Wild Turkey Tradition

14 years old; 101 proof

About $115/750ml

Wild Turkey Tradition has the most impressive packaging I’ve ever seen. It comes in a large, rectangular wooden box (see image below). You have to push in buttons on the side to release the lid, which lifts up to reveal a handsome glass-and metal bottle nestled in the box’s gold-flecked base. The only thing missing is a choir singing. Of course, all the frills in the world don’t matter if the juice doesn’t measure up. Does it? Read on.    

Aroma: Vanilla, brown sugar, slight floral note; fresh, light oak.

Taste: An immediate explosion of flavor powered by the Wild Turkey signature 101 proof that quickly and smoothly coats the entire palate. This is no “Kickin’ Chicken”; it continues to bloom with flavors of vanilla, maple syrup and baking spices (nutmeg, cinnamon). Very well balanced, with a nice, long finish.

Verdict: Press materials say master distiller Jimmy Russell aged this bourbon in the “sweet spot” of the oldest warehouses. Whatever he did, it worked. Bourbons aged more than about 8 years often pick up harsh tannins from the oak, but at 14 years old, this has taken on only the best of the flavors that wood can bring to whiskey. It is remarkably balanced. Many bourbons fire on only part of the tongue, but this kept all of my tastebuds happily engaged. My new Tradition will be to bring out this bourbon to toast special events or achievements. And once it’s gone, I will pour something else into the bottle so I can keep using this crazy cool box.

“How do you tell a moonshiner in Kentucky? That Mason jar makes a little mark on their nose.” That’s the wit and wisdom of Jimmy Russell, master distiller at Wild Turkey. Jimmy loves to have a little fun, so here is the real trivia: Occasionally, he will lead tours at the Lawrenceburg, Ky., distillery without telling people who he is, so that he gets honest feedback. If you find yourself on a tour led by someone who claims to be the Wild Turkey janitor… well, you might want to doublecheck that with someone else.

As I’ve mentioned here, I recently went to Chicago for WhiskyFest. When I told people I was headed to the Windy City, at least three times I heard: ”Oh - you HAVE to go to Delilah’s!” Well, you usually only have to tell me twice, and so I did go to Delilah’s, and now I’m telling you to do the same.

Let’s get this part out of the way: Delilah’s, at 2771 N. Lincoln, is a dive. So don’t expect a fancy atmosphere. But do expect a big wall of bourbon (above) and some knowledgeable bartenders.  

Eric, above, was slicing fruit and setting up following a late night the previous evening, when Delilah’s hosted a WhiskyFest After Party. He described the energy that ran through the crowd when a car pulled up and dispensed Mr. Jimmy Russell, master distiller at Wild Turkey, who proceeded to the upstairs bar to have a few more drinks. “That guy RULES!” he said, admiringly. That might sound funny about any other guy in his mid-70s, but trust me: Jimmy Russell can drink you under the table any time, anywhere. 

We played a little Stump the Bartender, asking Eric to bring us something we might not have tasted. He made some good recommendations - among them Heaven Hill’s new Larceny - but we’d had them all. Then he brought out an old bottle of something I’d not only never tried, I’d never even heard of it: Old Mork. According to some quick research, Old Mork was distilled in Louisville, Ky., for medicinal uses only by A. Ph. Stitzel (which would eventually have a Van Winkle connection). 

Delilah’s had it priced at $125 a shot, so I still haven’t tried it, but be sure to let me know if you have or do. Tell ‘em the Bourbon Babe sent you.  

Russell’s Reserve Small Batch Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

110 proof; no age statement

$49.99/750ml

This new expression from Wild Turkey’s Jimmy and Eddie Russell is bottled at a higher proof than Russell’s Reserve (110 vs. 90) and is “non-chill-filtered,” meaning the distillery isn’t chilling the whiskey to filter out fatty acids before bottling it. What does that do to the taste? Let’s find out.

Nose: This bourbon has a fantastically complex aroma. I don’t know if it’s those fatty acids or the heavy “alligator” charred barrels that Wild Turkey uses, but what I smell is a smokehouse, maybe one filled with sugar-cured bacon. It’s a sweet and savory smell that made my mouth water. 

Taste: The first thing I tasted was molasses, right on the tip of my tongue. Very sweet. “This is surprisingly mild for a 110-proof bourbon,” I thought. And then the liquid made its way to the back of my tongue. BOOM: The spice and char came roaring in. There’s a real bite in the back of this one. It finishes out dry, with notes of cinnamon and a nice smoky aftertaste.

Verdict: I once ordered a Bacon Manhattan made with bacon-infused bourbon. It was so very bacon-y (and salty) that it lasted through my entire dinner: I couldn’t stand to take more than a tiny sip of it at a time. This Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel is what that drink was going for, a sweet but savory sip with a nice satisfying burn at the end. And they didn’t have to add anything; they just didn’t take anything out. This bourbon would be particularly fine as a winter warmer, but don’t wait until then to buy it.  

(Note: ”Small Batch Single Barrel” doesn’t really make a lot of sense. Press materials call this simply “Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel,” and I hope the label eventually changes to reflect that.)

Jimmy and Eddie Russell have cooked up a new product over at Wild Turkey: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. At 110 proof, it should have a bigger kick than Russell’s Reserve (90) or the Wild Turkey whiskeys, which range in proof from 81 to 101.

It’s also “non-chill-filtered,” meaning the distillery is bypassing the step before bottling where whiskey is chilled and then passed through a filter that absorbs fatty acids and other proteins. Wild Turkey says this Russell’s Reserve will therefore have a deeper color and more flavor compounds for “an unparalleled burst of flavor in every sip.”

Their tasting notes: “Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel delivers a burst of intense vanilla and hints of burnt orange, along with tastes of licorice and anise seed, culminating with a rich and long finish.”

The Single Barrel (750ml) will be available nationwide, priced at $49.99. I have been promised a sample and will share my review with you soon. We’ll see if Jimmy Russell comes through on his promise that this bottling takes Russell’s Reserve “to another level.”

Trey White, CEO of Anderson Valley Brewing Co., and Jimmy Russell, master distiller for Wild Turkey, toasted their companies’ first collaboration at a rollout of Anderson Valley’s Bourbon Barrel Stout at the Silver Dollar Lounge in Louisville on Nov. 7.

Anderson Valley’s Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout is aged for three months in Wild Turkey barrels, which were chosen because they have a No. 4, or “alligator” char, deep enough to allow the brewery to do two agings in each barrel. The fact that Wild Turkey is located in Anderson County, Ky., is just serendipitous, said White, a native of Nashville, Tenn., who bought the Boonville, Calif., brewery three years ago.

Bourbon barrel aging obviously isn’t new, he said, but whereas many brewers choose to age imperial stouts or other very strong beers, Barney Flats’ percentage of alcohol by volume is relatively low - 5.7 - which makes the resulting beer “very quaffable.” As he pointed to my nearly empty pint glass when he made this point, I clearly agree. This Bourbon Barrel Stout is smooth and sweet, with the vanilla and toffee notes of the bourbon.  

Russell said that he and his son, Eddie Russell, visited Anderson Valley a few months ago before making the final decision on the collaboration. They were impressed by what they saw and tasted, he said. “Wild Turkey is a premium product, and they are making premium craft beers,” he said.

Anderson Valley Bourbon Barrel Stout will be available on draft in a dozen states by the end of the year, with package sales to follow in March or April 2013. Further collaborations will follow.

Wild Turkey announced this week that it is teaming up with the Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Boonville, Calif., to produce a line of bourbon barrel-aged craft beers. Anderson Valley will use repurposed oak barrels from Wild Turkey to infuse its craft beers with bourbony goodness.

The first collaboration, to be released this fall, will be the result of Anderson Valley’s Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout being aged for three months in a Wild Turkey barrel. Trey White, Anderson Valley’s owner and CEO, said the company chose Wild Turkey because of their outstanding whiskey and because they are the only major producer to use a No. 4 “alligator” char on their barrels. “This helps to introduce way more flavor to the bourbon, and therefore way more flavor to our famous Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout,” he said in a release.

Wild Turkey master distiller Jimmy Russell had this to say about the project: “Now I finally have a good excuse to drink a great craft beer!”

I’m told that a promotional tasting event will be held soon - you’ll know the details when I do.   

Making bourbon was once largely a skill that was handed down from generation to generation. But only a few distilleries today carry on that family tradition. One of them is Wild Turkey, where master distiller Jimmy Russell (above) and his son, associate master distiller Eddie Russell (below) work side by side. Jimmy has been with the company since 1954, while Eddie has worked there for nearly 30 years. I asked them at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival Gala what they most enjoyed about their roles at Wild Turkey.

Jimmy: “Seeing people enjoy your product that you’ve made over the years, and getting to work with your son every day.”

Eddie: “The best thing for me is getting to work with Jimmy all these years and learning all about the process.”

What about the “rock star” aspect of events like the Gala? “We’re definitely production guys,” Eddie said, “but that’s part of it. It’s still sort of funny to me that we are thought of that way. But we definitely put out a great product, and I understand why people like it.”

To celebrate Bourbon Heritage Month - and master distiller Jimmy Russell’s 58th year (!) with the company - Wild Turkey sent along this handy infographic about our native spirit.