Wild Turkey 1855 Reserve

Distillery:		Austin-Nichols
Age:		Blend of 6, 8 and 12-year-old whiskies
Proof:		Varies
Price:		N/A

1855 Reserve Batch. No. W-T-10-92 

Wild Turkey Rare Breed is a blend of 6, 8 and 12 year-old whiskies that was launched in 1991 with
batch W-T-01-91. Why am I talking about Rare Breed when this is a post about 1855 Reserve? 1855 Reserve is simply an export label for Rare Breed and so these are, for the most part, identical bourbons. The name "1855 Reserve" refers to the year that the Austin Nichols was founded. 

Nevertheless, there is not a complete overlap between Rare Breed and 1855 Reserve. The first batch of 1855 Reserve had no corresponding batch of Rare Breed and only certain of the subsequent batches of Rare Breed became batches of 1855 Reserve. 

The first batch of 1855 Reserve was released in 1992 with the batch number W-T-10-92 and at 110.0 proof. No batch of Rare Breed shares this batch number and, further, no batch of Rare Breed was released in 1992. Given that Rare Breed batch W-T-02-91 and 1855 Reserve batch W-T-10-92 share the same proof, it is possible that these are the same bourbons, but, as batches W-T-01-95 and W-T-02-95 of Rare Breed share the same proof even though they are different bourbons, the case is far from settled. 

Interestingly, the batch number for the first release of 1855 Reserve doesn't follow the pattern of Rare Breed batch numbers. Rare Breed batch numbers are composed of the letters "W" and "T" followed two sets of  two digit numbers (e.g., W-T-01-91). The second set of digits corresponds to the year the bourbon was batched and the first set of digits correspond to the batch number for that year (starting over at 01 each year). For example, batch W-T-01-91 was the first batch of 1991. The first batch number for 1855 Reserve, however, started with batch 10 even though it was the first batch of 1992.

In the subsequent years, 1855 Reserve was released only occasionally. Batches were released in 1994, 1995 and 1996.

The following is a complete list of Rare Breed and 1855 Reserve batch numbers. Batch numbers were discontinued in 2014. 

Year	Label	Batch Number	Proof
1991	Rare Breed	W-T-01-91	109.6
1991	Rare Breed	W-T-02-91	110
1992	1855 Reserve	W-T-10-92	110.0
1993	Rare Breed	W-T-01-93	110.8
1993	Rare Breed	W-T-02-93	Unknown
1993	Rare Breed	W-T-03-93	111.4
1994	Rare Breed	W-T-01-94	112.2
1994	1855 Reserve	W-T-01-94	112.2
1994	Rare Breed	W-T-02-94	109.6
1994	1855 Reserve	W-T-02-94	109.6
1995	Rare Breed	W-T-01-95	109
1995	1855 Reserve	W-T-01-95	109
1995	Rare Breed	W-T-02-95	109
1996	Rare Breed	W-T-01-96	108.8
1996	1855 Reserve	W-T-01-96	108.8
1997	Rare Breed	W-T-01-97	108.6
1999	Rare Breed	W-T-01-99	108.4
2003	Rare Breed	WT 03RB	108.2

Wild Turkey 8 Year

Distillery:		Wild Turkey
Age:		8 Years
Proof:		101 (50.5% ABV)
Price:		JPY 2500

This is the youngest Wild Turkey bottling to bear an age statement. In terms of age, it sits between Wild Turkey 101 and Wild Turkey 12 Year. Wild Turkey 101, though it doesn't bear an age statement, is a blend of 6-8 year whiskey. This means that the Wild Turkey 8-year shouldn't be substantially different from the 101.

Until the 1990s, Wild Turkey 8 year was available in the U.S. Over time, however, the age statement disappeared. At first, it was replaced with the phrase "No. 8" and eventually any mention of the number "8" disappeared altogether. Japanese consumers, however, place a strong emphasis on age statements, so this expression has remained available in Japan even after disappearing from shelves in the U.S. This is not to say that currently available Wild Turkey 8 Year can compete with Wild Turkey from the 1990s.

At half the price of the Wild Turkey 12 Year, however, you would expect that it won't be quite as good. It's got all the flavors that make the 12 Year great, but those extra four years really calm down and integrate these flavors so that they're working in unison and not fighting for your attention.

Looking at the glass, the color is a tawny brown. Enough light shines through to betray the fact that flavors will not be particularly decadent. About what you would expect from an 8-year-old bourbon.

Right off the bat there is a lot of wood flavor vying for your attention along with the 50.5% of the bourbon that consists of alcohol. Once those two settle in you get those classic caramel and vanilla flavors of the Wild Turkey taste profile with a little bit of a medicinal finish. All in all, it is more similar Wild Turkey 101 than the 12 Year, which is to be expected given that similarity in both age and price point.

I have a theory that the large differences between Wild Turkey 8 and 12 year are a result of an increase in barrel entry proof. Wild Turkey increased their barrel entry proof from 110° to 115° around 2006. This means that Wild Turkey 8 year that appeared on the market beginning around 2014 would have consisted of the newer distillate, while the Wild Turkey 12 would still be coming from barrels with a lower entry proof. This theory is further supported by the fact that the old label Wild Turkey 8 (right) that I have tried was much better, and much more like the 12 year, than the new label bottles (above).

Verdict: If you are a Wild Turkey fan, consider picking one of these up if you can't find the 12 Year (now that it is out of production).

Wild Turkey 13 Year Distiller's Reserve

Distillery:		Wild Turkey
Age:		13 Years
Proof:		91 (45.5% ABV)
Price:		JPY 6000

Filling out the age statement Wild Turkey produced for the Japanese market is the Wild Turkey 13 year. Even though its the oldest member of the bunch, you wouldn't know it from the taste.

According to the explanation on the side of the box, the 13 Year is specially selected from barrels that aged on the lower levels of the rickhouse. This drives the alcohol content down and also makes the barrels age more slowly than those higher in the rickhouse. Accordingly, all 13 years that this bourbon has spent in the barrel are not borne out in the taste profile. For comparison, Wild Turkey Master's Keep, which was bottled at a barrel strength of 86.8 proof, was also aged at the bottom of the rickhouse

Wild Turkey used to distill at a lower proof than other distillers, allowing the company to add less water to the finished product and, according to the company, achieve a richer flavor. It stands to reason that a lower proof going into the barrel means there is less margin for error in the aging process. I have a suspicion that the 13 year was in part created in part to allow Wild Turkey to sell aged bourbons that had fallen below 101 proof mark at a premium price. This makes a lot of sense in Japan where age statements sell bottles.

The bottom line is that even though this bourbon is one year older than the Wild Turkey 12 Year, it tastes younger and has more in common with the Wild Turkey 8 Year.

This bourbon also seems to be geared toward the Japanese pallet which makes it a milder experience overall than the Wild Turkey 12 Year. Overall, however, the flavors are more balanced. This bourbon would work very well in a highball, which is unfortunately how a lot of high end whiskey is consumed in Japan.

The nose is somewhat deceiving. It has the beautifully developed nose of the Wild Turkey 12 year that is not backed up by the flavor.

Upon tasting, you can immediately tell this is related to the 8 and 12 year. A little more spice and a little more balance than the 8 year overall. The dark caramel flavors that predominated the 12 year are missing, but there is not as much vying for the attention of your pallet as there was with the 8 year.

Honestly, this bourbon seems like it was made to be given as a gift, probably to someone who doesn't know much about bourbon. The packaging includes a box, it has a nice 13-year age statement and is marked as "distiller's reserve." Unfortunately, your paying for what's on the outside of the bottle as much as you are paying for what's inside.

Verdict: Save your money for something else like Blanton's Straight from the Barrel.

Wild Turkey 12 Year

Distillery:		Wild Turkey
Age:		12 Years
Proof:		101 (50.5% ABV)
Price:		JPY 5500 (Historical)

Age stated Wild Turkey 101 is one of the most sought-after Japanese only bourbons. In part, this is because of limited edition bottling of Wild Turkey 12 year that used to be released in the U.S. The most well known of these releases are known as the "cheesy gold foil" and "split-label." The cheesy gold foil variant is the older of the two and had a reflective gold label with a picture of a turkey in flight above the age statement. The split-label, as the name implies, has a label that is split into two parts - the larger top portion contains the Wild Turkey brand name and a picture of a turkey to the right and the smaller bottom portion contains the age statement. I tasted the cheesy gold foil variant at Cask Strength and it was very good. One of the best bourbons I have ever tasted.

Do the Japanese releases measure up? No, but they are still very good.

The 12 Year sits in the middle of the current age-stated Wild Turkey offerings - at four years older than the 8 Year and 1 Year younger than the 13 Year. Those four extra years in the barrel compared 8 Year have really made a difference.

There are two variants of Wild Turkey 12 commonly encountered in Japan. The older label (pictured above) and the newer label (pictured below). The change from the old to new label occurred in about 2003. Unlike the 8 Year, I don't think there is any reason to prefer the older bottles to the the newer.

The nose has a lot of dark fruit and brown sugar. It smells very similar to the Blanton's Straight From the Barrel.

The taste really lives up to the nose. Its sweet at first with caramel and moving to lots of wood. It tastes the way bourbon should, which is not surprising given that Wild Turkey uses a standard (12-13% rye) mash bill. Every time I come back to this bottle after spending some time away, I'm very surprised at how much I enjoy the bourbon. It's truly excellent.

Unfortunately, Wild Turkey 12 went out of production in 2014. While this bourbon can still be found on shelves with some diligence, it is only getting very hard to find. Some online sites are now asking around JPY 15,000 per bottle. I'm not sure that it's worth the marked up price.

Verdict: If you happen to come across one of these bottles at retail, buy it.

Cask

Neighborhood:		Roppongi
Address:		Main Stage Roppongi Building B1F, 3-9-11 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
		六本木ビル B1F 東京都港区六本木3-9-11
Capacity:		40+
Seating Charge:		JPY 1000
Bourbon Selection:		Good
English Menu:		No

Cask is a bourbon and Scotch bar with a small but curated selection of bourbon, including many antique bottles.

Cask is located in the basement of the Main Stage Roppongi Building down the hill from Roppongi Crossing toward Akasaka. Even though the website states that it closed as of June 2013, it is still very much open, but due to the change of name from "Cask" to "Cask Strength" and a modification of the logo it seems to have undergone a change in management. I will refer to it as "Cask," for the remainder of this post.  It has a good selection of bourbon and a great selection of Scotch. In the case of bourbon, their real strength is found in their selection of antique bourbons.

The layout of the bar is simple. A long bar that will seat about 15 people extends along one side of the room with the whisky stacked to the ceiling behind it. There are a few private rooms for larger parties. A staff member will take your coat as you take your seat.

As I mentioned, Scotch is this bar's real strength. About 1/8 of the space behind the bar was devoted to bourbon, while the remainder is overtaken by towers of Scotch. On each shelf, the bottles are stacked three deep - which leads to the real problem with this bar.

Cask doesn't maintain a menu or any sort of comprehensive list of all the whisky that is available. This wouldn't be a problem except that only the bottles on the front row (approx. 1/3 of the inventory) is visible. For the remainder, you have to ask the bartender and this conversation plays out like a game of Go Fish.  Nevertheless, I spied a few rarer modern bourbons: Eagle Rare 17 and Elijah Craig 20. Pappy and other Buffalo Trace Antiques were unaccounted for.

In the end, the best thing to do is ask the bartender for his recommendation. I told the bartender that I tend to like higher proof aged bourbons and he suggested Old Ezra 101 15, Wild Turkey 12 (Limited Edition) and Elijiah Criag 18. Both the Old Ezra 15 and the Wild Turkey 12 Gold Label were excellent. The Gold Label was produced in the late 80s and early 90s and is considered among the best Wild Turkey bottlings.

Once I had picked my poison, the other short coming of this bar became manifest - the glassware. Now, I am rather finicky when it comes to glassware, but if you order your whiskey straight, it comes in a shot glass. I think you will agree that this is ludicrous. Whisky that is ordered on the rocks, on the other hand, comes in a nice tumbler with a spherical ball of ice. This almost makes ordering your drink on the rocks worth it, notwithstanding the fact that it would ruin the flavor.

I have mentioned that Cask's strength is antique bourbon and they do have a good collection. I saw Early Times, Very Very Old Fitzgerald and Old Crow, all from the 50s or 60s. There were likely even more bottles in the second or third row, but all of these were too rich for my blood at JPY 6,000 per shot.

That brings me to another point. A "shot" at Cask is less than 30mL. The bartender will very carefully measure out each drink in a jigger so that it is slightly less than 30mL.

Sitting along the front of the bar is the real pièce de résistance: Black Bowmore, White Bowmore, Gold Bowmore and a bottle of Wm. J. Friday 1870 Brand pre-prohibition rye. As my taste tend heavily toward American whisky, I gave the Wm. J. Friday a shot.

The Wm. J. Friday Rye was made at a distillery bearing the same name sometime between when the distillery opened in 1879 and when it closed in 1918. The bottle didn't state which year it was from (or carry any age statement at all) and there were no markings on the bottom of the bottle.

The Wm. J. Friday was very good. The color was very dark and it had great brown sugar and banana notes. There was a maturity and character to it that I have not seen in contemporary ryes.

All in all, Cask is a great place for Scotch and a decent place for bourbon - very good if you are looking for antique bourbons, but with prices that are a little higher than similar bars.

Bourbons

Below is an incomplete list of bourbons that are only available in Japan. The list concentrates on brands that were continuously produced and not limited edition or one-off bottlings.

Links to each bourbon reviewed are arranged by brand below. Within each brand, the various expressions are arranged, for the most part, by price.


Ancient Age

• Ancient Ancient Age 8 Year

A.H. Hirsch

• A.H. Hirsch 16 Year

Blanton's

• Blanton's Green
• Blanton's Black
• Blanton's Silver
• Blanton's Gold
• Blanton's Straight from the Barrel

Evan Williams

• Evan Williams 12 Year

Early Times

• Early Times Yellow Label
• Early Times Black Label

Four Roses

• Four Roses Black Label
• Four Roses Premium

I.W. Harper

• I.W. Harper Gold Medal
• I.W. Harper 12 Year

Old Ezra

• Old Ezra 15

Olde St. Nick

• Very Olde St. Nick Summer Rye

Virgin Bourbon

• Virgin Bourbon 10 Year

Wild Turkey

• Wild Turkey 1855 Reserve
• Wild Turkey 8 Year
• Wild Turkey 12 Year
• Wild Turkey 13 Year

Yellow Rose of Texas

• Yellow Rose of Texas 8 Year (Green Label)
• Yellow Rose of Texas 12 Year (Brown Label)
• Yellow Rose of Texas 15 Year (Red Label)