Trolling the Bottom Shelf - Part One
Everybody loves good Bourbon (or at least they should). We buy it, we drink it, we share it; its part of our lifestyle. There are some truly memorable Bourbons and whiskeys out there that we add to our collections when we can find them. These bottles - the really good stuff, the stuff we lust after and boast of when we acquire them - are becoming increasingly scarce because everybody wants them. Some of us won’t buy on the secondary market because we are price sensitive...or maybe just plain cheap. I myself swallow hard when buying anything over $50; in fact, I can’t recall paying over $100 for any bottle in my collection. Stratospheric prices just aren’t my bag. So what does one who wants a good bottle, but won’t (or can’t) dig deep for it have to do? In my case, I ventured out on a completely different quest: I started trolling the bottom shelf of whatever liquor store I find myself in.
You know, things really aren’t that bad when you lower your gaze and check out the less expensive offerings. You can call them “cheap”, even though some really aren’t. More accurately, call them “reasonably-priced” because that’s exactly what they are. Whatever moniker you hang on them, you will find something to like and enjoy.
In this piece and those to follow I will take one for the team and sample two of these offerings - these budget Bourbons...these whiskey wonders...these popularly-priced potions - and share with you their vital statistics, what other reviewers (the “experts”) have said about them and, finally, give my opinion. Disclaimer: My palate is unsophisticated, wooden even, so don’t expect original pearls of wisdom from me. I will, however, plainly and honestly tell you what I think of each of these lower priced Bourbons.
REBEL YELL
Rebel Yell is an 80-proof, wheated and sourced Bourbon owned by Luxco, a St. Louis, Missouri corporation. Rebel Yell is now distilled and aged at Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, Kentucky.
The Experts:
The Whiskey Reviewer: “What this bourbon yells is its youth...Very straight forward. Corn sweetened caramel and vanilla, with a little earthiness stirred in, but also a certain harshness... There are offerings that are both similarly priced and more refined.”
Whiskey Watch: “All around, it’s a smooth yet robust mixture that has a powerful kick to it reminiscent of old-time distillation methods and practices.”
The Whiskey Jug: “I think calling it a Rebel Yell is a little overstated. ‘Rebel Indoor Voice’ might be more appropriate... Boring, overly sweet in all the wrong ways and there is so much burn…A candidate for the mixing rack.”
My Take
This is the whiskey that got me started and helped make me a bourbon lover, partly because of the low price and party because somebody told me it was Keith Richards’ favorite! Truthfully, it is light and approachable and an excellent mixer. Not so long ago they offered a small batch version which I liked quite a bit, but I have not seen it anywhere in awhile; probably now discontinued. Root Beer and ginger flavors are available as is a Rebel Yell rye whiskey.
Rebel Yell used to be sold in a tall bottle with a screw top, which I liked; now it comes in a squat, round shouldered bottle with a fancier label and a plastic stopper. Rebel Yell recently introduced a 100-proof version which is the one I always buy these days; it has a much larger flavor which seems to work better for me than the 80-proof iteration. If you can find Rebel Yell 10-Year Single Barrel, grab it! It is superb. Luxco built a brand new distillery outside Bardstown several years ago...Lux Row Distillers. Distillate for not only Rebel Yell, but other Luxco brands such as Ezra Brooks and David Nicholson is being produced there now. I toured Lux Row recently and it is beautiful. I wonder when they are going to start actually selling their own product and will it be a Rebel Yell or some new offering? Time will tell.
WILD TURKEY 101
Wild Turkey 101 is made by Wild Turkey Distilling Co. (owned by Campari Group) and is located in Lawrenceburg, KY. A paper band covering the stopper says, “High Rye - Aged Longer.”
The Experts
The Whiskey Shelf: “This smells like a nice, straightforward Bourbon but it doesn’t wow me... Very much like the smell, Wild Turkey 101 tastes decent, but is far from great.”
The Whiskey Reviewer: “Wild Turkey 101 isn’t fancy, nor should it be. Jimmy Russell, the living legend master distiller, is very particular about the kind of bourbon he likes and this is his standard example. What turkey 101 is instead is just plain good. It is the penultimate bang-for-your-buck whiskey. What you are getting is a Bourbon that is just one step below your typical premium whiskey, but at a $10 or $12 discount.”
The Whiskey Jug: “Bottom Line, Wild Turkey 101 is great. It is a balanced and robust whiskey that never disappoints. It’s packed to the brim with flavor and is as versatile as a Bourbon can get. It was a favorite of Hunter S. Thompson and if it was good enough for the father of ‘Gonzo Journalism’ then it’s good enough for me.”
My Take
Wild Turkey 101 is just plain good. So good, in fact, calling it ‘bottom shelf’ is almost sacrilegious. It seems to me that they could sell it for $10 or more per bottle if it had not been so affordable for so long. 101 is surrounded by the Jimmy Russell mystique. He's been the master distiller there for 65 years and these days spends a good deal of his time greeting the public at the very nice Wild Turkey visitor’s center. The day I toured the distillery we showed up early and were told that we could browse the gift shop until the tour started or go and chat up Jimmy, seated just a few feet away. Of course, I went straight over and spent a pleasant few minutes conversing with the legend. He is a truly nice guy. He autographed my tour admission ticket with a roller ball pen (gold ink, of course) and his signature looks exactly like it does on the bottle.
A good friend who is an aficionado of old, expensive scotch turned his nose up at Wild Turkey until I insisted he give it another try. He still favors his scotch but gained a new appreciation for what he used to think was pedestrian and ordinary. And he no longer takes digs at me for drinking Bourbon. Wild Turkey also makes some excellent up-market Bourbons. My favorite is Kentucky Spirit, a nice, smooth sipping whiskey.
I will consider a few more bottom shelf Bourbons in the future. Until then, keep an open mind and enjoy those bargain bottles.
