Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Review

“Classy But Expensive”

Country: USA

Brand: Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit

Type: Single Cask Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 

Age: NAS (Said To Be around 9 Years)

ABV: 50.5 %

Sample provided by Derek from the USA. Many Thanks!

Colour: Golden Amber with a touch of Orange.

Nose: Very Sweet and Seductive with Toffee, Butterscotch, Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup, Papaya Cream, Banana, Cherry, Citrus Peel, Blackberry Jam, Toasted Almonds, Rye, Charred Oak, Mint, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and hints of Milk Chocolate and Bounty Bars. It's similar to the 101 Proof but it's got a bit more Depth, Oak and Spices. The Alcohol is quite strong. Still, a very pleasant Nose!

Taste: Sour-Sweet, Spicy and Creamy with Charred Oak, Corn Syrup, Rye, Caramel, Butterscotch, Brown Sugar, Cherry, Blackberry, Nuts, Pepper, Mint, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and hints of Orange-Flavoured Dark Chocolate and Leather. Light to Medium Alcohol Bite.

Finish: Quite Long. Sweet at first but Dry and slightly Sour later on with Cherry, Blackberry, Charred Oak, Resin, Corn Syrup, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Lemon Zest, Nuts, Pepper, Nutmeg, Mint and a hint of Leather.   

With a bit of Water the Nose loses a bit of its intensity. Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup, Charred Oak and Milk Chocolate start to dominate. But Palate and Finish mellow down considerably without giving up too much of the Flavours. I would advise you to add a bit of Water. It makes it easier to fully enjoy the Kentucky Spirit.

Rating: 87  

Nose: 22.5 – Taste: 21.5  – Finish: 21.5 – Overall: 21.5

Derek's Bottle and the Sample!

General Remarks: Wild Turkey is produced in Lawrenceburg Kentucky. Nowadays the Brand is owned by the Campari Group. The distillery produces the 81 Proof, the 101 Proof, the Single Barrel Kentucky Spirit at 101 Proof, Russell's Reserve 10 Years named after Master Distiller Jimmy Russell, Rare Breed a blend of 6, 8 and 12 old Wild Turkey at 108.4 Proof, a Rye Whiskey  made with 65% Rye, 23 % Corn and 12% Barley and a Honey Liqueur by the name of American Honey. The Kentucky Spirit I'm reviewing today is the Single Barrel version of the 101 Proof. It was bottled on the 8th of April 2011 and matured in Barrel # 28 from Warehouse E, Rick # 42. It is said that Master Distiller Jimmy Russell personally selects the Barrels that will be used for this expression.The Mash Bill consists of Corn (75%), Rye (13%) and Barley (12%). On average it costs around 50 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: I like Wild Turkey Bourbons in general. Especially on the Nose. I find it difficult to stop Nosing them! The Kentucky Spirit is no exception to the rule. The combination of Fruit, Grain and Spices is hard to resist. The Bounty Bar note is very nice as well. Palate and Finish can't quite keep up with the Nose. Lots of Charred Oak, Spices and slightly Sour Cherries and Blackberries. Still good mind you but I would have liked to see a bit more Fruity Sweetness here. In summing it up, I find that the Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit is a good but not sensational Single Cask Bourbon. It's got a bit more Depth than the 101 Proof but not enough to justify the considerable price difference. Also, please bear in mind that Single Cask Spirits will vary from Cask to Cask. 

Jan van den Ende                                                           December 9, 2014

Glenallachie 1993 Review

“Too Hot”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Speyside

Brand: Glenallachie 1993 (Scott's Selection) 

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 19 Years

ABV: 55.6 %

Colour: Golden

Nose: Light, quite Floral and Sour-Sweet with Grass, Straw, Dough, Starch, Toasted Oak, Fragrant Soap, Citrus, Fennel, Toffee and a hint of Blue Plums. The Alcohol is not at all integrated. I believe the ABV is too high for this rather delicate Spirit.

Palate: Hot, Sour-Sweet and Dry with Bourbon, Vanilla, Toffee, Toasted Oak, Hot Spices, Pepper, Floral Tones, light Honey, Malt, Green Apple and Plum Jam. The Alcohol burns like hell. This Glenallachie should have been bottled at 47% at the most.

Finish: Short, Very Dry, Hot, Spicy and Edgy with Malt, Oak, light Vanilla, light Honey, Apple Juice, Pepper, Nutmeg and other Hot Spices.

I added a bit of Water and that calms down the Spirit. The Nose now resembles a bar of fragrant Soap that my late Grandmother would have loved. Orange and Malt as well. Palate and Finish have become Smooth and Soapy but also a bit Thin. My advise is to add just a few drops of Water.

Rating: 74

Nose: 19 - Taste: 18,5 - Finish: 18 - Overall: 18.5

General Remarks: The Glenallachie Distillery is quite new and was founded only in 1967. It is located on a hill above Aberlour, close to Ben Rinnes. It closed from 1987 to 1989 when it was purchased by Pernod Ricard. Most of the Spirit disappears in Blends like Clan Campbell, House of Lords, White Heather and  Chivas Regal. Only very little is sold as Single Malt. 

The Scott's Selection is a collection of Single Malts handpicked by Robert Scott, the former Master Blender at Speyside Distillers in Glasgow. This Glenallachie is bottled at Cask Strength and not Chill-Filtered. Scott's Selection organised its last Whisky Tasting Event on September 13, 2014 in Roosendaal, Holland. The Glenallachie I am tasting today was distilled in 1993 and bottled in 2012. It matured in a Remade Hogshead with Cask # 2073 and costs an average 110 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion: There are two main reasons why I don't care a lot for this Single Malt. The most important one is the Alcohol. The ABV is much too high for this Spirit and as a result this Glenallachie becomes almost too hot to handle and misses balance. The second issue is the Sour-Sweet feel to it. I'm sure there are people who will appreciate this Flavour Profile but I am not too fond of it myself. Therefore I can't really recommend this Single Malt, especially not at this price level. Based on today's impressions I suspect that the Glenallachie Spirit would do better as a 10 Year Old Single Malt with an ABV of say 43%. The Floral and Fruity tones would probably make for a refreshing aperitif. 

Jan van den Ende                                                           December 7, 2014