Tour de Bourbon Day 24: Wild Turkey 8 Year Old (1970s)

Day 24 is Wild Turkey 8 Year Old (1970s), a “Bourbon Whiskey” that’s 50.5% alcohol.2015-12-29 Wild Turkey 8 Year Old 1970s

https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/wild-turkey/wild-turkey-8-year-old-1970s-whiskey/

As a bourbon drinker, it may be surprising to you, the reader, to learn that I’ve never had Wild Turkey. For whatever reason, it’s always had connotations of being the kind of thing that’s the drink of choice of drunks, rather than of drinkers. Not sure where that came from, but that’s what I realized as I was looking at this one.

This particular Wild Turkey was bottled in the 70s after being aged 8 years, so there’s a decent chance it’s as old as I am. If it was bottled in ’73, it was laid down in ’65, the year I was born. It could even be older, if it was bottled before ’73. So clearly, this is a whiskey that deserves respect.

It’s less dark than I expect, although given the high alcohol content I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I get notes of toffee and brown butter from the nose which carry through into the flavor. It’s quite smooth in the mouth, with a hint of late bitterness that Christina describes as “late backbite.”

This is a good bourbon, but not one that I’d seek out. I’m on the road to overcoming my prejudice against Wild Turkey, but not very far along it.

Two stars.

The updated rankings:

  1. Blanton’s Gold Edition
  2. Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7
  3. Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel
  4. Noah’s Mill
  5. Bulleit
  6. Elijah Craig
  7. Evan Williams
  8. Jefferson’s Reserve
  9. Four Roses Single Barrel
  10. Four Roses Small Batch
  11. Wild Turkey 8 Year Old (1970s)
  12. FEW
  13. Booker’s 7 Year
  14. Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage 2004
  15. Jefferson’s
  16. Four Roses
  17. Smooth Ambler Old Scout 9 Year Old Bourbon (Cask 1868) Single Barrel Release
  18. Michter’s
  19. Eagle Rare
  20. 1792 Ridgemont Reserve
  21. Roughstock Montana
  22. Hudson Baby Bourbon
  23. Old Forester
  24. Smooth Ambler Contradiction

1 thought on “Tour de Bourbon Day 24: Wild Turkey 8 Year Old (1970s)

  1. Pingback: Tour de Bourbon, the aftermath

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *