Wild Turkey Master’s Keep One Review

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep One is the sixth entry in the MK line and employs something that keeps gaining steam in the industry, but hasn’t been seen in the rickhouses of Wild Turkey: toasted barrel finishing. Barrel finishing, on the whole, isn’t a super common thing at Wild Turkey, the Revival being the only recent, modern, example to come out of the distillery. But toasted barrels… I thought WT was fairly immune to the trend train.

Michter’s is probably the most well-known when it comes to the “toasted’ game, but the category is littered with examples ranging from craft producers like Wilderness Trail to major producers like Jim Beam recently releasing a toaste Basil Hayden. It’s something I’ve always been a tad leery of. Not in a “this is complete BS and does nothing” kind of way, but in a “does this do enough to justify the extra wood use?” way.

That’s always the question when it comes to this kind of “double cask” straight bourbons. Was the end result worth the extra resources used to make it? Only way to find out is to pop the cork, pour a dram, get to drinking and review this Master’s Keep ONE.

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep One – Details and Tasting Notes

 

Whiskey Details

Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Style: Bourbon
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Wild Turkey

Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak, Toasted Oak
Age: NAS (blend of 9-14 yo whiskey)
ABV: 50.5%

Batch: 01
Rickhouse: G

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep One Price: $175*

Related Whiskey

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Bottled In Bond 17 Years
Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Cornerstone Rye
Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Revival
Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Decades
Wild Turkey Master’s Keep 17 Years

“Master’s Keep One embodies distinct yet parallel philosophies – combining Jimmy’s love of mid-aged bourbons (8 to 10 years) with Eddie’s passion for complex characteristics that come with bourbons aged longer.” – Wild Turkey

 

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep One Tasting Notes

EYE
Mahogany

NOSE
Dried dark fruits, caramel, oak, leather, cinnamon, vanilla, marzipan with bits of chocolate and citrus peels.

Good heck, this aroma. It’s rich and moves through the nose like velvet.

PALATE
Caramel corn, dried apples, oak, dark chocolate, hazelnuts, vanilla, cinnamon and leather with touches of citrus peel.

I didn’t think the palate would beat the nose… but dang. I’m loving what’s happening here.

FINISH
Long -> Oak, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon fade out evenly and sweetly.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Perfectly balanced, full-round body and a warm oily feel.

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep One – Overall Thoughts and Score

Master’s Keep One is the ONE. I was wondering if anything would supplant that original MK 17 yo as my favorite in the line, but here we are with a whiskey that takes everything I love about Wild Turkey and dials it up to 11. The Revival came oh so very close, it was a stunner, but this is just pure, beautiful, unbridled Wild Turkey deliciousness and sits at the top of my MK ranking.

Adding watery brings out a slight breadiness and some graham cracker-like sweetness across the whole experience, but it honestly doesn’t need it. It’s perfectly drinkable at their signature 101 proof and delivers a complex and engaging experience across the senses. This is a seriously good whiskey and if I could afford it I’d track down a case.

Here in CA, it’s just a couple bucks under $200 after tax and I have a tough time paying that for a single bottle of whiskey except as an x-mas or b-day present to myself. And I guess that’s what the Wild Turkey Master’s Keep One will have to be, one of my two yearly whiskey splurges; I’m sure you can guess which of the two it’s going to be.

SCORE: 5/5 (simply fantastic, can’t recommend enough ~ A/A+ | 94-99)

*Disclosure: The bottle for this bourbon review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep One Review
$175

Summary

This. Is. Wild Turkey. It is everything fans love about this whiskey, I’m in love with it.

Overall
5

Nose


(5)

Palate


(5)

Finish


(5)

BBF


(5)

Sending
User Review


4.4
(5 votes)

Comments Rating

0
(0 reviews)

 

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