5 years ago I probably wouldn’t have hesitated to call Jim Beam the premier bang for buck distillery in the US. There were a couple other contenders even then, but I think the variety of options and the cost of entry stood out most with JB. Their quality hasn’t declined in my opinion, but the prices have jumped. Enter Wild Turkey. It’s one of the other contenders I had considered at the time, and probably the only one on that short list that has seen only a modest price hike in that time. So what better way to herald the era of the new US VFM king than to try to finally review its most budget-friendly offering of all? This is the old label pictured, meaning it’s a slightly older bottling at the time I’m writing this. Nose: Heavy on the ginger and peppercorn. Black pepper and pipe smoke. Sawdust. Cocoa. Vanilla and orange citrus. Gala apple. Caramel and brown sugar. Palate: There’s some ginger, but more muted than on the nose. A bit of orange citrus. Vanilla and toffee. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, and nutmeg. Gala apple and raisin. Apricot. Some dill and rye spice. Finish: More ginger and peppercorn. Gala apple and caramel. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper. Dill and rye spice. Some apricot and peach. Moderate to short length. Wild Turkey 101 is probably the closest expression to this one across the board in terms of comparability. I must admit, as the internet experts will tell, that is clearly the superior budget option here. But this is fine. Relatively innocuous but also a lot less memorable than its higher-proof counterpart. There is a direct correlation there. This bottle cost a mere $24. It’s one of the cheapest you can find that makes for an acceptable supper. The VFM is there—by a mile. It’s a 3.25 boosted to a 3.5 for VFM. That is pretty damn good for a bottom shelf offering. Hats off the value king, WT.