Wild Turkey Distiller's Reserve 101 Proof 12 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey (700ml)

"A stunner...I know that if this were to ever be sold in the US, that it wouldn’t last long on anyone’s shelves." - thebourbonculture.com

After a ten-year absence, one of Turkey's all-time favourite expressions has finally returned to retail - and by several reports, it's a cracker. There is a catch. Collector frenzy has been fuelled by the fact that this is an export-only product, with allocations sent to key markets like Australia, Japan, and Korea. The USA didn't get a bottle. It may also be the best overall presentation of any Campari-produced Wild Turkey. The box and bottle both look and feel luxurious. A collaborative effort between father & son distilling duo, Jimmy & Eddie Russell, made from a mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley, the whiskey has been carefully selected from the distiller's "favourite reserves". That's not just back-label ballyhoo - some seasoned Turkey drinkers reckon the result takes you back in time with older stocks playing first fiddle. At the very least, the Distiller's Reserve demonstrates how keen barrel selection and extra age can massively effect the final product. High proof at 50.5% but also non chill filtered. Collectable.

Other reviews... Wild Turkey has certainly crafted a stunner with this bottle of 12 year old bourbon.  This is what 101 should taste like (no offence to the people who like the current 101). I know that if this were to ever be sold in the US, that it wouldn’t last long on anyone’s shelves. Of course it was a no brainer to put this in my Top 10 list this year.  There was almost no other bottle that surprised me as much as this one did.  What is it with Wild Turkey sneaking in a great release these past two years (I’m talking about Russell’s Reserve 13 Year)?  This proves that they have the stocks to give us the age and flavor that we want.  Until now, it’s been hard to find a bourbon from them that was much better than a few select Russell’s Reserve Single Barrels.  But I think that even at the secondary price of around US$280, this might just be worth the 3 or 4 bottles of RRSIB you’d have to give up to buy one.  - thebourbonculture.com