Wild Turkey 101 Proof Bourbon [700ML]

Wild Turkey is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey distilled and bottled by the Wild Turkey Distilling Co, located near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The Company is part of Campari Group, an Italian company active in the branded beverage industry since 1860.

In 1891, Thomas Ripy built the Old Hickory Distillery in Tyrone, Kentucky, near Lawrenceburg on the former site of the Old Moore Distillery. After the prohibition and the death of Thomas in 1902, the Ripy Family repaired the distillery and began to produce bourbon again. The Ripy family sold most of the bourbon produced to various wholesalers who bottled the bourbon under their own brands.

Austin Nichols in 1955, started his own wholesale grocers that includes selling wine and spirits. He was also one of many wholesalers who purchased from the Ripy family. The Wild Turkey brand is rumoured to have arisen after Thomas McCarthy, an executive working for Austin Nichols took some warehouse samples on a wild turkey hunting trip in 1940 with his friends. The bourbon proved extremely popular with the people and continued to ask for “that wild turkey bourbon”. Austin Nichols then began to bottle Wild Turkey brand in 1942.

For the next three decades, Austin Nichols remained a non-distiller producer by bottling bourbon purchased on the open market under the Wild Turkey brand. In 1971, Austin Nichols finally purchased the distillery, then known as Boulevard Distillery and changed its name to Wild Turkey Distillery. Pernod Ricard purchased the distillery and Wild Turkey brand in 1980. Tragedy struck when a fire destroyed a seven-story aging warehouse in the year 2000. Campari Group acquired the distillery and Wild Turkey brand from Pernod Ricard in 2009. In 2011, Wild Turkey brand began to be distilled at a newly constructed facility near the old distillery.  

Wild Turkey 101 Proof Bourbon is aged in American White Oak barrels coated in the deepest ‘alligator’ charring and remains unchanged for the past 60 years. It contains high rye content in the mash bill and is aged in casks with heavy charring resulting in huge flavours and complexity. Bottled at 50.5% ABV.

Yellow Golden.

Starts sweet with caramel and vanilla notes followed by spices and oak.

Bursting flavours of sweet vanilla, caramel and notes of wood and spices.

Long lingering finish with notes of spice and oak.