Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon WhiskeyWild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Wild Turkey (bourbon)From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
division of Campari Group. Its nicknames include "The Dirty Bird", "Gobble Gobble", "Bombed Tom", "Thunder Chicken", "Boat Gas", "Whiskey Tango", "The Kickin' Chicken", the last being a reference to the 101 proof of its most common bottling, as compared to the 80 proof of standard bourbons. The distillery is located near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. It offers tours, and is part of the American Whiskey Trail and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
HistoryThe Ripy brothers built a distillery near Lawrenceburg in 1869 and had consolidated the current facility by 1905 and resumed distilling after Prohibition. The Ripys were bought out in 1952 by the Gould Brothers. In turn the distillery was bought by Pernod Ricard in 1980. On April 8, 2009, the Campari Group announced the acquisition of the brand and of the distillery from Pernod Ricard.[1] Distillery executive Thomas McCarthy took some warehouse samples on a wild turkey hunting trip in 1940. The next year his friends asked him for "some of that wild turkey whiskey", and a brand was born. The 80 proof version was introduced in 1974.[2] RangeThe Wild Turkey label carries a vividly printed, seemingly engraved illustration of its namesake. In the USA, six varieties of the bourbon are generally available: 80 proof, 101 proof, Kentucky Spirit, Russell's Reserve, Rare Breed, and American Honey. Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit is a single barrel version at 101 proof, the 10 year old named for Master Distiller Jimmy "The Muscle" Russell is 90 proof, and the Rare Breed is a blend of 6, 8 and 12-year-old stocks at 108.4 barrel proof. Versions available in other countries include the 101 proof at 8 and 12 years old, a blend at 106 proof, an 86.8 proof and alcopopspre-mixed with cola or dry ginger. One reviewer from Whisky Magazine, proclaimed that Wild Turkey 101 is, "A Clint Eastwood of whiskeys." It also earned an 'Editor's Choice' award from the same publication.[3] The Wild Turkey brand has also been extended to a 101 proof rye whiskey, made from a mash of roughly 65% rye, 23% corn and 12% barley,[4] and to a honey liqueur. Kentucky River Fish KillOn May 9, 2000, a seven-story warehouse in Anderson County, Kentucky was destroyed in a fire, spilling thousands of gallons of Wild Turkey into the Kentucky River. The alcohol spills killed hundreds of thousands of fish along a 66 mile stretch of the river. Wild Turkey paid $256,000 to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife in an effort to restore the fish population in the river. [5] In popular cultureAlthough in recent years Wild Turkey has slowly but surely increased its "snob appeal," its prior reputation for being an inexpensive, highly alcoholic product had the bourbon showing up in popular culture often, usually to suggest a rough, hard-living persona; a person who has fallen on hard times; or even a person with "white trash" traits: LiteratureWild Turkey is known for being a favorite drink of journalist Hunter S. Thompson, and is mentioned in his 1972 book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (as well as the film of the same name), and the 1973 book Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. In Stephen King's book It, when asked what the bar whiskey is, the bartender replies, "For everyone else in this dump it's Four Roses, but for you I think it's Wild Turkey." David Foster Wallace's seminal novel Infinite Jest has James Incandenza as an alcoholic filmmaker and tennis academy head who drinks Wild Turkey; and in Scott Sigler's science fiction book Infected, main character Perry Dawsey is described several times as drinking Wild Turkey. FilmThe bourbon is the drink of choice for adult male leads in Rambo: First Blood Part II and The Cassandra Crossing (which are both directed by George Pan Cosmatos), Silver Bullet, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Bad Lieutenant, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Punisher, Where the Buffalo Roam, and The Guardian. It is also referenced in numerous films, including The Color of Money, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation; Thelma & Louise, Death Proof, Monster's Ball, Freddy Got Fingered, Out Cold, Crazy Heart and The Eiger Sanction. TelevisionNCIS routinely shows characters with a bottle of the product, and on occasion television shows have made references to it, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer (episode "Beer Bad"), The Sopranos (season 3, episode 10), Seinfeld (season 7, episode "The Hot Tub"), Trigun, True Blood (season 3, episode "Beautifully Broken") and Will & Grace (season 7). Music"Wild Turkey" was the title of a 1982 top-ten country single for singer Lacy J. Dalton (the song employed the names of various whiskies as nicknames for drunken patrons in a bar). "Wild Turkey" is also the title of the track written and performed by weirdcore punk band, The Cassavettes in 2006. Wild Turkey is mentioned in the lyrics of the song "Sober" by Muse; in Ray Wylie Hubbard's 1973 hit (with Jerry Jeff Walker and others) "Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother", and inZZ Top's "Arrested For Driving While Blind". Danny Barker's version of "St. James Infirmary Blues," The Cowboy Junkies' "Where Are You Tonight?" and George Thorogood's "I Drink Alone" refer to the product. | ||||||||||||||
