Wild Turkey 12yo

[jeff]

While picking up a bottle of Stagg for a friend I came across about 5 bottles of WT 12yo. The price was a hefty $50, but Moe gave me a 10% discount because I knew Brenda. I picked up a bottle and rushed home. I am a HUGE fan of WT and this one is no let down. I will go as far as to say that it might be the best of all of the WT offerings. I am getting all of Kentucky Spirit with a little more complexity and barrel notes, but in a good way. Full bodied yet soft. I am initially getting lots of burnt sugar and leather, and something akin to a honey-glazed ham. I will post tasting notes after I have spent a day or two with this one. How many of you have had the pleasure? If you want to know where some is I can help. Why is this becoming so rare? Why wouldn't they continue to produce such a gem? Damn, this hobbie is getting expensive

[bobbyc]

Jeff, you're on the fast track now! They still make it (12Yo Wt ) but after learning that the Japanese willingly will part with 300 smackers a bottle that leaves us poor dumb Americans with our Fifty bucks to buy something else with. We've all told the truth where Wild Turkey is concerned , we like it , we love it , All without any showing up free at my house. Did they give us the short shift here? Hell if they can get 300 more power to 'em just give us Russell's Reserve at 25. I'll be happy.

[texascarl]

Hell if they can get 300 more power to 'em just give us Russell's Reserve at 25. I'll be happy.

Hear, hear. I want the good folks at Wild Turkey to turn a tidy profit, so they'll stay in business and keep on producing. If they're forced to mark up yon 12 year to $300 and ship most of it to Japan in order to keep plenty of Russell's Reserve @ $25 on the shelf at my store...that's a price I'm willing to let the other fella pay.

[MurphyDawg]

I agree for the most part, if only to have my opinion to diverge by saying I would have liked to have had the opportunity to try one. I think the search for WT12 right now is more interesting than even for a bottle of stagg. . . . . .I want a bottle!

TomC

[jeff]

I say charge the Japanese $400 for it and sell us Kentucky Spirit for $19.50

[Ettan]

Is Wild Turkey 12yo still hard to come by in the states?

This is an old thread, but lately the price for a bottle of 700ml Wild Turkey 12yo here in Japan is only around $40.

[Paradox]

Yep, all that you can find around here is old stock... Basically whatever is left around from up until the late 90's when I 'think' they stopped selling it here. When you do find it it sells on average between $40 to $50.

[rccoulter]

On another thread Barrell Proof wrote that most duty-free stores sell WT 12 (<<By contrast, WT 12 is available at most any duty free shop.>>) Is this true? I've been eyeing a bottle at a local liquor store, but am in less of a hurry if it is still available in duty-free.

[boone]

On another thread Barrell Proof wrote that most duty-free stores sell WT 12 (<>) Is this true?

Hey,

Is this true?...Heck yeah... It's true!... If Cliff says it's available duty free, then it is!

Cliff, knows more about bourbon than most anyone here. That's a fact, you can quote me on that one.

Bettye Jo

[Paradox]

Yeah, it's at duty free spots as well but it is the new stock. Just my opinion but I tasted the new wt12 along with 2 older versions and the older versions kicked its ass. So if the bottle you can get is not over $50, drop the money...

[robbyvirus]

I bought a bottle last month in a small liquor store in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I only bought one bottle (of three in stock) and I'm kicking myself for not picking up more because it's delicious! I think it was about $45/bottle.

[rccoulter]

How do I know if it is new or old stock? Is it safe to assume that everything on the shelves in liquor stores in the States is old stock?

[doubleblank]

The really old version has a cheesy gold label and came in a decorative tin. Last December I found two bottles of it and the top foil has a small embossed bottling date of 6/10/94. The late '90s bottling is more attractive and may be identical in packaging to the current production for duty free, etc. I also have two bottles of the late '90s domestic bottling but haven't tried it. The older version is very good. From talking to liquor store owners the 12yo hasn't been offered to them by Texas distributors for several years and was never a big seller because of its $50 +/- price tag. My guess is that anything you find for sale in a small, domestic store is an older bottling and is absolutely the older version if you find a gold label. Good luck in your search.

Randy B.

[Paradox]

The older ones from the early 90's have a cheap looking gold label. The ones that came after that one in the mid 90's had two seperate labels on the front. And the new ones are all one label. There was another 12 year I saw from the 80's that came in a wooden box, but it is doubtful that is the one you can get... Never know though... You can see pics of the early 90's one with the gold label and the new one that is available at the export shops here in this thread. And in this thread you can see the mid 90's one with the 2 labels on it...

[schlep]

I found a couple of stray WT 12 year olds on the shelf earlier this year....how can I tell if they are old or new stock?

schlep

[Paradox]

Look a few posts down or click on this link.

[musher]

I just found two bottles of the gold label version (limited edition?) on a local store's shelves. I did them the favor of relieving them of these last two bottles this old stock!

The back labels of each bottle have the date 2/10/92 dot-matrix printed on them, which I believe is when it was bottled. Who knows how long they've been there on the shelf.

When I first saw them, I couldn't decide if it was worth it, since I can get the 10yo Russell's Reserve for under $25. A little research on SB.com, though, and I was back at the store to buy them both!

At $40 each, it sounds like I probably got them for a pretty good price. Besides, since I won't be paying "Tribute" by buying the 15yo (if any ever even gets her to Minnesota), this is probably a good alternative.

[Paradox]

You've made a good decision in my opinion. I like the gold labeled 12 yo's best when compared to the 2 subsequent releases.

[bobbyc]

I had the pleasure of popping a cork on the gold label 12 year, thanks much, Marvin, at this years gazebo party. It is by far I think the best Wild Turkey product that I have tried, and the newer bottles of the 12 are very close. In some ways it's like preferring the VanWinkle 12 year rye to the 13. It's getting harder to find with each passing moment, so no use being in love with it, I just enjoy it as it goes. I also have a newer 12 year signed by Jimmy Russell. Another bottle not to be opened for a while.

[TNbourbon]

I second Bobby's comments. At Friday's Gazebo bash, I opened the split-label WT12 to go alongside what I presume was the remainder of Bobby's bottle -- they were both wonderful, but the older, gold-label version was clearly superior (or should that be superiorer?).

You made a great buy.

[pepcycle]

Gold Label was Primo, IMHO.

One of the high points of Gazebo was comparing the 12's.

I heard a lot of, "Where's the Gold Label?"

Good Stuff

[bucky1]

I've been thru this older post a couple of times and I'm still not clear about the different WT 12yo packages. I have attached a picture of 4 different WT 12yo bottles that I have. The far left gold foil bottle is date stamped 6/9/94, the next split label bottle is date stamped 5/7/98, the next 2 gold foil labels are not dated. The far right bottle has a slightly different label...note the "101 proof" while the other foils say "50.5% acl/vol (101 proof)" and it also has a fake tax seal. Am I correct in believing that the 2 bottles to the right are the most recent versions? Has anyone else seen the bottle with the fake tax seal?

[TNbourbon]

Jon, I believe just the exact opposite is true -- the two undated bottles to the right in your picture are the oldest bottlings. I think the date imprints began during the gold-foil era, so the undated ones would be older than those with dates. The split-label, as you note by their dates, is the most recent of those pictured, though I think current releases have even another one-piece label.

I've never seen the fake seal on WT, but know that Jack Daniel's also used it briefly -- and created a sought-after collectible -- during the transition period from paper seals to shrink-type capsules. That, too, is an indication that it might be the earliest bottling -- anything earlier would have had a paper seal.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

Hey! I'm the Japanese! Well, sort of... I do have to pay the same prices since I live here in Japan. Still, it isn't that bad. I saw the WT 12 yo for less than $60 US just today at the discount. Still haven't tried it. Kentucky Tribute 15 was US $ 88 at the same store. Cheaper than I had seen it elsewhere. Still haven't tried that, either. I did get some Rare Breed for US $34 yesterday and that is outstanding. I will pony up for those two WTs someday, but I still have lots of things on my to buy list that are cheaper.

Ed

[gr8erdane]

Edward, you might want to think about the fact that the Tribute is a one time bottling for a special event and once gone is irreplacable. That gives you two schools of thought, buy it now as it may not be available later or don't buy it in case you love it and can't get it later and die of a broken heart.