Serious liquor drinkers: Is "Wild Turkey" a serious whiskey or a joke?

[Mike 03]

Hunter S. Thompson was my hero when I was a fiction/film major in school so naturally I tried Wild Turkey at that time. It was something I very, very rarely tried after that first time, because I discovered I didn't like hard liquor.

But when I sometimes joke about my "Wild Turkey" phase with my sisters, they laugh, almost uncontrollably.

Is "Wild Turkey" that big a joke? Or is it a respectable whiskey?

If "Wild Turkey" is a joke, then what is a respectable whiskey? If you were throwing a party and wanted to have a few bottles of whiskey on hand, what would you select?

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. It's a whisky for college kids who don't know better, and rednecks who don't want to know better

[Chan790]

3. Agreed. n/m

[Mike 03]

13. LOL!!!!!!!!!!

That is exactly it... I was a college kid who idolized Hunter S. Thompson.

[Rosie1223]

38. I learned in college that

Wild Turkey and birthday shots DO NOT go together.

I sip Jack Daniels occasionally but never Wild Turkey again.

[mainegreen]

2. It's not good. n/t

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

4. Jameson for your friends

Jameson 1780 for yourself, unless you're going to mix it. It's a sin to mix 1780.

[htuttle]

8. Neat

Always neat, no ice.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

10. Yep, ice is also a sin

[Deep13]

33. That's how I feel about a good single malt Scotch.

Guests get Glen Livett 18 neat or J&B mixed with something else.

[HEyHEY]

37. Only a complete asshole mixes Irish Whiskey.

[northzax]

52. what about Whiskey Punch?

there's a lot of awful bad Irish Whiskey, you know.

[MineralMan]

60. Tu as raison!

[petronius]

5. I like it, but I think it's just for drinking when there's nothing else to do

For Serious Drinking (i.e. appreciatin' with all 5 senses), there are probably better choices...

[Catshrink]

6. I've always like it.

Here is a tragic photo of a fire that burned a Wild Turkey warehouse in 2000:

[Pierre.Suave]

7. Not good

there are many many, better choices out there.

[Norwood]

9. I'm not a fan of the stuff myself

Its something I would drink with the soul purpose of getting drunk. Even then I would probably opt to get Kentucky Deluxe, which is pretty horrific without a chaser but cheaper.

If you're throwing a party and want some good quality whiskey get some Crown Royal or Jameson.

[Zomby Woof]

28. Crown Royal?

Quality? Might as well drink diluted Log Cabin syrup. Canadian whiskeys are blended tripe. No character at all. Taste like chalk.

[Botany]

11. real whiskey is from Scotland

@ least 12 years old and single malt.

Bourbon is American Corn Whiskey .... and there are some good ones but the are rare

Jack Daniels, Wild Turkey, and Jim Beam are not good American Whiskeys.

[Xipe Totec]

16. I'm a man of few words...

[eyepaddle]

49. I love Talisker--2nd only to Laphroaig's 15 year old.

M'mmmm Talisker.

However, in a party situation (like the OP's) I think I'd have a few less idiosyncratic choices for guests. Maker's Mark would do quite well, I should think.

[htuttle]

18. No True Scotsman would spell whisky with an 'e'

:D

[Rabrrrrrr]

19. No, from Scotland, it's whisky. Calling it whiskey there is like calling them Scottish.

Which is to say, they'll foking kill ye.

[nomorenomore08]

24. I have to say, though, that Jim Beam is probably one of the best in terms of price vs. quality.

$11.99 for a fifth, $1.50 for a liter of Coke, and you've got an instant party! :)

[kwassa]

45. well, if you're going to mix whisky and Coke it can be any rotgut stuff.

Mixing real whisky with other than a few drops of water is an abomination

[Deep13]

35. Oban is only 10 years old. nt

[mwooldri]

50. Teachers and Bells are whiskys from Scotland in the same genre as Wild Turkey.

i.e. it's a good approximation and it will get you drunk but a good whisky neither of them are.

[northzax]

53. that's actually whisky

the scottish stuff has no 'e'

and there's a lot of perfectly good, and some exceptional bourbons...

[MineralMan]

61. You are incorrect, sir. The Irish invented whiskey. The Scots

are mere imitators. A good pot still Irish whiskey at a tenth of the price of your single malt is far superior. And my last name's Campbell.

[Botany]

66. Thanx

?v=0

the only Irish whiskey I have had is Jameson and one other one ... I'll try
some any suggestions?

[RoyGBiv]

12. Consider Hunter ...

Hunter drank to get drunk, not to sip nor to cherish the nuanced flavors of an aged single barrel.

Wild Turkey 101 gets you hammered.

In the industry, it's a sub-premium, on the same level as Jim Beam and W.L. Weller.

[Mike 03]

14. Damn, thanks, you taught me a lot.

It is still hard to believe that somebody as brilliant as Hunter Thompson could peddle a whiskey that serious whiskey drinks think is a joke.

Wow...

Anyway, thank you all!

I learned more than I ever imagined by posting this question.

[JVS]

42. Hunter was not as schooled in the academy of consumerism as the typical DUer.

He likely thought that a serious whiskey drinkers were the joke, and not the Wild Turkey.

There is a basic tradeoff by which one generally gets something more drinkable for more money. As long as you aren't buying stuff that is so horrid that you can't gulp it down adequately for it to do its job, you're doing ok.

[Captain Hilts]

15. How 'bout Rebel Yell? I know respectable folks that drink that. That know their liquor. nt

[nomorenomore08]

25. Rebel Yell isn't bad at all. Good 'n cheap!

:thumbsup:

[many a good man]

17. Back in my college days we drank Cabin Still

We used to call it "Stab 'n Kill", because the next morning it felt like twenty daggers were stuck in your brain.

[Swede]

20. Most whiskey is 80 proof,Wild Turkey can be up to 108 proof.

They don't call it thunder chicken for nothing.

[MrScorpio]

21. I'm partial to Crown Royal

Yeah, I'm easy

[Hanse]

22. Think of it like cars.

You can always find snooty, inbred, uppercrust pigfuckers who think the only proper car is a Triumph TR2, and they'll look down there nose at a Chevy Impala like the Great Red Shark.

Fuck 'em.

[Richard Steele]

23. It's a serious whiskey that made a deliberate CHOICE to be a bit "different".

It ain't no JohnnyWalkerGOLD, but it isn't trying to be.
Whatever it is, it isn't any JOKE.

[nomorenomore08]

26. I don't have a strong opinion on it, but I think it's a bit pricy for the quality level.

Old Grandad is also 100 proof, about the same price, and better than Wild Turkey IMHO.

[JVS]

40. I also prefer Old Grandad.

[Mopar151]

68. Maker's Mark will do.

[JVS]

69. Maker's Mark is more expensive

[valerief]

70. That's bourbon, but that's what I like. nt

[Zomby Woof]

27. Wild Turkey 101

It's good, although a bit heavy with the oak. There is better out there, but it beats the hell out of Jim Beam, especially for the price.

You should know better than to ask DUers their opinions on these things. Most of them are of the "too cool for school" mindset, and therefore everything sucks, and are they oh so contrarian. Then they really damage their credibility by offering an alternative that sucks even worse.

[datasuspect]

30. i always thought the types you're referring to were still in junior high

and not even legal age to drink

[SoxFan]

31. +++

You should know better than to ask DUers their opinions on these things. Most of them are of the "too cool for school" mindset, and therefore everything sucks, and are they oh so contrarian.

:toast:

[Wapsie B]

34. +++

:toast:

[TreasonousBastard]

29. It's now French-- owned by the Campari/Pernod people...

and it's not bad stuff, if you like bourbon. But not great stuff. And they make a whole bunch of stuff under that label, so which Wild Turkey is it they're talking about?

Back in the few bourbon drinking days I had, I preferred Old Grand-Dad, but I hear that's not the best, either.

I don't know what the "best" is, but here's a bourbon review site:

http://www.bourbonenthusiast.com/forum/DBvd.php

(The "best" is the stuff you like, and screw the reviews)

[Deep13]

32. I like it. Nice woody aroma.

Some other Bourbons seem too sweet to me. Maker's Mark for example.

[HEyHEY]

36. It's a joke. It's whiskey's budwieser

[Iggo]

39. It's no joke. And yes, it is whiskey's Budweiser.

It's whiskey's Budweiser in that it's simply an alcohol delivery system and no more.

It's not for enjoyment. It's for serious shitfacedgettingness.

[guitar man]

41. the 101 proof is tolerable

the 80 proof sucks.

[EstimatedProphet]

43. Yuck

Wild Turkey's biggest selling point is that it is 101 proof. Good bourbon has flavor, not just alcohol. If you want a good bourbon, try these:

http://www.bourbonenthusiast.com/forum/DBvd.php?id=95&task=displaybottling

http://www.bourbonenthusiast.com/forum/DBvd.php?id=159&task=displaybottling

http://www.bourbonenthusiast.com/forum/DBvd.php?id=57&task=displaybottling

http://www.bourbonenthusiast.com/forum/DBvd.php?id=88&task=displaybottling

http://www.bourbonenthusiast.com/forum/DBvd.php?id=190&task=displaybottling

http://www.bourbonenthusiast.com/forum/DBvd.php?id=143&task=displaybottling

http://www.bourbonenthusiast.com/forum/DBvd.php?id=97&task=displaybottling

And for some of the best whiskey you will ever have, of any kind:

http://www.bourbonenthusiast.com/forum/DBvd.php?id=59&task=displaybottling

[demwing]

46. I'm sorry, but that site was as pretentious as all hell

"Enormous in every respect, from its thick, chewy texture to its unbelievably spicy and very powerful flavors"

"Lovely toasted flavor, very refined, elegant and soft, with a rainwater-like finish"

"This bottle is at its peak. It dances with finesse and the quintessential spark of a great Rye. Great RYE!!!"

"This is poetry in a glass. A slight Pineapple essence lingers in the balcony. Caramel..."

And remember, we're talking about a bottle of booze, not a holiday fruitcake.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

47. So what?

[EstimatedProphet]

48. It's also damned accurate

And it's far from being only about high-priced snobbery too, since Buffalo Trace and Bulleit both rate very high, and both are only in the $20 range. Thing is, we're talking about the quality of whiskey, which is about enjoyment; a bottle of booze is for getting drunk.

[demwing]

54. Really? I had no idea that booze was "chewy"

Yeah, booze. It's a bottle of booze. Pretty it up all you want.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

55. Liquor and beer have nuances just like wine

You won't notice them in shit stuff, but you will in the good stuff.

[demwing]

76. Hey, to each his own. I'm not criticizing DUers here

but that site cracks me up, as do similar sites on wine and perfume. The language used in those examples reminds me of the Seinfeld episodes involving Elaine's work for J. Peterman. Or, come to think of it, the actual catalog as well. Flowery words, long on pretense, short on restraint. One would think it were satire at first glance, then comes the realization that people take this stuff very seriously, and the comedy reveals itself as unintentional.

[VenusRising]

44. It makes a great bourbon ball.

My husband got a bottle for a gift after he passed his candidacy exam. That was 5/6 years ago. We really don't drink, so I ended up making a lot of bourbon balls with it. We also used it to marinate some fish one time. I say it's excellent to cook with. I'm just not partial to drinking it.

[ZombieHorde]

51. For a party? Anything in a glass bottle. nt

[pokerfan]

56. Reminds me of a West Wing episode

'Bartlett for America.' If you haven't seen it, it has flashbacks of the first campaign. Leo is hitting up some big shot donors in a hotel suite and the big shots pull out a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue, a $200/bottle scotch. Leo, telling the story in a voice over describes the seductive sound of an ice cube being dropped into a glass from the perfect height and sure enough we see the big shots drinking it on the rocks.

I'm thinking, "Who the hell drinks good scotch on the rocks?"

And then it hits me. Only aficionados care enough to drink it neat. Big shot CEO's throwing their money around ("don't you want to know what a $30 sip of whisky tastes like?) and alcoholics. Neither group cares about taste.

[tigereye]

57. one of my professors in college had a Wild Turkey belt-buckle..

:rofl:

[Lil Missy]

58. I tried Jack Daniels once. I was fuckin' drunk for two days after I stopped drinking!

Every time I had a soda after that, I got drunk all over again. Never again!

I don't like whisky. Not for 30 years or so. I also don't like puking!

[Dr Fate]

59. My father collected the ceramic turkey decanters. He must have 50 of them on display in his study...

Me? I always preferred the John Daniels- but these days a cold beer is enough.

[old mark]

62. Old Crow, if you can find it. It's rye, and will melt your fillings. nt

[nomorenomore08]

63. At least that's real whiskey (I think). Ancient Age is even worse.

Think grain alcohol with artificial color and "bourbon" flavoring... :puke:

[azmouse]

64. I like it.

Of course, I've rarely drunk a bourbon I haven't liked!

[Mike 03]

65. I'm loving this entire discussion. I had no idea there were so many opinions

about whiskey, but I'm learning a hell of a lot.

Thank you...

And please talking until you feel you've talked this issue to death.

[laylah]

67. My husband's grandmother,

who was the epitome of Daisy in "Driving With Miss Daisy", LOVED Wild Turkey. Drank it until the day she passed at age 89.

Me? Never EVEN wanted to try it.

[Mr. McD]

71. I was given a bottle of cask strength Wild Turkey for Christmas

It may be the worst whiskey I have ever had. :puke:

I prefer a good Highland Malt now that's whiskey.

[carlyhippy]

72. gotta watch that stuff, too much drinkie and the turkey talks back to ya

Carly

[LooseWilly]

73. I'm drinking Old Crow right now.

It's cheap, but something of an acquired taste (sort of... astringenty, I remember thinking when I first started drinking it... back when I needed a splash of 7-up to help it down).
Wild Turkey is a plenty respectable whiskey. It's strong (I only ever see the 101 proof, not sure what the posts about 80 proof are talking about... not here in CA), and it has a flavor al its own. It's rough, like Old Crow, not for the weak palate. Seagram's 7 is kind of "chocolatey". Jack Daniels is too sweet for my tastes. Jim Beam is a smooth and straight flavor. Kessler is a very mellow/lacking flavor (a blended whiskey, what're ya gonna do?). Early Times is very Oak tasty and chewy, sometimes has the side effect of making you feel like you were hit upside the head with an oak plank the next day... but that's an effect that can grow on you. Old Grand Dad isn't bad... somewhere between Kessler and Early TImes. Ancient Age has a minty undertone that I find appalling. Rebel Yell isn't bad, somewhere between Old Crow's edge and Kessler's smooth. (Smooth as silk is a lie, more like smooth as a liquor that's 4 parts in 5 grain spirit).

Jamison is a nice Irish whiskey. Bushmills I personally consider a breakfast whiskey, as it tastes so sweet I feel like I'm drinking a whiskey croissant.
Johnny Walker is stiff. It's a Scotch, I think. I can't tell the difference between the Red, the Black, and whatever other varieties it comes in, so I get whichever is cheaper. It's a respectable Scotch.
Old Smuggler is rot gut Scotch. Other Scotches tend to be so dry that, personally, I think they're more rough than I am willing to endorse... and as they're more expensive here in the States than a Kentucky or Tennessee whiskey, I don't see the point of acquiring the taste. If you have money to burn and people to impress, then knock yourself out...
Bourbon deLuxe I've only ever found on clearance. It was much better than its price would've suggested, and the hangover was less painful than some of the more awful 40 ouncers produced (hence the gutterpunk theory that Green Death, aka Ranier Malt Liquor, was laced with formaldahyde).

In summary... Wild Turkey is a respectable whiskey. Anyone who says different should be drinking appletinis made from Skyye vodka, and should not be listened to.
Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, and Jamison are, I would say, the most respectable whiskeys of the world. If one wants to get into the "dry" whiskeys, I think Old Crow is every bit as good as most Scotches. It's just not a Calvin Klein amongst whiskeys.
If I "threw a party", or just provided drinks before a show, and I produced a couple of bottles of Wild Turkey, no one I know would complain.

Maybe someone with a "refined whiskey palate", whatever that's supposed to mean, might find fault with Wild Turkey... but anyone suggested Laphroaig or what have you is certainly not drinking the 4-10 oz a night that I'm drinking. In my experience, those who suggest/buy such things are doing so because of some daydream of status or something. Those of us who're drinking habitually see Wild Turkey as a high end whiskey for a "real drinker"...

If you want to talk about a joke, mention Yukon Jack, or some of the other whiskey-wannabe-liquers. Those are... awful.

[Starry Messenger]

74. A whiskey croissant??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbPEYWKO-JY

And here I thought Ancient Age was your favorite.










:hide:

[LooseWilly]

75. Hehe...

A raspberry croissant... with maybe some cream... or a heavily sugared scone.

And I know you know better than to taunt me with Ancient Age. The only whiskey I've ever had to pour down the drain... because that minty undertone I just couldn't take.
Maybe it's a whiskey for gin drinkers... I don't know. I'd rather drink a whiskey bottled in San Jose, CA for Albertsons than another shot of Ancient Age...

The horror. The horror.

[mix]

77. No, but Jack Daniels is n/t