Review: Wild Turkey Jimmy Russell 70th Anniversary Release 8 Years Old
Wild Turkey‘s latest bourbon celebrates 70 years of Jimmy Russell. Mind you, that’s not Jimmy’s 70th birthday — it’s his 70th anniversary of working at the distillery. That places his start date in 1954. That year, Eisenhower was President. The landmark court case Brown v. Board of Education was decided. Sputnik was launched.
Jimmy, now 88, started working at Wild Turkey on September 10, 1954, and his 70 years of tenure are unlikely to be matched by any distiller ever again. Hell, it may not be matched by anyone working anywhere ever again.
To celebrate the milestone, a limited edition bottling of Wild Turkey has arrived, and its one to which Jimmy himself surely gave his stamp of approval. It is bottled at a fairly young 8 years old, in keeping with the way Jimmy has always said he likes to drink it — still a little brash, and higher in abv, this one hitting the classic 101 proof for which Turkey is well-known.
On the nose, the whiskey couldn’t be more expressive. Creamy peanut butter, honey, and butterscotch all cut a very sweet profile from the start, with light touches of barrel char and a touch of leather to cut through some of the sugar. Hints of anise ring the edges, but a heavy brown butter quality keeps any herbaceousness to the sidelines. The palate comes up with no surprises at all to share: Big notes of shelled peanuts are matched with brown sugar and cinnamon notes, packed into a creamy, unctuous body loaded with brown butter and some maple syrup. There’s a hint of clove on the back-end, along with a pinch of charry gunpowder and ample, lingering oak. As the finish clings to the palate, raisins, applesauce, and mixed baking spices linger, all helped along by a significant brown sugar sweetness.
This may be a bit more refined and a touch sweeter than rack Wild Turkey 101, but it’s clearly cut from the same cloth. I’m sure Jimmy wouldn’t have it any other way.
101 proof.
A- / $50
Wild Turkey Jimmy Russell 70th Anniversary Release 8 Years Old
$50
