Longbranch (Wild Turkey)

Nose: This has a light combination of oak, alcohol, cinnamon and a little bit of rye spice. Not impressive but also not offensive. Palate: This has a mouthfeel on the light, watery side. I get a decent amount of rye spiciness but overall it is a very light, easy to drink sipper. It has a some honey flavor, but isn’t really overly sweet. It doesn’t necessarily taste “young” but it is uncomplicated and not terribly complex. Which isn’t a bad thing. It is a nice middle-of-the-road bourbon that you could serve to just about any bourbon drinker without fear. It won’t leave you thinking that it is great but it is rock solid and would easily be a good candidate for a daily sipper. Later sips brought out more rye spice and there is just a slight hint of smokiness and something that may be oakiness. It has a pretty short finish and it doesn’t have much in the way of heat. Comments: This is 86 proof. The label reads “oak & Texas Mesquite charcoal refined”. (It appears that this is a fancy way of saying charcoal filtered.) This is one of those “celebrity endorsed” bourbons. Normally, I would shy away from these because they generally tend to be vanity projects that bank of the celebrity’s name to make sales. Luckily, I think this one does not fall in that category. This one is actually a really decent drinker, DESPITE the “celebrity endorsement” (it’s Matthew McConaughey). This is reportedly an 8 year old with a mashbill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. The cost is around $40. It makes for an interesting addition to Wild Turkey’s other products. I also think this falls into the category of bourbons that would make a good introduction to the non-bourbon drinker.