Wild Turkey Master's Keep Revival

This is immensely smooth with some sweet, bitter, and tart notes. While the bitterness suggests it's high ABV, the smoothness does not. The nose has some surprising tomato notes. It is exceptionally drying. The smoothness despite the high ABV is a nice surprise, though with a lower ABV, the bitterness would have been cut back a bit. It starts off with bitter unsweetened dark chocolate and wood in a way that reminds me of Glenfarclas 25 and Jollite VSOP. Fortunately, the wood eventually lets some sweetness, vanilla, and fruity (strawberry?) notes in. The full flavor has some interesting little subtleties for those looking closely and despite standing in stark contrast, the vanilla and fruity notes provide good balance. The finish is clean and the whole experience provides sufficient depth. I wish the sweetness, fruit, and vanilla were cranked up a bit and it would have been fun to at a bit more smoke somewhere in here, but this is a fine bourbon. Unlike the Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch, this bourbon is more suited to my tastes, so from my point of view the gap in rating between the two of them should be taken as more favorable to Wild Turkey Master's Keep Revival than it actually is. Compared with Glengoyne 15 (a Scotch staple), this wiskey has more depth and complexity, but I like its flavor less. The finish on the Glengoyne has a bit too much bitterness, but its rich fruitiness is quite satisfying. The comparison is difficult, so take this note to just mean that neither blows the other out of the water. I kind of just wish this were a Cognac. Reminiscent of Stagg Jr, but notably better. In the right circumstances, wood, cinnamon, red fruit, and vanilla come through without having the wood and cinnamon completely dominate. I would still prefer less wood and cinnamon, but under those conditions this is enjoyable. Immediately, wood and cinnamon take charge. Shortly after, caramel comes in, then the wood fades into smoke. Red fruit dances through, but not to the extent that should be expected from Sherry casks. Vanilla is undeniably there too. The harsh cinnamon, however, is the dominant flavor. Were it removed, this would be a much more interesting and enjoyable whiskey. The spiciness and fruitiness are reminiscent of Remy Martin 1738, but the former is more prounounced and the latter is less. Overall, it is just way too spicy from the cinnamon and a bit too woody, even in the best of circumstances. Sweeter than Stagg Jr, but the spice and wood dominate. It lacks the depth of Knob Creek Single Barrel. The sweet notes are great when they appear, but there just are not enough of them. Woody to the extent that floor polish comes through. Beyond that, there is some fruit and vanilla as well as the obvious spicy notes. The wood is really too much though; this is not Glenfarclas 25 where the wood is backed by immense subtlety. Compared with Glenfarclas 25, the wood is to strong and the backing flavors are not sophisticated enough. For its price, this is a really disappointing drink. I would take Old Forester Signature over this. You can taste the age in the rich wood, but there isn't any substantial variety that comes out of it. If you really, really reach, there is something going on, but it's borderline hallucinatory. The wood flavor is harsh, but at least it doesn't have an overwhelming cinnamon element. The woodiness brings strong reminders of Jollite VSOP and Glenfarclas 25. Old Forester Signature has more going on, though it also has more of that unappealing mineral flavor to it. Compared with Jim Bean Black, this has a deeper, more woody journey but it's also hindered by its overly woody flavor that tastes like floor polish. Trying it again months later, the nose is strongly tannic from the wood in an appealingly rich way. There's a hint of butteracotch and cherry mixed with wet wood on the nose. The palate is very rich with perhaps a bit too much astringency and a lot of spice. It certainly tastes very aged. The dark cherry flavor really gives it a nice fruity sweetness. There's a big hit of black pepper spice and there are also some herbal flavors with a bit of numbing clove. It reminds me a bit of Glenfarclas and upon realizing that it really clicks for me. There's a ton of richness and a fair bit of complexity with some raisins coming in too alongside cocoa and a hint of cola, but I'm not sure it's what I want in a bourbon, especially at the price point. There's a lot of leather providing the dominant flavor here and there's some rye spice too. It's a great drink, though it's kind of just a fruitier Glenfarclas at a very high price. There's a lot of richness and a fair amount going on with a solid balance. I'd be happy to drink this, but it falls short of being a classic. Compared with Russell's Reserve Single Barrel, this is a richer, less sweet, and less fruity offering. It's a bit better, but it isn't tremendously better. Importantly, this tastes quite different, but for the same price you could get a bottle of Russell's Reserve Single Barrel and a bottle of Glenfarclas 17 and probabaly be happier. It's a 17-18. This is more assertive than Glenfarclas is (somehow) and while it is quite tasty, it goes so far in the tannic leather direction that it's kind of hard to pull back in line.

I didn't do this one justice after my last review. Maybe it's the COVID fatigue. Or maybe I was just more interested in drinking it than writing about it at the time. Either way, it's a magnificent unicorn of a whiskey that deserves to have nice things said about it, and I wish to do right by it on the bottle kill (yes, it went fast...) Wild Turkey, particularly well aged Turkey (which is most of it besides the 81 proof entry level) has a certain "dusty" quality to it. It's most likely just corn influence, somewhat reminiscent of Canadian whiskey, but unlike many (not all) Canadian whiskies, it doesn't suck, it's magnificent. This bottle, being 12-15 years old, has that quality in spades. It's everything you love about Rare Breed or Russel's Reserve Single Barrel (dealer's choice. They're both great) amplified and refined. NOW, take all that and envelop it in a blanket of luscious sherry goodness. The casks sourced for this expression were 20+ year old sherry casks, not this "sherry seasoned" bullshit we see from Highland Park or Macallan that only held sherry for 3 or 4 years. It shows. Quality matters. This is like...older Glendronach or Tamdhu quality sherry casks. So all to say, the nose is well-aged awesome dusty Turkey enveloped in a sherry blanket. It's the best of the bourbon and scotch worlds. When you sip it, my God is it good. You get the same as the nose, which in my book is the mark of a good whiskey, when the nose and the palate line up. Sometimes a funky surprise is ok, but this is just magnificent. The taste has all the caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, chai spice, and baking spices of bourbon, enveloped by the best of sherry flavors like dates, raisins, nuttiness, and a warming sensation that combined with the "Kentucky Hug", leaves this dram with a most satisfying finish. This is serious stuff. Now, I know this was the 2018 special release and may be absent from most store shelves. In order to properly enjoy this, you probably have to be a Wild Turkey fan AND a fan of sherry bombs. If not, you may be in for disappointment (in which case may I redirect your to the equally excellent Masters Keep option from 2020, the Bottled in Bond), but if you enjoy both of those types of drams, keep searching for this one. I'm going out hunting for another bottle. It's that good. SRP for this should be between $130 and $150. Worth. Every. Cent. One of the best whiskies I've tried of any category. If you liked Legent or the Belle Meade Sherry Cask, this is better. Hands down. It's older, more refined, more flavorful, and has a deeper, more satisfying finish. Put it in your belly, and if you're lucky enough to still find this in the wild, buy on sight without hesitation. Cheers friends!

Huge. Extraordinary complexity. Nutty. Stale peanut brittle. Fresh, dry roasted hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, and Brazils. Raisins, figs, prunes, chocolate, vanilla, dates, rye, barley, barrel char. Perfect balance of dry vs sweet, dark red grapes, sour cherries and artificial cherries, fresh and dried fruits, rich oaky butterscotch from the 20 y.o. sherry, which also imparts a tannic, drying mouth-feel. Mouthwatering effect. Plums, red and black liquorice. Sherry up front met with bourbon and more sherry in the middle and somewhat leaning towards bourbon but with more sherry in the end. Sherry and barrel spice lingers on the aftertaste. The casks and barrels were expertly married, it's neither sherry nor bourbon dominant overall, it's very well integrated, and not at all over-oaked. There's a lot of different notes very close together, yet all are discernable. Medium entry, long middle, and a medium-long finish. High quality, very satisfying, and certainly unique. A new experience. A huge whisky that is sure to get a reaction one way or another! Considering the cost of 20 y.o. sherry casks...at $147.95, this is a steal. I'd pay up to $225 for a rare experience like this. Don't approach it as a bourbon or a sherried whisky...embrace it as something new and unique, and enjoy the wild ride! Note: review edited...the somewhat seemingly conflicted notes that didn't seem to fully harmonize at first, have come together wonderfully now. Drinking very nice 4 months in. Give it time, you'll be rewarded.

The Mrs. and I ventured out of the house for the first time in a while today for some lunch (tacos. It was tacos) and she said we were celebrating. I assumed that she had good news about her job or something of that ilk, but upon inquiry her reason for celebrating was that we made it another week through this COVID nonsense and that was reason enough to celebrate. I knew I picked the right woman :). Upon returning home, I busted this bottle out, which is normally one of my “special occasion” pours. But times are tough. We live once. Let’s start with what you may be wondering. Yes, this is better than the Belle Meade Sherry Cask. And I loved that whiskey to the last drop. This is deeper, richer, and older. The nose reveals evidence of that old, dusty turkey smell wrapped in the deepest, richest sherry cask smell I remember from older sherry bomb scotches. I just love that old musty leather smell in both old sherry and old bourbon, and this integrates this so well. Taste is fruity, buttery, with undercurrents of rich brown sugar and vanilla, and finishes with a dry, warming feeling similar but more sweet that Glendronach 18. The world’s on fire. Grab a bottle you love and drink up. If you’re saving something for a special occasion, nows the time. Cheers.

I have read magnificent reviews of this here and on many sites so was very eager to try. My bottle cost about $130 from Total wine. Great packaging and bottle presentation. Poured neat, nose brings that familiar Turkey dusty spice only now its wrapped in a velvety blanket of rich aged sherry. We're talking library top shelf dust bunny along with pile of old saddles, museum hallway, vintage newspapers and seasoned split wood pile alongside wine soaked linens. Palate is dense and full with heavy dark fruits , caramels, leather and spices. Barrel char and white pepper announce to balance sweetness and provide character. Finish is long drying barrel oak and leather with the sherried fruits, dusty spice and some burnt caramel riding shotgun. This is a special whiskey, that cannot be denied. For $130 it better be. I personally find the white pepper just a bit too much for super elite rating. I do appreciate the quality and deep succulent aged flavors enough for A level ranking but honestly would not repurchase at price point.......91/100.....$80-90 im in

Hands down the best thing Wild Turkey has done. Nose - cherry, vanilla, oak, bready, jam, pie crust. It might have a touch of medicinal note as well though i see that as more a jam thing. taste - opens sweet and fruity with jams and dark fruits. then shifts to a nutty almost beam like nut. then it shifts back and gives me that wild turkey oaky finish. This bottle has been open about 8 months and is just below the halfway point. It's just great bourbon. It's not exceptional, it's only 13 years, and wild turkey really isn't a premium bourbon brand imo. Still, the sherry finish really hides some of wild turkey's cheaper flavor points. I'd get another bottle at the 130 range but I think that ship has sailed. If you like sherry bourbon this is a must get even at the premium pricing. If sherry bourbon isn't your thing BUT this price point is in your wheel house and you're not against sherry notes in your bourbon, I'd consider this one as well.