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Wild Turkey 101 (Bourbon) - The Best Budget Whiskey?
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Jul 13, 2025
In the first episode of my new whiskey review series, I taste and review Wild Turkey 101 bourbon whiskey, and see how it stacks up compared to other budget bourbons under $20. Wild Turkey 101 is my #1 pick for a budget bourbon under $20. The high-rye spice and fragrant caramel and honey notes make this one stand out from other whiskeys in the price range. If you can find for a good price, definitely pick up a bottle. Score: A - Recommended Here are a few of my favorite whiskey channels for you to check out: It's Bourbon Night - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuaWfZ9zdiH_io26xWbsprg Whiskey Vault - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCElm866_W5r1eg8VjhFNARw Trenny and C - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCde0QQ7qq-2DbhL0ZwRi8eA #WhiskeyTube #Bourbon #WhiskeyTube #Bourbon #RyeWhiskey
View Video Transcript
0:00
Hey guys, I am back with a brand new video series that I think you're gonna like
0:07
So a few videos ago, I made a video where I took all of the whiskey I had at my old apartment
0:13
and blended it together to make some sort of weird concoction, infinity bottle, whatever
0:18
you want to call it. And I gave some quick reviews of some of my favorite bourbons and whiskey, but I really
0:23
really love watching YouTube videos and podcasts about bourbon. Some of my favorite channels are It's Bourbonite, Trinian Sea, Austin Whiskey Vault
0:31
There's so many great whiskey channels out there, and I know they're already doing such a good job at it
0:37
but I kind of wanted to put my own twist on it and kind of do my own thing
0:41
And I know I spend way too much money trying a bunch of different whiskeys, much to my husband's disapproval
0:46
but I figured I could get another benefit from it by making videos reviewing some of my favorites
0:50
That way I don't feel quite as guilty about buying it and drinking it. So to start off this series, I'm going to start with my new favorite budget bourbon
0:59
The first time I tried it, I didn't really love it. But lately, I've kind of found that, wow, it has some of the best characteristics of bourbon
1:06
And it's like just such a solid pick at a good price point. Of course, if you read the title, you know I'm talking about Wild Turkey 101
1:14
Normally, I find this in the store for about $18 or $19. But Vons which is a grocery store near me had a deal where if you buy six of them you can get them for 15 bucks each And of course I bought six but only because I know I really like this one and it one that I like to keep stocked for a long time So that going to last me several several months So if you familiar with whiskey videos
1:33
you probably have heard of Wild Turkey, especially 101. I think it's their most popular one
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Basically it is 101 proof, which is 50.5% alcohol. Not going to lie, that's pretty strong
1:44
But I think for the price point, especially $15, you will not find anything that is this strong
1:50
and this flavorful. So I'm gonna pour some, try it out, and let you know what I think
1:54
So I don't really have a way to actually show you me. It's always hard to open whiskey with one hand
2:00
Oh yeah, nice sound. And let's pour it. And hopefully you guys can see well enough what I'm doing
2:08
This should be good. Alright, so here we go. That's a little bit of a big pour for a tasting, but I'm new to this
2:15
Right off the bat, it smells very alcoholy, because again, it's that 101 proof
2:18
But I usually let it sit for a few minutes because then you can really pick up on the bourbon flavors
2:23
So while that sits, I'll tell you a little bit about Wild Turkey. They are a distillery located in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
2:30
This is a mix of 6-, 7-, and 8-year-old whiskey. It's got a mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% barley
2:38
That may not mean much to you if you're not like an aficionado or whatever. But basically, 13% rye is pretty high for a bourbon
2:46
and wild turkey is known for its like rye spiciness so if you a little turned off by the thought of like something burning a bit I would definitely say start off with something a lower proof either Evan Williams or even Jim
2:59
Beam, something to kind of work your way up. But I think the flavor of the 101 just kicks ass
3:04
So now that the alcohol scent is kind of gone, I'm getting a lot more of the caramel, the toffee
3:09
the general bourbon notes. Again, this isn't some crazy, like super complex bourbon or anything
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It's under 20 bucks. You're not going to get anything like that for that price. But if you're looking for a good standard, I guess some people call it daily sipper or whatever
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This is always a great go-to choice for bourbon So yeah, it's been sitting a good while
3:27
So I'm gonna go ahead and give it a taste and let you know what I think So this being the first thing that I've drank today
3:34
It definitely burns a lot more than it does after a few sips
3:38
Probably best to start with maybe like a lower proof one to kind of work your way up
3:42
Throughout the night if you're doing a tasting But even though it burns, I get like a punch of flavor
3:48
It almost reminds me of like a red hot candy, like that really strong cinnamon or I guess like fireball flavor
3:54
And that's something that I think is kind of unique, at least in my experience, to Wild Turkey. All of their products I've tried have kind of a cinnamon-y spice, but I think it's good
4:03
And I think it helps with the sweetness and kind of helps balance the whole whiskey
4:07
If this is too much for you, you can always add a little bit of water. I normally don't choose to water down my bourbon when I'm drinking it straight
4:15
I just really like the intense flavors and I guess I kind of gotten used to it because I been you know drinking it and trying different ones over the past few months And especially if you want to you know add some water weaken it a little bit guess what You get more use out of this because this is 101 proof So if you add a little bit of water each time you getting more bang for your
4:30
buck, really. This would definitely be the bourbon I recommend if you're out with friends, you're at
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a bonfire, something, you know, in the cooler weather, you know, it's middle of the summer right
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now. So it probably wouldn't be the best thing to drink with it being spicy. But if you're just out camping with friends and you want something cheap and you know you can find you can find this pretty
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much any liquor store anywhere but if you can find this under $20 I can't think of a better bourbon
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to recommend but if you have a favorite that's in that price range let me know I would love to try
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it and yeah I give it a recommendation I would definitely give this an A in terms of the price
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point because if you're not considering that you're comparing it to you know some $60 $70 bourbons of
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course it's not going to be up to par with that so there you guys go I hope you like this video
5:11
Let me know if you would like me to review anything else if you have a favorite bourbon a whiskey scotch anything like that
5:17
I would love to make videos continuing on this topic and again if it's not your thing
5:21
You know, I hope you enjoy the videos anyways, and I'll still make other videos as well
5:25
Like I said if you haven't seen the video where I mixed all of my bourbons together check that out
5:29
That was really fun to do. It was such a crazy experience Don't forget to leave me a like and subscribe if you want to see more and I'll see you guys next video. Bye
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