EP 34: Mark Your Wild Turkey in Yellowstone

The Friskey Whiskey Podcast

Join MikeD and TI as they take another tour through some of TI's personal collection.

Yellowstone Bourbon: $36.99. 93 proof. Mash Bill 75% corn 13% rye and 12% malt

Yellowstone Bourbon was originally launched in 1872 to honor the establishment of our country's first National Park, Yellowstone, The distillery was started by J. B. Dant (son of J.W. Dant) who teamed up with D. H. Taylor and J. T. Williams. It operated independently until the 1940's. When the United States entered the Second World War in 1941 a wartime prohibition was enacted forbidding the production of beverage alcohol so the distilleries were required to make industrial alcohol for the war effort. Once again the profit margin was very small on this production and by 1944 it was decided to sell the company to Glenmore Distilleries.
The 1970s however, were not as kind to the brand. Bourbon sales declined every year and the distillery was making less whiskey every year as the warehouses remained full. The brand became less popular and fell into a lower quality category even though the quality was still superb. In 1985, Glenmore shut down the distillery. Glenmore was purchased by Diageo, who promptly shut it down and sold off the Yellowstone brands to David Sherman who continued to produce Yellowstone brands. David Sherman became Luxco in 2006. In 2015 Luxco purchased a share of the Limestone branch Distillery. Part of the deal was that the Yellowstone brand would be given to Limestone Branch Distillery to produce. Paul and Steve Beam, descendants of both J.W. Dant and the legendary Beam family founded Limestone Branch Distillery with the intention of crafting only the finest whiskey and the dream of restoring the Yellowstone brand to its former glory.

Nose: Rye spice with soft, leather, cherries
Taste: Smoked caramel, Smoky oak and brown sugar

Wild Turkey Rare Breed $47.99 Proof 116.8 Mash Bill 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% barley
Blend of 6, 8, and 12 year old small batch bourbons. No water is added before bottling to get the experience like drinking from the cask

The first distillery on Wild Turkey Hill was established in 1850 and named Old Moore. In 1851, James and John Ripy arrived in Kentucky from Tyrone, Ireland, and opened a store selling general goods. In 1869, they built their first distillery beneath the limestone cliffs of the Kentucky river. In 1855, Austin Nichols & Co., a wholesale grocer, set up shop in Lawrenceburg, KY. The company eventually took over what would become Wild Turkey Bourbon. In the early 1940s when Thomas McCarthy, an executive at Austin Nichols, took some warehouse samples on a wild turkey hunting trip. The bourbon was so popular among his friends that they asked for “that wild turkey bourbon”. In 1954, Master Distiller Jimmy Russell joined Wild Turkey. He learns his craft and becomes the third in a line of master distillers for the brand which includes second master distiller, Bill Hughes, and Ernest W. Ripy, son of the original distiller. In 1976, Wild Turkey introduced the world’s first bourbon liqueur which would eventually lead to the creation of American Honey. In 1981, Eddie Russell, son of Jimmy Russell, joined Wild Turkey as a relief operator and began to work his way up the distillery ladder. In 1991, Wild Turkey introduced their premium Rare Breed bourbon, one of the first barrel proof bourbons to hit the market.

Nose: Spring flowers, pepper, almonds, honey , dates
Taste: warm, smoky flavors of grain and spice

Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Batch 23-01 $43.99 Proof 110 Mash Bill 70% corn, 16% soft winter wheat, 14% barley

Batches will vary from 108 to 114 proof

Maker's Mark was created by T. William "Bill" Samuels Sr., who purchased the Burks' Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky in 1953. Production began in 1954 and the first bottles were bottled in 1958. The brand's signature red wax seal is still hand-dipped today. The story of Maker's Mark began when Bill Samuels Sr. accidentally set fire to the family's 170-year-old recipe. He then experimented with different grains to create his own mash bill. The family's quest was to create a bourbon they enjoyed drinking and sharing with friends. Maker's Mark was the world's first premium bourbon. The brand was acquired by Hiram Walker in 1981.

Nose: Big oak, vanilla and caramel
Taste: warm, caramel, vanilla, spice