Warehouse A Wild Turkey Single Barrel: Taste Test & Review!

May 28, 2025May 27, 2025 / bourbonjourney / Leave a comment

🔥 RARE WILD TURKEY FIND! 🔥 On a recent pilgrimage to the legendary Wild Turkey Distillery, one of the distillers pointed us to an extraordinary bottle hiding in plain sight: a Wild Turkey 101 Private Selection Single Barrel! But what makes this bottle truly unique and a potential unicorn pour? It hails from the historic and fabled Warehouse TY-A!

For decades, Warehouse TY-A has been whispered about among bourbon aficionados as a place where magic happens. What secrets does this particular warehouse hold that might influence the whiskey aged within its hallowed walls?

In this video, we’re diving deep! First, we’ll uncover the fascinating history and mystique behind Warehouse TY-A, exploring why this location is so significant to the Wild Turkey legacy. Then, the moment you’ve been waiting for: we’ll uncork this rare find and share our first, unfiltered tasting notes!

We’ll meticulously explore every facet of this unique Wild Turkey 101:

Color: Does it reflect its unique aging environment?
Nose: What distinctive aromas waft from the glass?
Palate: How does the flavor profile differ from standard 101 or other single barrels?
Finish: Does it leave a lasting impression?

Did we find it to be remarkably different? Was it exceptionally good? And most importantly, did this unique single barrel from Warehouse TY-A offer a solid value for the price?

Curious about the magic of specific bourbon warehouses? Ever wondered how location impacts flavor? This is the video for you!

Ready to join us for our honest reactions, detailed analysis, and find out if this rare Wild Turkey lives up to the hype?

🔥 Click play ▶️ now to uncork the adventure and discover the secrets of Warehouse TY-A! 🔥

Don’t miss a single sip! If you enjoy rare bourbon finds and honest reviews:

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👇 Leave a comment below and tell us: What’s the most unusual or rare bourbon bottle you’ve ever found?

Cheers! 🥃 Let’s explore the world of bourbon together!

#bourbon #WildTurkey #bourbonreview

❌YOUR BOURBON JOURNEY DOES NOT SELL ALCOHOL❌

✴️ Wild Turkey Private Selection Single Barrel Distiller’s Select 2025

Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Company: Campari
Distillery: Wild Turkey Distillery
Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Age: 8 years, 7 months (Distilled 06/28/16, Bottled 02/24/25)
Other: Warehouse TY-A, Floor 4, Barrel 25-0001
Proof: 101
Signed by: Jimmy Russell
Purchased: 05/17/25 for $80.00 at Wild Turkey Distillery

❌YOUR BOURBON JOURNEY DOES NOT SELL ALCOHOL❌

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NOTE: The spirit in this review was purchased by us. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is simply our opinion based on what we tasted on this day. Please drink responsibly.

Wild Turkey Distillery Tour: A Russell’s Reserve Immersion Experience

September 13, 2024 / bourbonjourney / Leave a comment

Tour Date: September 12, 2024 10:00am
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer

Our long-awaited first tour of Wild Turkey was finally here! Arriving in the parking lot and seeing the gorgeous visitor ahead let me know this was really happening!

Check in was simple. The lady who checked us in hinted that we might want to visit the bottle shop before the tour as they had the Jimmy Russell 70th Anniversary bottles available but they had a specific allotment for the day. She also said that she could hold our purchases for us. We know how to take a hint! This also gave us an opportunity to explore a bit.

The visitor center is absolutely beautiful. No detail was overlooked.

Born from the Barrel – Russell’s Reserve Immersion In-depth Russell’s Reserve Rickhouse Experience

Tour Description: Pull back the curtain on Kentucky craft whiskey excellence and discover the art of barrel maturation that has been perfected by our Master Distiller Eddie Russell. We invite you to go behind the scenes with us for the Born from the Barrel Russell’s Reserve Immersion, a 60 minute in-depth look at where and how the award-winning Russell’s Reserve is made. The tour includes a visit to one of our oldest and most iconic timber rickhouses where you’ll learn about the impact of environmental aging and the importance of center cut selection for our acclaimed small batch and single barrel whiskeys.

We were excited to learn that Bo would be our guide. We had met Bo on prior visits and knew he was a wealth of knowledge as well as passionate about all things Wild Turkey. Follow him on Instagram: firebirdbo. He provided a brief overview of what we would be doing and then invited us to board the bus.

We arrived at Rickhouse A – their oldest, built in 1894. We enjoyed the view outside of the rickhouse while Bo shared historical information about Wild Turkey, the property, and the rich distilling history of the area.

Once inside, we learned more history about their operations, the rickhouse, and how Jimmy, Eddie, and Bruce came into the organization. We have been in many rickhouses but this one simply felt special. Of course, it smelled amazing with 130 years of angel’s share permeating the wood! These pictures don’t do it justice but they do provide some context of being there.

Russell’s Reserve Tasting

The tour concluded with a guided flight of Russell’s Reserve products. The pours were outstanding and it was the first time either of us have tasted a Russell’s Rye or the 13-year-old. Wow!

Taking it All In

Following the tasting we got a drink to take outside and enjoy the patio area. A truly beautiful day! We kept hoping that if we stayed long enough, Jimmy Russell would arrive. Thus, we went upstairs to their bar for a small bite and met two great guys from NY – Ben & Ben – father and son. Bourbon people are the best!!!

We decided that we should head back to Bardstown. Slightly bummed that there wasn’t an opportunity to congratulate Jimmy on his 70th but thrilled with our day at Wild Turkey!

Gift Shop

Our most exciting bottle to acquire was the 70th Anniversary one. We did a neat pour of it while there and it is outstanding!

Distillery Trail Statistics

We originally visited Wild Turkey May 23, 2023. Unfortunately, it was still on shut-down for renovations and were not able to engage in a tour. We did enjoy the gift shop and chatting with people who work there. It was our 46th distillery and our 39th stamp on the KBT Signature Trail and we knew we would return once full tours were available.

We visited again February 23, 2024 and were able to meet and visit with Jimmy Russell. It was a dream come true to have the opportunity to visit with him on that day.

For this third visit, we were thrilled to experience the Born from the Barrel Russell’s Reserve Immersion Tour. It was our 142nd distillery experience.

Happy Trails!
Rebecca & Wayne

All photos by Rebecca Herman McBrayer unless otherwise noted.

Recent Visit with Jimmy Russell at Wild Turkey

March 28, 2024March 28, 2024 / bourbonjourney / Leave a comment

March 28, 2024
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer

*_{Rebecca & Wayne enjoying a Chocolate Cherry Cordial}*

February 23, 2024, Wayne and I decided to enjoy the Frankfort and Lawrenceburg areas in Kentucky. We only had one scheduled visit that day and it wasn’t until 5PM. It is amazing all the places you can visit in a single day.

Our first stop was at Wild Turkey. We cannot wait until their Visitor Center “refresh” is completed and they are offering tours again. We were told that would be very soon. Meanwhile, the people at their outpost are terrific.

We selected a few items to purchase and then enjoyed a fantastic cocktail – a Chocolate Cherry Cordial made with Russell’s 10 Year. I asked if Jimmy Russell might stop in and was told that our best bet would be after lunch. We decided not to wander too far so we could make a return trip later in the day.

We departed and just went with the flow. Our first stop was Lawrenceburg Bourbon, which is just down the road. Then we revisited Four Roses, Woodford Reserve, and Castle & Key. It was a lovely day to enjoy the beauty of the area. We had worked a good “loop” and the timing seemed good to return to Wild Turkey. As we approached the building, a few folks said – “Hey, someone is in there signing bottles and taking pictures.” In our minds, that could only be one person!

Visit with Jimmy Russell

We walked in to see Mr. Jimmy Russell and his lovely wife Joretta greeting visitors. We waited for our opportunity to speak with them. They were incredibly gracious and you could tell that Jimmy loved meeting people and sharing stories.

We took photos with him and he signed items for us. We stayed and talked with him whenever someone else wasn’t waiting for the opportunity. This was truly a dream come true and I admit to getting a bit emotional to finally meet him.

Jimmy got into a great conversation with Wayne about Judge McBrayer. He had someone grab publication where he looked up an article about Cedar Brook and was trying to find something about the Judge but couldn’t put his finger on it. It was a special conversation.

Wayne asked him if he loved the aromas of walking through a distillery as much as we do. He share that he really doesn’t notice the great smells because his nose is trained to look for something that is wrong or out of place. Then he knows there is an issue. Wayne also asked which of their bourbons was his favorite. He quickly noted that the Russell’s 10 Year is his pick!

He also signed my Bourbon Trail hat! This really made my day. I could have stayed longer but we really needed a bite to eat before our scheduled evening event.

What a fantastic experience to meet the “Buddha of Bourbon” who has enjoyed an amazing 60+ years making Wild Turkey whiskey! It should be no surprise that he is a member of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. He was also granted a Lifetime Honorary Membership to the Kentucky Distillers’ Association’s Board of Directors. Read more of his story here.

Great Finds to Bring Home

In the morning, we selected the Russell’s Single Barrel and the Russell’s 10 Year. In the afternoon, we ha the opportunity to acquire the month’s personal selection by Eddie Russell of Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel.

We also got this amazing crystal decanter and a terrific Wild Turkey sign for our Bourbon Room.