If there's one thing that has become abundantly clear to us here at Mission over the last few years, it's that Wild Turkey might just be the best Bourbon in all of Kentucky.
For all of the Blanton's and Weller fans out there, it feels like more and more of the genre's serious aficionados have rallied around Wild Turkey 101 as the quintessential Kentucky whiskey; the one Bourbon that no one could ever live without.
On our last trip out to the distillery to visit Eddy Russell, we decided to pick a pair of cherry barrels from the same warehouse, the same floor, in the exact same location as one another, and bottle them side-by-side. Since everyone seems to be obsessed with specific parts of Wild Turkey's Kentucky warehouses, we decided to give our customers what they wanted.
The result is a pair of 8 year old single barrels, each distilled on October 1st, 2014, each dumped on August 2nd, 2023, and each bottled on August 15th, 2023. They're both from the fourth floor of warehouse TY-K and they are both LIGHTS OUT delicious.
So what's the difference between them? And do you really need both?
We think the fun of this exercise is tasting two incredibly-similar barrels at the same time, so the answer to the latter question is a resounding: YES! To answer the former question, let's dig into the notes below.
Russell's Reserve 8 Year Old Mission Exclusive 55% ABV Single Barrel #0213 Kentucky Bourbon $69.99
On the nose, everything that we love about Wild Turkey Bourbon is alive and kicking in this Bourbon. There are gobs of sweet cereal grains, red berries, graham crackers, and toasty oak. The palate reinforces those notes and bolsters them with ample amounts of sweetness and barrel char, each washing over the palate in waves on the finish. You would think that an 8 year, 10 month old Bourbon at 110 proof would be punchy or hot, but this single barrel expression is anything but. It's rich, round, and spicy from front to back, drinking much older than its youthful age would leave any one to believe. Precocious in every way possible, this is exhibit A of exactly why we love Wild Turkey.
Russell's Reserve 8 Year Old Mission Exclusive 55% ABV Single Barrel #0224 Kentucky Bourbon $69.99
Compared to its sister cask, the nuance of barrel #0224 is rooted in its sweetness. Whereas barrel #0213 has a deep, red-fruited bass note, this whiskey has more baking spices: cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Everything about this Bourbon has Fall written all over it. Much like its partner, the whiskey tastes much older than 8 years, 10 months of age. The sweetness carries through from front to back, giving loads of vanilla and graham cracker pie crust on the finish. At 110 proof, you don't want to miss it.