Top 10 bottles to bring to a holiday party: Wild Turkey 101

You know how I’ve been saying this list wasn’t in any particular order? To quote John Matrix…”I lied.” There was in fact nine great silver medalists, and then there was your clear champion: WT101.

Honestly I could end this summary right here with the only necessary bullet point: it was Hunter S. Thompson’s go-to good time bourbon, and it’s between him, the god Dionysus, and Andrew WK as the foremost authorities on partying. So if this bottle was bad enough for Hunter, it’s more than good enough for us.

What a mere $24 gets you is a masterful blend of 6-8 year old bourbon presented at a robust but still diplomatic 101 proof. The juice is loaded with classic Wild Turkey funk, baking spice, caramel, and a dash of toasted nuts. This is a bottle that even BTAC and Pappy connoisseurs will be happy to find at a party as they help themselves to a holiday cheer-sized neat pour. I’ve had $40 bourbons that can’t stand up neat versus this old warhorse.

Of course, it also might be one of the best mixing bourbons you can name. I’ve personally found some magical alchemy when you combine WT101 in any citrus-containing cocktail, and it’s shockingly skilled at emulating a rye if you want a Manhattan. And literally no one will judge you for mixing WT101, but they might add that they too love it in that recipe.

There’s a ton of princely do-it-all bottles ranging from Evan Williams BiB to OGD Bonded — but the ol’ 101 might be their king. Lock it in, take it to the bank — this is your bulletproof party bottle.

Image courtesy of Jon who also writes on Low Class & High Proof.

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