Wild Turkey Longbranch 8 Year Bourbon

 

One thing I've noticed about smaller scotch blogs (like this one) is that reviewers inevitably end up reviewing non-scotch alcohol every so often. This is due both to (1) scotch fatigue and (2) the high price of reviewing many bottles of scotch per annum. 

So in addition to my rum excursions, I am also going to occasionally review bourbon, gin, etc. The focus will still be primarily on scotch, but to keep everyone entertained I'll toss in a few like this every now and again.

Wild Turkey might be my go-to bourbon distillery these days - everything I've had from them has been really solid and worth my time. I came across a VERY dusty bottle of their recent Longbranch expression - developed in partnership with Matthew McConoughey (!) - and picked it up for a decent price. 

Aged 8 years, according to the website (but not the bottle, which remains mum regarding aging - probably for flexibility with future batches), it has the distinction of filtering the whisky through mesquite charcoal at the end of the process. As anyone who has had mesquite-grilled barbecue knows, mesquite has a very distinct flavor - apparently this is McConoughey's idea, to add a little Texas kick to the equation. We'll see how that turns out. Bottled at a pretty standard 43% ABV, let's dig in:

Nose: Oaky, more on the savory side than sweet. Some burnt caramel, some spiced vanilla, some leather/tobacco notes, and perhaps a hint of smoke, although this might also be the power of suggestion. All in all, a fairly muted nose, but an attractive one nonetheless. 

Mouthfeel: Thin and washy, would like to try this at ~%50%. 

Palate: Opens up a bit compared to the nose. Caramel and vanilla sweetness, toasted oak, pepper, and more hints of smoke. This is quite soft on the palate - an easy drinker. This would be great for mixing - it has all the solid bourbon flavors, but nothing askew that might mess with a cocktail. 

Finish: Oak and more maybe-smoke. 

Verdict: A very solid entry level bourbon, with perhaps - maybe - possibly - a little something something added from the mesquite. I honestly couldn't quite tell if the smoke I was getting was real or in my head, but I enjoyed it all the same. 

I made a Boulevardier with this and some Don Ciccio & Figli Cerasum, and it was lovely. I found this for $30 and have heard it can be found even cheaper. Not a bad deal in that range, I suppose. I still prefer the 101, though.