Whiskey Barons “Old Ripy” Bourbon
Old Ripy was the first of the Whiskey Barons series put out by Wild Turkey…er, really, put out by Campari, who owns Wild Turkey. This isn’t a Russell’s project, it just uses the Turkey distillery. While the mashbill isn’t disclosed, it contains corn, rye, and malted barley, with indications that it’s not identical to the Wild Turkey mashbill.
So why is Campari using Wild Turkey to produce a. non-Wild Turkey product? Because what is currently the Wild Turkey Distillery in Lawrenceberg, KY was formerly the Old Ripy Distillery (it was also Austin Nichols before becoming Wild Turkey). Old Ripy - James Ripy of Anderson County, KY - began producing at the site in 1868 just after the end of the Civil War, and it remained in family hands for almost a century. They ceased production in 1950, with the post-war glut and Prohibition-era setbacks too much for the company to bear.
This series is somewhat polarizing - not as much as Pappy, say, or Dickel - but enough to make it worth discussing. The usual gripe is simply price: at $50 for a 375ml bottle (designed as such to reflect how whiskey would have been sold in the “Whiskey Baron Era”), it’s not the cheapest option out there, and at 104 proof it’s also not like they’re packing the most concentrated bourbon into the bottle. Personally, I don’t have an issue with the price if it’s good enough to justify (spoiler alert: the third batch in this series, W. B. Saffell, is well worth the cost. Check out my review to see why).
Is this worth the price tag? For me, it’s a no (dawg). The combo of 8- and 12-year-old bourbons isn’t balanced at all, somehow managing to taste young while being way too oaky for its own good. There are smart people behind this product line, among them bourbon luminaries like Michael Veach, so I can’t imagine it was simply a matter of throwing a few barrels together. With that said, I don’t know what flavor profile they were searching for. For my palate at least, and with all due respect, they should still be looking.
Whiskey Barons “Old Ripy” Bourbon: Specs
Classification: Bourbon
Origin: Wild Turkey Distillery
Mashbill: Undisclosed Bourbon Mashbill
Proof: 104 (52% ABV)
Age: Undisclosed, blend of 8- and 12-Year Old Bourbons
Location: Kentucky
Whiskey Barons “Old Ripy” Bourbon Price: $50 (375ml)
Whiskey Barons “Old Ripy” Bourbon Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: 14K gold. Bleeding rims look almost greasy, with very thin legs.
Nose: Strong ethanol nose with furniture polish close behind. A more corny bourbon nose rolls in after, but that first sniff is off-putting. Nose keeps moving sweeter, with light vinous notes opening with air.
Palate: Oaky - grabs my tongue like it wants to pull it out of my mouth. Artificial candies, Necco wafers and taffy. Again corn rolls in belatedly after a harsh first wave. Mouthfeel is thin, just barely textured, oak pepper stays strong and coating like a Szechuan hot sauce.
Finish: Stale cornbread, less oak (finally), some candied powder left on the tongue with a short-to-medium finish.
Overall: Unbalanced, somehow tasting young and too old at the same time. I know I’m sensitive to woody oak but this is powerful in a bad way. Drinks both hotter and thinner than 104 proof.
Final Rating: 4.8
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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