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Bourbon Review: Wild Turkey 81 Proof

As far as introducing yourself to Wild Turkey, this is a great start. For me, Wild Turkey has always been about big ABVs, but it is also manageable on the palate.

OVERALL RATING

7
$17
  • Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer and consultant with over a decade of experience in whisky retail and online whisky education. Best known for hosting Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, he is dedicated to making whisky accessible and enjoyable by cutting through jargon and complexity.
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Tasting Notes

About:

The entry level release form the folks at Wild Turkey. Containing a mash-bill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley, Wild Turkey have made themselves famous across the world some of the most consistent and great value products on the market. This is their lower proof release at a more regular 40.5% ABV, or 81 proof. Something to warm your palate up with before jumping into their higher proof bourbon wonders of the world.


Appearance:
Dark Brown
Nose:
Caramel waffles, brown sugar, a little rye spice, a hint of cupboard spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. This really is just a turned down version of Wild Turkey 101. There are some sweet and softly spicy profiles that take a normally sweet profile of bourbon with some added earthy and winter driven spices.
Palate:
Weirdly enough this comes across as a little spicier than the 101 release on the palate. You get a more dominant wood note that can lead to caramel and soft brown sugar, but can also lean a little tannic, too.

That aside, it has these nice vanilla and treacle notes, the rye spice becoming a little more muted as it works over your tongue.

An interesting point within this is a note or minerality. There’s an aroma and taste that reminds me of limestone. That’s not too unusual when you think about Kentucky being sat on a huge underground shelf of the stuff, but it really pops through in the 81 release.
Finish:
More of that spiciness, but it’s quite subdued now. The sweet molasses notes linger around, you even get a touch of tobacco and something you could mistake for cognac, an almost marinated cherry note.
Comments:
I don’t love it as much as I adore the 101 release, but this is still a very good bottle of bourbon for your money.

As far as introducing yourself to Wild Turkey, this is a great start. For me, Wild Turkey has always been about big ABVs, but it is also manageable on the palate. It’s a bourbon that allows its flavours to really scream and shout at a generally higher alcohol level.

You could call the 81 release a little muted when compared to its bigger brothers, but it is there to serve a point and indeed a customer. As fun as higher strength whisky can be, it isn’t for everyone, those numbers can always seem really intimidating on paper to a newer whisky drinker. However, once you’ve warmed up to the idea of higher proof drinks, what awaits you is an absolute delight of flavours!

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Phil Dwyer

Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer and consultant. With a decade of experience in whisky retail and nearly as long running Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, Phil is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with fellow whisky lovers. His goal is to make whisky accessible and enjoyable, dispelling the jargon and complexity that can sometimes surround the spirit. In addition to his online presence, Phil managed The Whisky Shop Manchester, where he curated an impressive selection of some of the finest drams available.

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