1993 Wild Turkey Old No. 8 - 50.5%
When I was exploring dusty Turkey, I didn't pay much attention to 101 after they dropped the age statement. In fact, I was more inclined to track down Japanese releases that kept the 8 year designation. Unfortunately, some of those later 1990s 8 years didn't totally land for me. I actually prefer some of the early 2000s NAS 101s. The collateral damage ended up being these early 90s "Old No. 8 Brand" bottles. They may have been an under the radar dusty pour at one point. But under the radar bourbon is an oxymoron these days.
Note: Cherry and frosting on the nose. Touch of barnyard and rickhouse. On the palate dusty Turkey rocks a really nice medicinal cherry note that I love in old cognacs. Plenty of wood sugars, frosting, oxidized sweets, oak, and caramel. Structure is soft, long, and rolling. Orange peel and spice help the structure toward the back and layer all the sweet notes while complimenting the medicinal cherry.
Score: 8 (Stash One) All the sweets, cherry, and orange make for a killer vintage Old Fashioned (I did batch a few). But I understand if you don't want to mix this one.
Rating System
10 - Reevaluate The Budget
9 - Stash Two (If Able)
8 - Stash One (At The Right Price)
7 - Highly Recommend It To Strangers
6 - Solid - Above Average
5 - Acceptable For The Situation
4 - Not Vocally Complaining
3 - Anything Else To Drink?
2 - Nothing Nice To Say
1 - Drain Pour