Taste Testing The Legendary Wild Turkey Cheesy Gold Foil 12 Year Old 101 Proof Limited Edition

Bourbon - like other categories of whiskies, is a microcosm unto its own. You have the standard blue chip brands, you have some ehh alright stuff, and of course those bottomshelf stuff that suck. There's the heavy hitters, the stuff you find at every bar, the good ol' daily drinkers, stuff you always see but will never touch, and of course, the unicorns.

Amongst those in that haloed pantheon, stands one that regularly comes up when talking about unicorn bottles - bottles from a bygone time; we're not just talking about what's hard to get - and that's Wild Turkey's Cheesy Gold Foil (or CGF).

Wild Turkey's a staple in the Bourbon scene. They've fluctuated in popularity over the decades, but to my knowledge they haven't a critic. And that's not easy mind you. As of late they've sought to raise their profile by engaging the likes of Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey to run their creative direction - its raised eyebrows, but I don't know how much its worked.

Wild Turkey Distillery today. (Image Source: Wild Turkey)

Today they're still seem as alittle bit behind on the times and not necessarily everyone's top pick - you need a combination of high frequency buzzy limited editions and single barrels picked out for esteemed brands, to get that sort of status. Hey, don't blame me, I'm just calling the game as it is.

Let's rewind time and talk alittle about Wild Turkey. The brand got its start in the mid-1800's, founded by two Irish brothers, the Ripy's, who settled in Kentucky. It wasn't before long that their whiskies took off and was even selected to represent Kentucky at the World's Fair Expo. When Prohibition hit in the 1920's, the distillery partnered with grocery retailer Austin Nichols - it was during that time that a staff of the grocer nicknamed the whisky "Wild Turkey Bourbon". The name was inspired by a wild turkey hunt with a couple of friends whom shared some of the whisky from the staff, and quipped for more of "that wild turkey bourbon". The name obviously stuck.

Jimmy and Eddie Russell are the only father and son Bourbon Master Distillers. (Image Source: Wild Turkey)

The brand and its distillery, the Ripy Distillery, would undergo several changing of hands - first being sold to the Gould brothers who renamed it to the Boulevard Distillery. Austin Nichols later bought the distillery and renamed it Wild Turkey Distillery - more inline with the Bourbon that got popular under its retail distribution. Eventually it was acquired by Pernod Ricard, who later sold it to Campari, which is where it resides with today.

It was during the brand's Boulevard days that the current Master Distiller Jimmy Russell had learnt the ropes from one of the original Ripy distillers. Today the distillery is run by Jimmy and his son, Eddie Russell.

Now you might be wondering about this bottle's nickname. I should caveat that various vintage Wild Turkey bottles are affectionately given nicknames. There's Beyond Duplication, which came before the Cheesy Gold Foil, and others such as Pewter Top, Split Label and Kentucky Legend.

The Cheesy Gold Foil (of CGF) doesn't have an esoteric background - it's simply named for its shiny "cheesy" gold foil label that is on both the bottle label as well as the tube packaging it comes in.

Yet, perhaps of more interest is the rationale for the particular aesthetic of the packaging. The CGF, a 12 Year Old 101 Proof Bourbon, was first released in 1988 and ran until the early 1990's. During the 1980's when the CGF was thought up, Bourbon was going through a real glut with a huge overstock and poor demand. In a bid to attract buyers and stand out and avoid a forced shuttering of the brand, the distillery had decided to make an eye-catching label and packaging of what else than a gleaming gold foil.

(Image Source: Wild Turkey)

I don't know if it could be said that this was the label that saved the distillery but, well, you got to do what it takes to live to fight another day, and another, and so on, and so we have Wild Turkey very much alive and kicking till this day. 

So what makes the CGF such a unicorn/grail Bourbon - it's widely considered to be a real heavy hitter in flavor, which apparently comes from the use of much older stock (apparently 20 year old Bourbons were used), amongst other factors. Makes sense given the industry's circumstance at the time - in fact, it is often said that some of the best whiskies come from some of the industry's hardest hit times where distilleries were pressured to give customers a damn good experience. In fact, Wild Turkey's Master Distillery Jimmy apparently often cites the CGF as his favorite bottle - which is really saying something.

Maybe Wild Turkey needs a McConaughey Gold Foil - hot stamp a sketch of the actor's face riding on that turkey. I'll buy it, that's for sure. (Image Source: Wild Turkey)

And yet, even within the CGF ranks, there are levels to it - the 1988 to 1990's releases are considered the best, with the 1992 being towards the tail end of the era. Today, I'll be reviewing the 1992 (which you can see dated on the back label above) - which I still count myself no less incredibly lucky to be able to try.

PS. Shoutout to a great friend who has been the supplier of many awesome nights, and only slightly less awesome whiskies.

Bourbon Review: Wild Turkey "Cheesy Gold Foil" 12 Year Old 101 Proof Limited Edition

Tasting Notes

Color: Copper

Aroma: Surprisingly bright, uplifting and rich - Maraschino cherries, spiced vanilla, custard, s'mores, leather, dark chocolate, butterscotch, baking spices, figs, dried apricots, brown sugar, tobacco. There's a mustiness and dustiness of a woody attic and dusty tyre rubber. A little bit of nuttiness - pine nuts and cashews. A little bit of herbaceousness with some chopped parsley. Despite its age it remains quite punchy! More on soil, with a touch of Seville oranges, fresh rye bread and charred wood.

It has quite abit going on, yet each element remains distinctive, powerful and well-integrated and flows well. Despite the punchiness, it delivers all that oomph without any sharpness.

Taste: A savoury-tart-oily start, with cherry flavoring and charcuterie oil and abit of rye kicking it off. It's still generally sweet, almost confectionary and sometimes alittle bit perfumery like shaving cream, with corn syrup and butterscotch, as well as vanilla icing and cream. Baking spices as well, and a little bit of black tea tannins. There's that same mustiness and dustiness of a wood attic, and that same bit of menthol and herbaceous parsley. 

There are notes of blackberry fruit jam that take alittle while to notice, as well as stewed and spiced apples and pears, even cooked apricots. There's a bit of the buttery and flakiness of butter cookies and milk chocolate biscuits, and then also white pepper and abit of that oak char.

Finish: Ends off with a kick of cinnamon sticks, butterscotch, white pepper, oak char, woodiness, that distinctive musty and dustiness, and then finally vanilla cream - the good one with real vanilla, rose water, and more corn syrup.

My Thoughts 

I have got to say, its reputation does not lie! This was truly a flavorbomb - despite its age, it remains vibrant and punchy - not hot or sharp, but with an intensity of flavor that is so heightened. Yet it's not rushed and simply continues to open up along the way - exceptionally well-married and balances the sweetness with tartness and savoriness with a nice oily texture. I really enjoyed how complex this was and particularly in all the profiles I most enjoy - a combination of bright and dark fruit, rich butterscotch, a touch of herbaceousness and that charcuterie savory oiliness to boot!

What was also very interesting is the musty and dusty wood attic note that I found throughout from the nose to the palate - there's a sense of antiquity there that reminds you this is the vintage stuff. Overall, just splendid! Vibrant, intensely flavored, complex, a good hefty texture and well-married flavors. How could you ask for more?

Kanpai!

@111hotpot