Wild Turkey Private Selection Single Barrel Bourbon Review

Have you ever seen those comic strips where a person finds a genie in a bottle and every wish they ask for has a dark turn? The genie grants the wish, but not how the person was expecting. They might have asked for a billion dollars only to be crushed by several tons of dollar bills falling from the sky. Or maybe a foot-long rooster begins to grow from their pelvis. You get the point. It seems like Campari acts like that genie sometimes where enthusiasts wish for certain things from the brand – but instead get a product that wasn’t really what they meant.

Take for instance Wild Turkey Private Selection Bourbon, it’s like the Campari Genie was asked “Can you make a better version of Kentucky Spirit?” But instead of making Kentucky Spirit non-chill filtered or older or maybe bottled at barrel strength from barrels that were under 110 proof, the genie took away the Kentucky Spirit barrel program entirely. It was replaced with a bottle that had basically all of the same specs as Kentucky Spirit – only this time it was wearing a slightly duller label and had a higher pricetag. Gee thanks, Campari Genie.

Wild Turkey Private Selection Bourbon

Of course, my story above is not how Wild Turkey Private Selection was really conceived. It hasn’t been said how the new label came to be exactly, but I have some opinions. I believe that sales of Kentucky Spirit single barrels were lagging behind. Amongst the enthusiast community, getting a WTKS pick was the equivalent of receiving the runner-up medal. Nobody was going to choose it over a Russell’s Reserve pick, so we have to fake a smile and pretend like it’s no big deal.

What’s so wrong with getting a Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit pick? For starters, it’s 9 proof points lower than Russell’s Reserve and it’s chill filtered. These two stats alone are enough to discourage any lover of Turkey and it was made worse when Campari ditched the classic “Fantail” design and went for the same bottle shape that Rare Breed uses. Yawn. The price was also $15 less than RRSiB picks, which felt like it was too close in price to ever want to choose.

So Campari killed off single barrel picks of Kentucky Spirit. Long live Kentucky Spirit. In its place, enthusiasts were treated to a new label called “Private Selection.” Isn’t it weird how all of these Kentucky distilleries are naming their private single barrel picks with the name “Private Selection?” Four Roses did it first. Maker’s Mark followed them (they originally called theirs “Private Select” before changing it in 2020) and now Wild Turkey is jumping on the term.

What makes it different?

Anyway, Wild Turkey Private Selection doesn’t really differ from Kentucky Spirit a whole lot except for the label. It’s still bottled at 101 proof, it’s still going to be 8 years old (or older) and it’s still going to be chill-filtered. And if we really want to get down to brass tacks, the real reason behind Private Selection may be that Campari wanted to raise prices without being so obvious. I say this because I’ve seen Kentucky Spirit hover around $60 at most places while Private Selection is available for $80 at the Wild Turkey giftshop. This puts it on the same level as a RRSiB pick.

I’m sure the giftshop price is slightly higher just because most distilleries have a gentleman’s agreement that they won’t compete with retail stores. In reality, the price could (should?) be around $70 once it reaches nationwide distribution. No matter how you slice it, I think that it’s always going to be more money than Kentucky Spirit.

Now that we know what there is to know about Private Selection, how does it taste? I just so happened to get my hands on a July 2024 Gift Shop release to find out. It clocks in at 9 years and 4 months old and came from the 4th floor of Warehouse B (Tyrone) – one of Jimmy’s favorites. I sampled this neat in a glencairn.

Tasting Notes

Nose: The sweet scent of honeybuns follows closely with brown-sugar toasted almonds. There are an array of baking spices, but it’s cinnamon that shines brightest. Tannins come by way of seasoned oak and a hint of leather. There is even a convincing amount of fruit notes to be found with orange zest and cherries leading the way. This is strong and impressionable classic Turkey at its best.

Palate: All of the notes are so balanced in this dram. Each sip is layered which makes you have to study it to find everything, but it all works. Brown sugar sweetness couples with molasses and vanilla. The oak pairs with dry leather and some oak spice to give a wonderful barrel influence on my tongue. Fruit notes like orange and lemon citrus zest pair nicely with a hint of peppermint. The spices hit home that Wild Turkey is and always has kind of been a rye-forward bourbon. I can find anise, clove and nutmeg. Finally, some notes of black tea reveal themselves in a small amount later in the session. I love finding that flavor.

Finish: Fleeting spice notes of ground cinnamon, pepper and anise combine with toasted brown sugar, wood sugars, oak and vanilla. There’s even a bit of toasted orange zest that hangs on as well.

Score: 7.9/10

Well this was certainly much more than I was expecting! This dram had it all – deep, vibrant flavors, classic Turkey spice and a good helping of fruit. It also tastes much more mature and refined than I was thinking it would. This is an excellent bottle to start to finish.

This bottle was opened and shared in a room full of guys who know their bourbon inside and out and every single one of them was impressed by it. Even I did a double take with what was in my glass since we had a countertop full of absolute killer bourbon. That should tell you a lot about what you need to know in regards to this bottle.

Final Thoughts

Compared to other Kentucky Spirit bottles I’ve had in the past, this bottle of Private Selection would probably beat them all. I dare say it might beat a couple Russell’s Reserve picks I have tried as well. However, I’ve braced myself for this scenario by telling myself that the barrels selected for the first dozen or so Private Selections are going to be honey barrels. More to the point: Wild Turkey is going to go out of their way to pick the best barrels in 2024 in the hopes that consumers will buy into the hype that online reviewers will inevitably make (did I just out myself?). And then – just like all other new products that any distillery comes out with – the quality control will drop little-by-little and the hype will subside.

I’m not just saying that to ruffle everyone’s feathers. I genuinely hope that the good times will continue for this label for years to come. I just don’t want an enthusiast to find this review at the end of 2025 and get mad that their bottle of Private Selection they just bought didn’t meet their standards. But as it stands, if you have the time and means, find a bottle of Private Selection as soon as you can. You can thank me later.