This year for Thanksgiving, we went back to Arizona to go visit family. While we were there, we also needed to do some work at my mom’s house. Alie is always down for a good home project, but it required a stop to pick up some supplies. While we were at the store, I decided to take a peek at the alcohol selection and decided the $15 dollar bottle of Wild Turkey 101 was too good of a deal to pass up.
The last time I had Wild Turkey 101 was right around the holidays last year. I picked up a bottle for my birthday because it was a perfect fit for the lighted tree bottle cover someone gave me for Christmas. Considering our Thanksgiving meal plans never involve turkey, the only way turkey will make an appearance is if it comes in a whiskey bottle. It also happens to be a perfect mixer in eggnog.
Wild Turkey Whiskey
The neck label on the bottle of Wild Turkey 101 indicates the whiskey has been around since 1855. However, that claim is a bit misleading. James Ripy, an Irish immigrant, bought a distillery in 1853. That distillery was eventually sold to James’s son, T.B. Ripy, and another partner. T.B. became the sole owner of the distillery during the following year.
With a little whiskey-making experience under his belt, James sought to open another distillery in 1869. They opened a distillery on Wild Turkey Hill near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. James brought in T.B. and his other son James P., to run the distillery. The distillery was named the Ripy Brothers Distillery. The Ripy Brothers Distillery operated as the World’s Largest between 1880 and 1905.
During prohibition, the Ripy Brothers Distillery was shut down. The distillery would need to be rebuilt after prohibition was repealed In 1935, T.B.’s Son, Earnest rebuild the distillery and ran it with his brother, T.B. III. In 1940, they started calling their whiskey Wild Turkey. In 1949, the brother’s sold the distillery and it became J.T.S. Brown Distillery.
The Russell Family
In 1954, Jimmy Russell joined Wild Turkey as master distiller. Jimmy’s son, Eddie, joined Wild Turkey in 1981 and worked his way up the ladder. In 2015, Eddie was named the master distiller for Wild Turkey.
Today, Jimmy is still active in the distilling business. Eddie and Jimmy are the first active father-and-son distiller team. In addition to Jimmy and Eddie, Mathew McConaughey added some additional star power to the Wild Turkey Brand.
In 2016, McConaughey joined Wild Turkey as their Creative Director. His primary responsibility has been to market their brand and tell the story of Wild Turkey. You have likely seen a number of these commercials. I honestly can’t get through a weekend of sports without seeing at least one ad with McConaughey hawking whiskey.
Wild Turkey 101
Wild Turkey 101 is a 101-proof straight bourbon whiskey. It has no age statement (NAS) but some sources indicate it is a blend of 6-8 year barrels. The mash bill is 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley.
According to the Wild Turkey website, you’ll notice oak, vanilla, caramel, and baking notes on the palate. The nose contains hints of vanilla, oak, and cinnamon.
Tasting Notes
Alie noticed that the nose on Wild Turkey was not particularly strong for being a 101-proof whiskey. I noticed a hint of baking spice on the nose along with hints of vanilla.
Alie tasted Kashi cereal, and a bit of sweet tobacco. I caught a nice peppery spice, along with a touch of vanilla. I noticed when the vanilla fades away, there is a slightly bitter taste that reminded me of a Swisher Sweet cigar.
Wild Turkey 101 is a rich whiskey that coats your entire mouth. It has a touch of intensity that doesn’t linger particularly long. It doesn’t drink like a typical 100-proof whiskey.
Our Ratings
Drinkability: 4
Personal Preference: 4
Intensity: 2.8
Beginner Friendly: 3
Availability: 5
Overall: 4
Final Thoughts
I started writing this review over Thanksgiving while we were visiting Arizona, but we weren’t able to finish the review before we headed back to Colorado. So on my most recent trip to the liquor store, I had to grab another bottle of Wild Turkey 101.
Overall, this is a great budget bottle of whiskey. It is spicy, but not overpowering. It is rich with a great flavor profile. Best of all, it won’t break the bank. We paid $22 for a bottle from our local retailer.
We recommend grabbing a bottle of Wild Turkey. It is a good cocktail mixer and a great budget whiskey you can enjoy neat or with a rock. In the words of Matthew McConaughey, it’s, “alright, alright, alright.”
Happy Exploring!
