Wild Turkey Master's Keep Unforgotten American Whiskey (750ml)
"...the most dynamic and impressive Wild Turkey Master’s Keep release yet." - breakingbourbon.com
The eighth release in Turkey’s annual Master’s Keep limited series takes inspiration from Wild Turkey Forgiven, the infamous 2010 release which readers will recall was a "blending mishap". The point of difference is that Unforgotten employs much older whiskeys and finishes the liquid in used rye casks. On top of that, the proof has been bumped up from 91 to 105. Composed of 13 year old Bourbon and 8 & 9 year old Rye, the blending of these classic American styles remains an unusual practice, but when judiciously executed, the results can be outstanding. 52.5% Alc./Vol. Very limited stocks.
Other reviews... Unforgotten is an extremely impressive blended whiskey from a company not necessarily known for their blending capabilities. It nicely showcases the best parts of its blended base whiskeys, with an added bonus of its unique rye barrel finish. The whiskey’s aged components are the stars here though; delicate, sophisticated, and ripe with mature flavor. As great as Russell’s Reserve 13 Year released this fall was, not to mention Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse, Master’s Keep Unforgotten is masterful in its execution. “Which Wild Turkey release is better?” might turn out to be a lasting discussion point that comes out of 2022, as a case can be made for any. Regardless, it's great to see Wild Turkey come roaring back in 2022 with some truly fantastic whiskeys. - breakingbourbon.com
...Up front I have to say I really like this whiskey. The nose is gently woody and sweet, evoking brown sugar and gingerbread, complete with layers of allspice and nutmeg. It’s well-balanced and feels less aggressive than rye, yet not at all overwhelming with barrel notes. In the line between maturity and freshness, Unforgotten is deftly balanced. The palate is rather sweeter than expectations driven by the nose would indicate, though classic rye spice quickly rears its head. I would wager there’s more rye in this than the 22% that makes up Forgiven, those gingerbread notes popping with flecks of red pepper, then creamy butterscotch candies, Bit-O-Honey, and caramel apples. Silky and chocolaty on the finish, it’s extremely easy to forget this is 52.5% alcohol, as the candylike elements take you into a bit of a blissed-out dessert coma. Don’t get me wrong — there are hints of peanut, some barrel char, and a vague bit of leather in the mix, but they’re all well tempered — and for the better. Those expecting some of Wild Turkey’s big bruisers will leave Unforgotten disappointed, but I am really loving it from start to finish. OK guys, you win. All is indeed forgiven. And remembered.- drinkhacker.com
Notes from the producers... With a sweet caramel and oak aroma, this bourbon is complimented by notes of black pepper and warm baking spices. The taste is smooth, mixing spicy black pepper with sweet caramel and oak. The finish transitions from spicy black pepper to warm baking spices and finishes sweet with oak.