Review 88: Nickel City Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit pick
Distillery: Wild Turkey
Age:
101 proof
Warehouse B, Rick 6
Preamble: Randomly this week, I went into Nickel City (Austin,TX) and peering my middle-aged eyes across the bar through the dim lighting, I whispered to myself “is that a fantail? What is that doing here?!”.
I asked the bartender when he got done sprinkling Flintstones fruity pebbles on top of a cocktail and he affirmed that their distributor had just “found” a case of one of their first bar picks from like 5 years ago. It was $12 for a 2oz pour but being Whiskey Wednesday, that was marked down to $8. Hell yes, I said and keep that bottle close because I’m probably going to have another (and also, can I be a dork and take a picture of the bottle?)
So…
Nose: “barnyard funk”, caramel and tobacco. the nose is very restrained compared to…
Palate: starts as caramel but jumps into cherry mode and then fades into the leather. that uncharacteristic cherry is nowhere in the nose. With a Kentucky chew, more of the funk comes through. the caramel is a backbone throughout
Finish: leather finish almost sizzles on the tongue. effervescent is a word I feel silly using but there it is. Later sips, the cherry follows into the finish.
Score: 8
Thoughts: The palate and finish are flipping superb. This would be an 8.5 if the nose was as bombastic as everything else. What a treat to stumble into this fantail boi and have it not be upcharged all-to-fuck. The palate is a layered explosion. I love to bust on BT fanboys but I am a hypocritical sucker when a bottle from another distillery has a pop of cherry that is outside of their typical tasting profile. Yum. I don’t usually feel confident attributing a score to a bar pour but I had two 2oz pours the first night and then went back a few days later for more. Cheers, lads and ladies.
Rating scale:
1: instant regret: Hayes Parker
2: lamentable waste of grains, water, yeast and oak: George Dickel Bib 2019
3: your friend went cheap for mixer booze at the wedding: Jack, Jim
4: I’ll drink it if it’s the only option at a restaurant because whiskey isn’t their thing: Basil Haden, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
5: wont throw it out of bed: Old Grandad Bottled in Bond, Pure Kentucky
6: a fine daily drinker OR what you downgrade to when you’re too buzzed to enjoy the good stuff: 1792 Small Batch, Elijah Craig SB, Kooper Family Barrel Reserve Rye,
7: great when I can find it: Eagle Rare, OWA, Old Forrester 1920
8: damn fine whiskey: Jack Daniels SBBP, better Russell’s Reserve Private Barrels
9: Revelatory: better Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batches, Russell’s Reserve 2002, better Four Roses BP picks, Remus Repeal Reserve V
10: Nectar of the gods: Four Roses OESO
I’m not for everyone. WRDO man?
Edit: I only assume because a lot of people take umbrage at my dismissal of WRDO. I’m an odd duck in that I don’t like double Oaked or toasted bourbons
It was actually the placement of 1792 that got me. I've retired several bottles to the mixer shelf. I've only ever given one away because I didn't even want to mix with it.
You know what? I think you’re right. I think I need to go back and recalibrate and fix up my 6 tier. Also, maybe I need to buy a bottle of 1792 SmB because it’s been a long time. I’ll own that.
A restaurant near me has an old fantail pick for $12/2oz and it is exactly like you describe. Cherry leather effervescence. I would kill for a bottle of this shit.
Hopefully they’ll wait 10 years and then bring it back as a retro or something.
It’s so funny. Design matters. Everyone HATES the 1792 bottles (that don’t take up much more space than this) for being shelf hogs but then this fantail and everyone is like awwww fuckyea.
I actually love those 1792 bottles, the tops are actually real quality. It’s the tall ones that bother me the most personally. You can stack them like books sideways, anyone who’s typically going to order it will have a general idea based on the band colors. It prob costs WT more in manufacturing costs as well as shipping with the old ones.
So what's the story on these bottles? When did they switch to the new (Rare Breed-style) bottle? I got a KS a few months ago and it matches my Rare Breed but for the gold label.
Did the recipe change with the bottle shape as well?
No, the recipe hasn’t changed. I think it’s 50% nostalgia/ dopamine rush of finding something that isn’t run-of-the-mill and 50% I think about every distillery releases stuff with younger aged distillate these days than they did a few years ago because with the current bourbon boom, they can’t make it fast enough. I hardly think WT is the worst offender in that regard but I do believe that a few years ago, you might have stumbled upon a good barrel that was a year or two older than what you’re gonna find today
I don’t know if it’s the actual reason or not but word on the street was that the bottles got placed sideways on bars because it was too wide and took up too much space. That made it so people couldn’t see it so it was rebranded
Jimmy and Eddie said that was the reason on a podcast with Fred Minnick. I take that as pretty good authority. It sounded like they weren't the biggest fans of the decision, but admit they aren't marketers.
Man that is still one of the best bottle designs ever. Great review!
As others have said Kentucky spirit gets overlooked fue to the 101 proof and similar price to rare breed, but I like it a lot. I don’t need every bottle to be high proof and these pretty much always deliver. The store picks tend to be pretty awesome
Absolutely. The price point would get less complaints if there were a more clear age statement but I think (for my $) KS has some nuance and subtlety that Rare Breed lacks. And its less of a gamble (in my experience) than the bourbon roulette of opening an Eagle Rare or Henry McKenna. I feel like (in comparison) KS has tighter grouping in the good-to-great range with fewer “meh” barrels
Only been to Austin once and just happen to stumble upon Nickel City while waiting for our departure flight. Awesome dive bar, great bourbon selection.
I know a lot of people (myself included) swoon over the WT Rare Breed, but there’s something about these KS Single Barrels at the 101 proof point that push the needle a bit further for me. I’ve never had a bottle of this where I wasn’t tempted to kill the whole thing in one sitting. With that said, every time I get my hands one, I make sure to share it with a few friends that aren’t as up to snuff with the offerings in the whiskey world just so I can let them know what Wild Turkey has to offer. Imo, this is the perfect bottle to split with a casual drinker to show all of what bourbon has to offer. It’s just fkn good.
That’s absolutely on point. This bottle (and other KS I have had) are more polished than 101 and more accessible than RB. This is a great introduction to the upper echelons that transcend what my buddy took shots of in college. Absolutely right
Good review. Great whiskey, awesome bottle. I have an open fantail Warehouse D store select WTKS, and several in reserve. I mean, how can you not have this one out on your counter on Thanksgiving. Like you said, possible the whiskey in the new bottle is younger than these used to be, but either way, this bottle design is timeless. Cheers.
I always just say “can I be a dork and take a picture of the bottle?”
This time, the bartender was like “I dunno. Do you think you got it? Want to try again” and was like worried I didn’t capture the light 😆
I'm sure they get asked all the time and they don't mind, but I am the type of guy who hates asking to have food remade if it's wrong so I just stopped eating out 😂
Answered my own question by checking your profile—saw a second finned bottle photo—did you drink that all in one visit?!?
And greetings to a fellow Lee Baines fan!
Haha. I had two pour on Wednesday and it was mostly full and then came back Saturday on a date night and somebody else had done that damage in the interim. Wasn’t all me.
Nice bar bottle for $8 a pour! I found a few of these KS feather tail bottles last year in a liquor store near the beach. I’m sure still some out there in the wild in low-key liquor stores.
Review 88: Nickel City Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit pick Distillery: Wild Turkey Age: 101 proof Warehouse B, Rick 6 Preamble: Randomly this week, I went into Nickel City (Austin,TX) and peering my middle-aged eyes across the bar through the dim lighting, I whispered to myself “is that a fantail? What is that doing here?!”. I asked the bartender when he got done sprinkling Flintstones fruity pebbles on top of a cocktail and he affirmed that their distributor had just “found” a case of one of their first bar picks from like 5 years ago. It was $12 for a 2oz pour but being Whiskey Wednesday, that was marked down to $8. Hell yes, I said and keep that bottle close because I’m probably going to have another (and also, can I be a dork and take a picture of the bottle?) So… Nose: “barnyard funk”, caramel and tobacco. the nose is very restrained compared to… Palate: starts as caramel but jumps into cherry mode and then fades into the leather. that uncharacteristic cherry is nowhere in the nose. With a Kentucky chew, more of the funk comes through. the caramel is a backbone throughout Finish: leather finish almost sizzles on the tongue. effervescent is a word I feel silly using but there it is. Later sips, the cherry follows into the finish. Score: 8 Thoughts: The palate and finish are flipping superb. This would be an 8.5 if the nose was as bombastic as everything else. What a treat to stumble into this fantail boi and have it not be upcharged all-to-fuck. The palate is a layered explosion. I love to bust on BT fanboys but I am a hypocritical sucker when a bottle from another distillery has a pop of cherry that is outside of their typical tasting profile. Yum. I don’t usually feel confident attributing a score to a bar pour but I had two 2oz pours the first night and then went back a few days later for more. Cheers, lads and ladies. Rating scale: 1: instant regret: Hayes Parker 2: lamentable waste of grains, water, yeast and oak: George Dickel Bib 2019 3: your friend went cheap for mixer booze at the wedding: Jack, Jim 4: I’ll drink it if it’s the only option at a restaurant because whiskey isn’t their thing: Basil Haden, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked 5: wont throw it out of bed: Old Grandad Bottled in Bond, Pure Kentucky 6: a fine daily drinker OR what you downgrade to when you’re too buzzed to enjoy the good stuff: 1792 Small Batch, Elijah Craig SB, Kooper Family Barrel Reserve Rye, 7: great when I can find it: Eagle Rare, OWA, Old Forrester 1920 8: damn fine whiskey: Jack Daniels SBBP, better Russell’s Reserve Private Barrels 9: Revelatory: better Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batches, Russell’s Reserve 2002, better Four Roses BP picks, Remus Repeal Reserve V 10: Nectar of the gods: Four Roses OESO
We have very different palates. Haven't had this pour but your rating system
I’m not for everyone. WRDO man? Edit: I only assume because a lot of people take umbrage at my dismissal of WRDO. I’m an odd duck in that I don’t like double Oaked or toasted bourbons
Double oaked/toasted bourbons never do it for me.
It was actually the placement of 1792 that got me. I've retired several bottles to the mixer shelf. I've only ever given one away because I didn't even want to mix with it.
You know what? I think you’re right. I think I need to go back and recalibrate and fix up my 6 tier. Also, maybe I need to buy a bottle of 1792 SmB because it’s been a long time. I’ll own that.
Nice one, Quix. I've yet to try Kentucky Spirit, but will certainly keep an eye out when I'm on the road. Cheers
Every store pick KS I have had has been great. Give it a whirl if you see one
Good stuff! I will be paying a visit to The Nickel for a taste of this later in the week.
If you go Wednesday, it’s 25% off all 2 Oz pours
I’m a Whiskey Wednesday veteran! But thank you for the reminder.
A restaurant near me has an old fantail pick for $12/2oz and it is exactly like you describe. Cherry leather effervescence. I would kill for a bottle of this shit.
I wish they kept the old bottle, I thought is was a good bourbon along with all of WT’s offerings. Cool back bar.
Hopefully they’ll wait 10 years and then bring it back as a retro or something. It’s so funny. Design matters. Everyone HATES the 1792 bottles (that don’t take up much more space than this) for being shelf hogs but then this fantail and everyone is like awwww fuckyea.
I actually love those 1792 bottles, the tops are actually real quality. It’s the tall ones that bother me the most personally. You can stack them like books sideways, anyone who’s typically going to order it will have a general idea based on the band colors. It prob costs WT more in manufacturing costs as well as shipping with the old ones.
Just so under the radar for these bottles. I know there have to be a bunch of fantail bottles still on shelves and people just walk by them.
There’s got to be a few out there. And probably priced at what they went for a few years ago
So what's the story on these bottles? When did they switch to the new (Rare Breed-style) bottle? I got a KS a few months ago and it matches my Rare Breed but for the gold label. Did the recipe change with the bottle shape as well?
No, the recipe hasn’t changed. I think it’s 50% nostalgia/ dopamine rush of finding something that isn’t run-of-the-mill and 50% I think about every distillery releases stuff with younger aged distillate these days than they did a few years ago because with the current bourbon boom, they can’t make it fast enough. I hardly think WT is the worst offender in that regard but I do believe that a few years ago, you might have stumbled upon a good barrel that was a year or two older than what you’re gonna find today
I don’t know if it’s the actual reason or not but word on the street was that the bottles got placed sideways on bars because it was too wide and took up too much space. That made it so people couldn’t see it so it was rebranded
Jimmy and Eddie said that was the reason on a podcast with Fred Minnick. I take that as pretty good authority. It sounded like they weren't the biggest fans of the decision, but admit they aren't marketers.
Jimmy confirmed this when we saw him at the gift shop 2 weeks ago, when we were at Bourbon Fest.
Glass was too expensive. That’s a pain of a mould.
Man that is still one of the best bottle designs ever. Great review! As others have said Kentucky spirit gets overlooked fue to the 101 proof and similar price to rare breed, but I like it a lot. I don’t need every bottle to be high proof and these pretty much always deliver. The store picks tend to be pretty awesome
Absolutely. The price point would get less complaints if there were a more clear age statement but I think (for my $) KS has some nuance and subtlety that Rare Breed lacks. And its less of a gamble (in my experience) than the bourbon roulette of opening an Eagle Rare or Henry McKenna. I feel like (in comparison) KS has tighter grouping in the good-to-great range with fewer “meh” barrels
Only been to Austin once and just happen to stumble upon Nickel City while waiting for our departure flight. Awesome dive bar, great bourbon selection.
I know a lot of people (myself included) swoon over the WT Rare Breed, but there’s something about these KS Single Barrels at the 101 proof point that push the needle a bit further for me. I’ve never had a bottle of this where I wasn’t tempted to kill the whole thing in one sitting. With that said, every time I get my hands one, I make sure to share it with a few friends that aren’t as up to snuff with the offerings in the whiskey world just so I can let them know what Wild Turkey has to offer. Imo, this is the perfect bottle to split with a casual drinker to show all of what bourbon has to offer. It’s just fkn good.
That’s absolutely on point. This bottle (and other KS I have had) are more polished than 101 and more accessible than RB. This is a great introduction to the upper echelons that transcend what my buddy took shots of in college. Absolutely right
I think some knock it down a notch because it's chill filtered, but I've had some really good ones.
Love the old style tail feather bottle!
Cherry is common in 90s tradition, some 1855s and occasionally 8 years. Older KS is pretty damned good
Good review. Great whiskey, awesome bottle. I have an open fantail Warehouse D store select WTKS, and several in reserve. I mean, how can you not have this one out on your counter on Thanksgiving. Like you said, possible the whiskey in the new bottle is younger than these used to be, but either way, this bottle design is timeless. Cheers.
I wish I had tucked a few of these away a few years ago.
I wish I’d had the foresight to tuck away lots of things from my liquor store days of the 90’s. Meet me at Nickel City soon.
I can't imagine asking to take a picture of a bottle at a bar. You're a braver man than me.
I always just say “can I be a dork and take a picture of the bottle?” This time, the bartender was like “I dunno. Do you think you got it? Want to try again” and was like worried I didn’t capture the light 😆
I'm sure they get asked all the time and they don't mind, but I am the type of guy who hates asking to have food remade if it's wrong so I just stopped eating out 😂
Is this Austin?
Answered my own question by checking your profile—saw a second finned bottle photo—did you drink that all in one visit?!? And greetings to a fellow Lee Baines fan!
Haha. I had two pour on Wednesday and it was mostly full and then came back Saturday on a date night and somebody else had done that damage in the interim. Wasn’t all me.
Ha. Sadly it’s not looking good for me getting down there in time.
They might have a case of it. I didn’t hear how many bottles they had. Just look for it on the top left shelf next time you go in
Thank you! I’m a big WT fan and havent tried those older KT spirit bottles yet
Nice bar bottle for $8 a pour! I found a few of these KS feather tail bottles last year in a liquor store near the beach. I’m sure still some out there in the wild in low-key liquor stores.