| Don't like ads? | No ads |
This is the fourth in a five part series where I examine Wild Turkey’s 12 Year Old Beyond Duplication lineup over the span of 30 years. In the previous reviews – which you can read about here, here and here – I went over the changes that occurred between each time period. For the record, a “time period” is roughly 5 years or so where Wild Turkey puts a new label on their bourbon to keep the brand fresh. For many enthusiasts, these label changes also signaled a change for the bourbon inside.
Starting in 1999, Wild Turkey effectively stopped selling their 12-year-old Beyond Duplication bottle in the United States. From that point forward it would be an export-only release. One of the biggest visual clues that it was meant only for export is that they were only sold in 700ml bottles (which were not on the standardized list of spirits bottles allowed to be sold in the US). The label also underwent an evolution from the previous generation where the age statement and proof were moved up to the top label while the bottom label only espoused grand claims such as being “The Best Bourbon in the World.”
Wild Turkey Beyond Duplication Faux Split Label
While almost everything else remained the same for this 12-year version, there was one thing that changed throughout production from 1999 to 2004. It’s not often talked about or understood, but it came from an event that happened in the distilling industry around 1987. That’s the year the FDA and (B)ATF were working together quietly with major industry leaders to address the growing concern about limiting urethane levels in food and beverage products. They saw the writing on the wall that other Western countries (notably; Canada) were implementing limits themselves. And with the general public becoming more aware of cancer risks, they wanted to get out in front of it.
Urethane had recently been classified as a carcinogen. The FDA wanted to find ways to limit human consumption of it. You might think of urethane as a sort of petrochemical, but in reality it naturally forms during the fermentation process. Most foods are devoid of it, but studies showed that the fermentation process – whether it was to make kimchi or beer – resulted in the right conditions for the chemical reaction to make it.
It was found that beer and wine already had acceptable levels of urethane but when those liquids were distilled, the amounts became more concentrated. Therefore, the government essentially told distilleries to either voluntarily limit their urethane levels to under 125 ppb or else they’d institute a regulation telling them to do so. The distilleries agreed, but I’ve never actually seen a proper explanation as to how they changed their processes to limit its creation. As a “thank you” to the distilleries for playing nice, they could continue utilizing all available stocks distilled before 1987. You can read more about the fascinating backstory here.
The reason why I’m boring you with all of this urethane talk is because Wild Turkey Faux Split Label would be the first version of “Beyond Duplication” to use barrels that were distilled using… whatever production methods were implemented to limit urethane levels. And while I don’t know what those methods are, even a little change can create larger changes down the line. Expect 1999 examples of Beyond Duplication to have most of the distillate produced after these changes were enacted. Alternatively, expect the 2004 example to have basically all of the distillate contain bourbon from the post-1987 changes.
But most of the good stuff should still remain. Wild Turkey’s barrel entry proof was still 107, the distillate was fermented in the old cypress wood tanks and Jimmy Russell was still overseeing production on the old still. So what changes can I find in this series? Let’s find out. Thanks to my friend Dan, I am getting to sample it today. I tasted this neat in a glencairn.
Tasting Notes
Nose: The delicious scent of chocolate cherry cordials wakes my nose right up. Layers of soft and sweet oak give off a ton of maturity along with some leather. For sweetness, I’m finding cinnamon rolls with vanilla icing. It’s the total package and strangely enough, reminds me more of an elite Buffalo Trace product than a Wild Turkey product.
Palate: The oak is much stronger than I expected it to be. It’s bold, spicy and a bit drying. There’s also some evidence of barrel char. To me, it tastes like it’s around 15 years old. For fruit there is cherry/strawberry/orange life saver gummies. The rye character shows itself some more with the flavors of graham cracker crust, candy cane, peppercorns, a little anise and some leather. I even detect a hint of floral flavors that stick close to the fruit. The peppery bite keeps the whole dram honest, but never gets out of control. Finally, for sweetness I’d use one comparison to where this dram is getting its sweetness from: Cadbury creme eggs,
Finish: After the sweet and fruity palate, it’s interesting to find how much the finish begins to dry out and become bitter. Not to such an extent that I think it’s a subpar bourbon, I just wasn’t expecting it fall off so quickly. The flavors I find after the sip is complete include dried cherries, anise, clove, cinnamon, oak, toasted orange zest, barrel char, leather, a bit of cigar wrapper, caramel chews and faint vanilla.
Score: 8.7/10
I must say that drinking this time capsule immediately brought up a comparison to George T. Stagg in my mind. Granted, this is nowhere near the proof of any GTS release, but all of the most important flavors and scents really channel that bottle. It’s almost hard to believe this is a Wild Turkey product when you compare it to some modern-day releases which begs the question of what steps changed that turned modern-day Turkey into something almost unrecognizable from this version of Wild Turkey.
Still, this is one of those fascinating instances where I find the same or almost more joy in a 12-year version that is younger compared to an older one (yesterday’s Split Label review). I’m sure it’s just a batch variation at play, but the point I’m trying to make is “don’t write off these newer 12-year bottles completely.” They still hold up and some will take older releases to the mat and show you which one is better.
Final Thoughts
My biggest takeaway I’ve learned so far is to not discount all 12-year versions just because they might be newer. This one opened my eyes to how good these can still be. Of course on paper it feels like that should be true, but many purists might not want to hear that. But if you’re on a budget and looking for a great example of an older generation of Wild Turkey, you can’t go wrong with these Faux Split Labels. Plus, for $450 on the secondary market versus $700+ for a true Split Label, the choice is now obvious to me. Now onward to the final review of the series – Unilabel!
