Episode 19: Wild Turkey 13 Year Distiller's Reserve

The Pot Still Column: Episode 19

Wild Turkey Distiller's Reserve Aged 13 Years

Proof: 91

Age: 13 Years

Finish: None

Source: Wild Turkey Distillery (Lawrenceburg, Kentucky)

Price: $55.00 (Japanese Release)

Thanks to a friend of mine, I've recently entered my Wild Turkey renaissance: the period during which one rediscovers how amazing Wild Turkey products can be after becoming bored with them initially. That's the trouble with Wild Turkey--- its steady success in the bourbon world can cause consumers to overlook it, and it's history as the two-buck chuck of bourbon has tarnished its reputation for many traumatized ex-college students. This is all a shame because Wild Turkey is possibly the greatest of the Kentucky mega-distilleries, and it offers a timeless profile that seems to please just about everyone. My time pushing Wild Turkey products to the back of the shelf is in the past, and I will start making amends for my neglect with this review of Wild Turkey 13 Year Distiller's Reserve.

Being that my turkey taster has seen better days, I've decided to approach this review with a comparison. I'll be using Wild Turkey 101 as a control to center my palate and highlight how the 13 Year differs from its most popular cousin.

There is a noticeable color difference between the two bourbons, the 13 Year being significantly darker, although I suppose that should be no surprise. The standard WT101 is aged between 6 and 9 years, so the 13 Year age statement on the Distiller's Reserve is no small step up. Other than color, the two bottles are practically identical (I am using the old bottle of WT101), although the Distiller's Reserve has been designed to look more regal. The purple and gold labels certainly provide a royal aesthetic, but the rest of the presentation is classic Wild Turkey.

On the nose, the WT101 is noticeably nutty (peanuts) and has the standard Wild Turkey dusty oak. The oak melds with the caramel notes, creating a very rustic, backwoodsy profile that makes it easy to imagine oneself standing in the musty rickhouse. The 101 provides a nice balance between light and dark, and the whiskey is both bright and heavy at the same time.

The Distiller's Reserve introduces an immediately apparent difference in scent. While the 101 didn't seem particularly ethanol-heavy while smelling it, the 13 Year makes it seem fumey and unrefined. Wild Turkey 101 embraces the ethanol as part of the experience, but the 13 Year cuts right to the flavors, bypassing the ethanol altogether. The flavors on the 13 Year are far more caramelized and bright, a clear deviation from the tame balance that I found in the 101. The Distiller's Reserve has a really lovely tartness that brings the caramel flavors into higher resolution and demotes the dusty oak to a supporting role. Even more exciting, any semblance of peanut has vanished!

The taste on the 101 is very pleasant, and immersing oneself in the flavor unearths more caramel than was present on the nose. The taste is slightly less nutty than the scent but otherwise the same.

In the 13 Year, the brightness of the nose continues into the flavor, once again highlighting the dramatic difference between the Distiller's Reserve and WT101. The texture is more refined, light and silky with a tart acidity. There is also a salinity to the whiskey that brings out the dusty funk more. As for the 13 Year's finish, I don't dislike it, but it doesn't impress me nearly as much as the taste and smell. Where the texture on the palate was silky and acidic, the finish is characterized by a significant amount of astringent oak. Barrel char becomes more prominent as the residual flavors dissipate. While the palate and nose were somewhat exceptional, the finish is a little disappointing.

Closing Impression:

Wild Turkey 13 Distiller's Reserve may have just earned its spot as my favorite non-Russell's bourbon from Wild Turkey. The bright and tart spin on the standard Wild Turkey profile is far more appealing to me than what I found in the 101, although both put on an excellent show. In short, the 13 Year is far superior to the the 101, and if it can be found for its MSRP of $55, it is an easy upgrade. Being a Japanese-only release that is not broadly available to most consumers in the US, the secondary market value for WT13DR hovers around $200 to $300, and it is no longer an appealing investment at that price. The lower proof (91) is a complete non-factor for this bottle, and it stands up with no trouble to the higher proof 101. If anything, the flavors appear more clearly in the 91 proof bourbon than they do in the 101. In terms of quality, a fair comparison would be a Russell's Reserve store pick, although they tend to be slightly younger and are bottled at around 110 proof. On most days, the higher proof of the Russell's Reserve picks would give it an edge in the competition for my attention, but the Distiller's Reserve has a place in my mind as a no-frills luxury pour with a definite time and place.

Nose: 92

Taste: 86

Finish: 84

Overall: 87

A special thanks to Adam J. for donating the sample reviewed.