Wild Turkey 70th Anniversary Release
Overall Score: 6.5/10
Overall Value: 3.5/5
Distillery: Wild Turkey
Classification: Straight Bourbon
Company: Campari Group
Release Date: Fall 2024
Proof: 101
Age: 8 Years
Mashbill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Color: Honey
MSRP: $50 (2024)
The Barrel Bros’ Review
The nose on the Wild Turkey 70th Anniversary release is sweet and vibrant, with a mix of Smarties candy, Pixy Stix, apple, fruitcake, and banana nut bread. After a bit, more subtle oak notes emerge, but the sweetness takes center stage. Some may even pick up hints of chocolate and peanut butter, reminiscent of Reese’s Puffs cereal. This rich, sweet profile is definitely the highlight of the pour.
The palate of the 8-year bourbon opens with bright red fruits, mainly cherry, and maintains the classic Wild Turkey profile, though the extra aging adds strength but sadly not too much complexity. While it starts sweet, the flavor transitions away from the chocolatey peanut butter notes in the nose and settles into more of that fruit-forward profile. The mouthfeel is light, buttery, and coats the palate well.
The finish delivers a slight alcohol bite with lingering oak and medicinal cherry, which is not particularly exciting. Unfortunately, the flavors from the nose don’t carry through as strongly, and what remains is mostly alcohol burn with minimal lingering flavor notes.
This 8-year, 70th Anniversary Wild Turkey bourbon, crafted in honor of Jimmy Russell, is a step above Wild Turkey 101, offering a solid but not standout experience. At an MSRP of $50, it's well-priced but doesn’t quite compete with Wild Turkey Rare Breed in terms of depth and complexity.
If you’re a dedicated Wild Turkey fan, it’s worth adding to your collection, but if you’re looking for something more exciting, you might want to save your money for another bottle.
If you’re looking for specific notes from our Barrel Bros, read their individual reviews below!
Individual Reviews
The Rye Guy Says
Score: 6.5/10
Value: 3.5/5
THE NOSE:
Chocolate and Peanut Butter almost like opening a package of Reese’s Puffs cereal.
There is also a bit of banana and cream. This has a very rich and sweet profile.
THE TASTE:
It has a fairly light and thin mouthfeel that is somewhat buttery and manages to coat the mouth well.
Interestingly, I don’t get any of the notes from the nose. What comes across is mostly sweet red fruit with maybe a hint of peanut butter.
THE FINISH:
I don’t really get many flavor notes from the finish, what lingers is mostly just the alcohol burn.
It is unfortunate because the nose and even the palate have good flavors.
BUY OR PASS?
I think this drinks about what I would expect most bourbons to at $50 dollars. The unfortunate thing is that this is priced pretty similar to Rare Breed which is significantly better.
The Hunter Says
Score: 6.5/10
Value: 3.5/5
THE NOSE:
The nose is sweet—like Smarties candy and Pixy Stix apple. There’s also some fruit cake and banana nut bread in there.
After a bit, I could pick out some subtle oak notes, but the sweetness definitely shines through the most.
The nose is the highlight of this pour for me.
THE TASTE:
Bright red fruits, mainly cherry, hit first. The extra aging adds some nice strength to the pour, but it doesn’t bring a ton of complexity.
It’s a solid Wild Turkey profile, but nothing too out of the ordinary.
THE FINISH:
There’s a slight alcohol bite on the finish, with some oak coming through along with a hint of medicinal cherry.
It’s not harsh at all, just not particularly exciting.
BUY OR PASS?
It’s definitely a step above Wild Turkey 101, and at $50, it’s priced well for what you get. If you’re a Wild Turkey fan, this is a bottle worth picking up.
But if you’re on the fence about the brand, you’re not missing out if you pass.
