Is Wild Turkey a Bourbon or Whiskey?

Wild Turkey is one of the most popular and iconic American whiskeys But is it a bourbon or just a regular whiskey? Let’s take a closer look,

What is Bourbon?

Bourbon is a type of American whiskey that must meet certain legal requirements to be called bourbon

• It must be made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn,

• It must be distilled to no more than 160 proof (80% ABV).

• It must be aged in new, charred oak barrels.

• It must be entered into the barrel for aging at no more than 125 proof (62.5% ABV).

• It must be bottled at 80 proof (40% ABV) or more.

• It must be made in the United States.

Bourbon is a subset of whiskey, with more specific production requirements. All bourbons are whiskeys, but not all whiskeys are bourbons.

Wild Turkey History and Production

Wild Turkey is produced at the Wild Turkey Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. It was originally known as the Old Hickory Distillery when it was built in 1891.

After Prohibition ended, the Ripy family rebuilt the distillery and began producing bourbon again. They sold their whiskey to wholesalers who bottled it under different brand names. One of those wholesalers was Austin Nichols.

The “Wild Turkey” brand began in 1940 after an Austin Nichols executive took some warehouse samples on a wild turkey hunt. The bourbon was so popular among his friends that they kept asking for “that wild turkey bourbon.” Austin Nichols began bottling Wild Turkey Bourbon in 1942.

In 1971, Austin Nichols purchased the distillery and renamed it the Wild Turkey Distillery. The bourbon is distilled from a mashbill containing 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. It is aged for at least 4 years in charred new American oak barrels.

So Is Wild Turkey a Bourbon?

Given its history and production process, Wild Turkey clearly meets all the legal requirements to be called a bourbon whiskey. The mashbill contains more than 51% corn, it is distilled and aged within the legal limits for bourbon, and it is produced in Kentucky.

Therefore, Wild Turkey is definitely a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. All bottles are labeled with the word “bourbon” and you’ll often see it referred to as Wild Turkey Bourbon.

Some people use the terms “bourbon” and “whiskey” interchangeably when talking about Wild Turkey and other popular bourbon brands. But technically, Wild Turkey is a bourbon – a specific type of American whiskey.

Other Wild Turkey Whiskeys

While Wild Turkey’s main bourbon expression is what made the brand famous, they do also produce some other whiskeys:

• Wild Turkey Rye – A rye whiskey with a “barely legal” rye content of 51%.

• Russell’s Reserve – A small batch bourbon aged for around 10 years.

• Kentucky Spirit – An older, more premium single barrel bourbon.

So in short, Wild Turkey’s main product is a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. But as a distillery, they make other American whiskey styles as well. When you see the standard Wild Turkey bottling, you can be assured it’s a quality bourbon.