Bourbon Brass and Beyond: Wild Turkey 101 Night with a 1983 Bottle, the 70th Anniversary Russell's and a Japan-Only 12 Year
Dan and Calvin open three Wild Turkey 101 pours, plus a 120-proof gold foil bottle for the nightcap, and compare how age, proof and mouthfeel shape each one. Come for the tasting notes and the story behind a bottle found in an estate basement. Stay for their take on how Bruce Russell may steer the brand after Jimmy and Eddie.
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In this episode
* Catching up on the last episode: They still rate the BTAC Colonel Taylor as the best Taylor Calvin has had. It was underwhelming on first opening, then showed butterscotch and soft caramel on the second round.
* The 1983 Wild Turkey 101: This is the host's second bottle of it. It came from an estate where they went to look at a piano, and the seller also had bourbon barrel furniture and cases of liquor in the basement. They describe dusty funk, orange, a little rye, a very oily mouthfeel, pepper and sweetness trading places across sips, and a consistent finish that doesn't turn bitter.
* Why the older bottle finishes differently: They suggest the oil keeps the flavor from washing away, and that a lower barrel entry proof then compared with higher entry proofs now may play a part. They also discuss whether dustiness and earthiness are the same thing.
* The 70th Anniversary Russell's: Described as curated by Jimmy Russell, 8 years old and 101 proof, though the age statement is uncertain (they guess a minimum of seven or eight years). Notes include molasses-like sugar on the nose, caramel, butterscotch, mint, orange marmalade, balanced rye and great legs.
* The Wild Turkey 12 Year: A Japan exclusive bought through a third party at a good price. Some say it is discontinued, but the host isn't sure. It is darker, with sweeter caramel, a hint of licorice, oak, spice, and a mouthfeel between the 1983 and the 70th Anniversary. They note that 101 proof is rare for an export bottle, and they praise the packaging.
* The Wild Turkey leadership handoff: They discuss Jimmy, Eddie and now Bruce Russell, and how Bruce is starting with a throwback release.
* Nightcap with the gold foil, 120 proof: The youngest barrel is 16 years old. They find less ethanol on the nose than the earlier pours, with deep brown sugar, a hint of cherry, a spicy side-of-tongue note and lasting flavor.
* Allocation frustration: They complain about drops and raffles for bottles like the gold foil and Russell's 15, and joke about the Ohio liquor control system's selection.
* Coming up: The Masters Keep series parts two and three, an Ass Pocket Whiskey series and an Elijah Craig series.
Timestamps
(0:00) Welcome, recovery from last episode, Colonel Taylor recap
(0:57) Tonight's three Wild Turkey 101s
(1:53) Origin of the 1983 bottle: the estate and the basement
(3:57) Why the older bottle's finish stays consistent
(6:17) Jimmy, Eddie and Bruce Russell
(7:16) Rye versus sweet bourbon preferences
(7:40) Setting up the 70th Anniversary Russell's
(10:00) Nose and palate of the 70th Anniversary
(12:37) The story of the Japan-only 12 year
(14:22) Tasting the 12 year: oak, spice, licorice
(16:00) Japanese label and packaging
(18:01) Scotch, peat and Ohio liquor control jokes
(20:48) Drop frustrations and Russell's events
(21:43) Gold foil nightcap
(24:07) Cherry note and 16-year-old youngest barrel
(25:17) Weekly updates and family news
(27:47) Closing thoughts on Wild Turkey and upcoming series
Bourbon, Brass & Beyond - https://www.bourbonpod.com