Full disclosure before we start. I never liked Wild Turkey. Never sought it out, never had a reason to. So when the 70th Anniversary dropped last year I wasn’t exactly first in line. Tried it anyway. Loved it. And now here we are with the standard 8 Year release back on shelves for the first time since 1992 and I’m the guy writing a review about it. Life comes at you fast.

101 proof. Eight years old. 75 percent corn, 13 percent rye, 12 percent malted barley. Hand selected barrels by Bruce Russell, Jimmy Russell’s grandson. Permanent release, available alongside the standard 101. That’s the setup.

Nice pop on the open. Plenty of smoke on the fresh crack. Like a lot of smoke. Beautiful.

The nose on this thing is all cherry. Big, ripe, dark cherry right up front. If you know the Luden’s cherry cough drop note, that’s exactly what you’re getting and I mean that in the best possible way. I love that note. Punchy vanilla underneath it, a little nougat sitting at the bottom. It’s a really inviting nose that sets you up well for the first sip.

The palate carries the cherry right over from the nose. Caramel, a little nougat, and that cherry just running through the whole thing. The rye adds some backbone without getting aggressive about it. At 101 proof there’s no harsh burn anywhere in this sip. Just a clean, even delivery from start to finish.

The finish is short. Red Hots, a little pepper, and then it kind of just dissipates. If you’re a long finish person this might leave you wanting more. But what’s there is good.

Now let’s talk about the 70th Anniversary because you can’t review this bottle without addressing it.

The 70th Anniversary was handpicked by Jimmy Russell himself. Came in with a little more ceremony, a little more story. On the nose you’re getting the same lush cherry, same Luden’s note, same punchy vanilla. There’s an earthy quality some people call funk. I don’t mind it. Almost dessert-like, custardy, finishing with that cherry stem flavor that’s genuinely enjoyable.

Here’s the honest take on the two side by side. They taste almost identical. The only real difference I noticed is a little more astringency on the standard 8 Year, which I’m chalking up to it being a fresher crack compared to my second open bottle of the 70th. Give it a few weeks and that gap probably closes considerably.

So if you’ve got a 70th Anniversary sitting around and you’re thinking about whether to open it or shelf it, grab the standard 8 Year instead. They’re that close. Save the 70th for a special occasion or pass it to a friend who will appreciate it.

On price. The standard 8 Year is sitting at $45 MSRP. The 70th Anniversary I’d put at $50 to $55 if you can find one. Both are solid buys at those numbers. Both deliver a consistent, enjoyable pour without asking you to do a lot of work to enjoy them.

I came into Wild Turkey as a skeptic and I’m leaving as a fan. Not a superfan, not someone who’s going to chase allocated releases and pay secondary prices. Just a guy who will happily grab one of these when he sees it on the shelf at the right price.