Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Is This the Golden Age for Bourbon?

My brother in law bought me a bottle of Wild Turkey 101 8 yr. from 1979 (so marked on the box) at an estate sale. I'm a big bourbon fan and have had current production Wild Turkey 101, Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve 101 from about 2005,current Russell's Reserve 90 proof, Kentucky Spirit as well as many, many other current bourbon offerings from Evan Williams Single Barrel to Van Winkle Lot B. Let me tell you nothing but nothing holds a candle to this old bottle of 8 year old Wild Turkey 101. The first thing I noticed when I opened up the box and pulled the 1 liter bottle out and held it up was the dark almost ruby color of the contents. I broke the tax seal and lifted the almost deteriorated cork off the bottle. This is the absolute best bourbon I've ever tasted with rich toffee, caramel and vanilla flavors with a hint of tobacco. Just damn delicious! I shared this whiskey with a couple of my bourbon buddies and they all couldn't get over just how good this standard old bourbon was. It became very apparent that the quality of Wild Turkey has declined greatly over the years. I was not a big bourbon drinker in the 70s, but if this bottle is typical of the quality of bourbon 35 years ago, then we are not in the golden age of bourbon. Oh, it may be more popular and there may be many more choices, but I could be very happy to have a lifetime supply of this 1979 version of Wild Turkey 101 and forgo any of the current bourbons. Yeah, it's that good.

YES!!! As to the good stuff.....you best get it while you can. Bourbon is quickly becoming the next .22 consternation.

Hope so we bought a barrel

I tried to buy in....

Might be hope for ya yet..

It's so darn hard to age whiskey quickly.


And those new cheater sticks don't count. ;-{>8

The Asians are going to wind up buying up all of it. SUX!!

Amazing the number of distilleries they're already involved in.

Now Evan Williams tastes as good as any, unless you like the really sweet stuff. I used to give Crown Royal to the rancher whos place i hunt west of Andrews and drank it myself.

He told me the blended whiskey gives hangovers and thats wuy they preferred E Williams.

I got to noticing that after 6 or 8 crowns and ice felt like crap all over my body the next day.

I think wild turkey 101 is still pretty good..probly one of the most underrated bourbons out there..The "101" is just too much for most..

Wild Turkey Rye is also excellent.

Rare Breed is really good.

Save your money on Diamond Anniversary. Let the Asians have it!!

Elijah Craig 12 YO in hand now.....

Good bourbon....try and grab a bottle of the EC barrel proof.

I have Booker's, Buffalo Trace and Michter's. Been liking the Michter's of late.

Mitcher's is outstanding!!! Especially, the US #1.

That's the one. I have 4 bottles on hand.

I toured the Buffalo Trace brewery while deer hunting in KY a few years ago, sampled several of their bourbons. The guys in hunting camp polished off a bottle every night after supper, I enjoy a glass every now and then my preference is for good scotch like Laphroig.

Bourbon's not my thing but I work with a guy who loves the stuff.

He's real high on Woodford Reserve Double Oak.

Booze is like anything else. If you have the connections, you can get anything you want. From my trashcan:

You were smart to buy 4. It's especially, good this and last year. Think I may get some more.

Sip worthy: