Kentucky Spirit vs Wild Turkey 101: Which Wins?

Discover the differences between Kentucky Spirit vs Wild Turkey 101 in this in-depth comparison and decide which Bourbon is better for You!

Kentucky Spirit

Nose	Vanilla, berries, rye spice
Palate	Caramel, brown sugar, baking spice, mint
Finish	Medium, oak
Alcohol content	101 proof (50.5% ABV)
How to drink	Neat, add water
Similar to	Wild Turkey Rare Breed

The nose brings a blast of vanilla, followed by hints of berries and a bit of rye spice.

On the palate, the Kentucky Spirit hits with caramel and brown sugar at first, followed by baking spice and subtle touch of mint.

The finish lack a bit in length, yet delivers a nice hug with a high oak note.

Overall, this is smooth bourbon that doesn’t drink as a 100 proof delivering a nice experience.

Consider further options reading my post containing the top Single Barrel Bourbons!

There are a few facts worth knowing about the Kentucky Spirit:

• Made from a mash comprised of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% barley.

• Aged from 8 to 9 years.

• Earned a score of 96-100 points from Wine Enthusiast.

• Double Gold Medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Wild Turkey 101

Nose	Oak, honey, caramel, vanilla
Palate	Vanilla, brown sugar, baking spice, mint
Finish	Long, caramel, charred oak, old leather
Alcohol content	101 proof (50.5% ABV)
How to drink	Rocks
Similar to	Four Roses, Buffalo Trace

On the nose the Wild Turkey 101 is sweet, with hints of honey, caramel and vanilla along a charred oak note.

It offers a nice mouthfeel as it has a buttery feel, a bit warm at first, giving way to vanilla, brown sugar, baking spice, hazelnuts and a light touch of mint.

The finish is medium to long, pleasantly warm, high in charred oak which is a common feature across every Wild Turkey bourbon.

Wild Turkey 101 strikes a solid balance between oak spice, old leather and sweet notes, it is complex but yet easy to drink with quite a pleasant finish.

This is good tasty bourbon that gives a moderate yet pleasing burn; add a large ice ball if you want it go down easy.

The Wild Turkey 101 is one of the best bourbons in terms of value, it goes head to head with much pricier and elite bottles making it a no-brainer.

There are a few facts worth knowing about the Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon:

• Wild Turkey’s mash bill is comprised of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% barley.

• This whiskey ages for no less than 5 years in heavily charred casks.

• Wild Turkey uses non-GMOs to make whiskey.

• Wild Turkey barrels its whiskeys at a lower entry-proof, meaning the spirit is a lower proof as it comes off the still prior to maturing; that lower entry proof allows to more flavor from the grains.

• The whiskey is pulled from the barrel at 109 proof before being proofed down a notch.

• Earned a gold medal at the International Wine & Spirits Competition.

What do Kentucky Spirit and Wild Turkey 101 have in common?

Made from the same mash and bottled at the same proof

The Kentucky Spirit and the 101 are made at the Wild Turkey Distillery using the same mash and bottled at the same 101 proof.

Are Kentucky Spirit and Wild Turkey 101 the same bourbon?

Kentucky Spirit is drawn from the Single Barrel

• Kentucky Spirit could be named Wild Turkey 101 Single Barrel providing better guidance to bourbon aficionados.

• This bourbon is bottled from a single barrel hand-picked by Jimmy Russell as opposed to the Wild Turkey 101 which is a blend of different barrels.

• Another difference is the price, as the Kentucky Spirit is substantially more expensive than the 101.

Price comparison

Prices are approximate and stated in USD:

Bourbon	Price
Kentucky Spirit	$60
Wild Turkey 101	$27

Kentucky Spirit vs Wild Turkey 101: Which is better?

Spirit is the polished version of the 101

• The Kentucky Spirit feels like a refined iteration of the 101 as some of the hard edges have been removed making it easier to drink.

• Is it better enough to justify the big price gap? I don’t think so, the Wild Turkey 101 is a champ in terms of value and all it needs is a drop or two of water to become more approachable.

• The 101 is also a good whiskey to mix as it’s hard to find a good high proof bourbon at this price.