and decent entry level bottle, but for the love of Eddie Russel, don't call this wild turkey 101.

The refreshed bottle of 101 is very good. It’s a notch better than it used to be (and it used to be one of the most underrated bottles on the shelf, especially at the $30 price point). Nose: bright oak, citrus, caramel, baking spices, candy corn, tobacco Taste: nutmeg, brown sugar, molasses, mint, baking spices Finish: medium with a little more spice, caramel and minty rye spice at the end This is my favorite “new release.” I use quotes because it’s not a seasonal, rare bottle you can’t get your hands on. This is in every liquor store and every bar, and it really surprised me. For a “budget” and mainstream bottle you can never go wrong with 101, and the bottle refresh in 2022 is even better than before. If you were to take all the classic bourbon notes and deliver them in a clean, bright yet oily & rich *balanced* whiskey, this would be it. None of the flavor notes are in your face, but they’re all equally balanced in a way that very few distilleries can pull off like Wild Turkey 101.

Toasted oak Carmel Toffee

Carmel & vanilla notes. Just incredible for the proof & price! Leaves the perfect amount of heat. Great daily whiskey IMO.