Everything You Need To Know About Wild Turkey American Honey Bourbon
Wild Turkey American Honey is a bourbon-based honey-flavored liqueur from a legendary Kentucky distillery that has been crafting spirits since the 19th century. Wild Turkey is one of the most renowned bourbon houses out there. Its name is associated with a long tradition, and it creates some of the finest bourbons that come out of the U.S. This historic distillery is nestled in the heart of the bourbon state. Wild Turkey has a wide selection of straight bourbons and rye whiskeys, along with special edition batches and one wild card that really stands out.
American Honey bourbon is unlike any of the other Wild Turkey offerings. Primarily, it is classified as a liqueur, whereas all other labels are pure bourbons categorized as spirits. According to Britannica, liqueurs are spirits that have been altered in some way, usually through the addition of sweeteners and flavorings. The bourbon base for American Honey is sweetened and flavored with pure honey.
At 71 proof, American Honey is not a subtle, low-proof drink, but it is slightly less potent than standard bourbon. Because of its bourbon base, you can expect to find some typical bourbon character intertwined with natural honey sweetness. While honey does influence aromas and texture, it is most apparent in the generous sweetness that coats the palate. American Honey is one of the less popular Wild Turkey labels, but it has a colorful history and an important role in the American bourbon industry that is certainly worth discovering.
The recipe for Wild Turkey bourbon liqueur dates to 1976
Wild Turkey is a legendary American bourbon distillery: Its origins go back to late 19th century Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The business was started by the Ripy brothers, but the company got its current name when one of the executives served the bourbon during one of the annual hunting trips, and yes, as you might assume, the group was hunting for wild turkeys. In 1954, the legendary Jimmy Russell became the master distiller at Wild Turkey. Under his tenure, in 1976, the company released the first version of what will later become American Honey liqueur.
The original American Honey was a pioneer in the category of bourbon-based liqueurs. It was named Wild Turkey Liqueur. As Rarebird 101 explains, this sweet liqueur was created during the 1970s when bourbon didn't enjoy much popularity and was generally considered an old-fashioned and slightly outdated drink. The liqueur was deliberately crafted and released to attract new customers and show how bourbon can make a great base spirit that beautifully combines with added flavors.
It is a sweet liqueur with typical bourbon notes
Bourbon is an all-American spirit that is generally classified as a type of whiskey, though it has distinct properties that differentiate it from classic Scotch or similar grain spirits. To be labeled as bourbon, the majority, at least 51 percent, of the mash bill has to be made with corn. The distillate is aged in oak, and true bourbon can't include any additional components. The result is a smooth and subtly sweet spirit. The tasting notes vary in character but typically have nuances oftoffee, vanilla, and oak nuances (via Flaviar).
American Honey Bourbon is labeled as a liqueur, which means that you should be expecting something sweeter than what you may find in a typical straight bourbon. Even on visual inspection, you can notice the distinctive golden hue slightly reminiscent of honey.
In a taste test done by Liqour, Wild Turkey American Honey is described as a liqueur with dominant honeyed nuances on the nose and the palate. This sweet profile is complemented by hints of citrus and wood, along with notes of sweet spices. As you would expect from a blend of honey and bourbon, the combination is rich and luscious on the palate, while the finish is pleasant and long-lasting.
It's a blend of Wild Turkey bourbon and pure honey
The base of American Honey Bourbon Liqueur is made with Wild Turkey bourbon that is distilled and aged at the Wild Turkey distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The distillery sources water from the Kentucky river and uses a 60-year-old yeast strain for its entire bourbon range. This enables Wild Turkey bourbon to have consistent quality and a recognizable flavor profile. The bourbon then spends years in the new American White Oak to develop those toasty and spicy flavors and aromas, gain complexity, and attain more body and structure.
Straight bourbon is mixed with real honey to make the American Honey liqueur. The result is a sweet liqueur that has distinctive honey-like notes in the aroma and flavor. It retains some of the powerful bourbon character, but the addition of aromatic and sweet honey creates a smooth, balanced, and easy-sipping drink. The liqueur is 71 proof, making it slightly less potent than pure bourbon, which is typically around 81 proof, such as the classic Wild Turkey bourbon.
It's a versatile liqueur
Generally, liqueurs are versatile quenchers. Liqueurs are mostly lower in alcohol when compared to straight spirits, such as vodka, tequila, or whiskey. Liqueurs can be sipped neat, but most of them can be easily blended into cocktails and mixed drinks. In addition to the aromatics, liqueurs also lend some sweetness and slightly alter the texture of the mix. As TornadoSD explains, whiskey liqueurs like American Honey go well with mixers (think of soda or tonic water), but you can also serve them neat or over ice, which will slightly tone down their sweetness.
Wild Turkey has several cocktail recommendations for American Honey. For the timeless choice, go with the classic iced tea that is uplifted with the addition of American Honey or with a laced lemonade that is finished with a dash of soda. An additional wintertime idea comes in the form of a warm hot toddy. Simply combine American Honey with hot water, add some lemon juice to the mix, and enjoy it while it's warm and steamy.
Wild Turkey American Honey is affordable
American Honey bourbon liqueur falls in the medium-priced range, and a bottle most certainly won't break the bank. Wine Searcher includes a comprehensive list of available retailers, and though the prices fluctuate, the cheapest option you can find sells for approximately $19 for a standard 750-milliliter bottle. If that goes over your budget, American Honey is also available in a small, miniature size, which costs around $2, and a half-bottle version (375 milliliters), which you can buy for approximately $11. If you're already a fan, the savviest choice and the best investment is to purchase the grand 1-liter bottle for $26.
American Honey, along with the base Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon, is one of the most affordable options in the Wild Turkey range. It is easy to assume that Wild Turkey doesn't use the oldest or the finest bourbon for American Honey, which will clearly impact the final price of the drink. For comparison, Wine Searcher also lists some rare and exclusive Wild Turkey labels, which sometimes reach astronomical prices, such as the special 15-year-old bourbon, which is priced at over $2000.
Wild Turkey American Honey vs. Drambuie
Wild Turkey American Honey is not alone in the whiskey and honey liqueur category and is often compared to other labels that use a similar flavor combination, and the most famous among these is Drambuie, a mix of Scotch and heather honey that is enriched with spices and herbs.
Drambuie originated in 18th-century Scotland: The first recipe was passed to the MacKinnon Clan, who carefully preserved it as their family tradition. With time, the liqueur was popularized among the locals, and as the production moved to Edinburgh. Drambuie gained a well-deserved reputation that was later cemented with international export.
American Honey and Drambuie are similar in terms of the production process and appearance but not in terms of the flavor profile. The base spirit is the main difference between the two. American Honey is a bourbon-based liqueur, whereas Drambuie uses Scotch as its backbone. As explained on the Distiller website, bourbon usually holds more sweetness due to the predominate corn mash and generally has prevalent toffee and vanilla notes.
Scotch, on the other hand, is made entirely from barley mash. The production process is somewhat different, resulting in a complex, slightly more refined spirit that usually has a less grain-dominant character. Though both are sweetened with honey, the differences between bourbon and Scotch create two entirely different liqueurs.
American Honey was crafted by a legendary Kentucky distiller
American Honey Liqueur was created by Jimmy Russell, a master distiller that has spent more than 60 years in the bourbon industry. Russell is endearingly called the "Buddha of Bourbon," and he has been crafting exceptional bourbon at Wild Turkey since the beginning of his career. He worked under some of the company's biggest distillers and still oversees the entire production process. Russell created some of the most outstanding Wild Turkey labels, such as barrel-proof Rare Breed and single-barrel Kentucky Spirit. He is also responsible for the sweet and luscious American Honey.
In one of the interviews, Jimmy Russell talked about the origins of American Honey, explaining that he was tasked with creating a drink for women that was toned down, subtle, and mellow but able to retain all those fine bourbon characteristics. Russell was raised in a bourbon-loving household, and he jokingly explains that he got his idea from a family cough medicine that mixed bourbon with honey, citrus juice, and sugar. The first version of the liqueur was called the Wild Turkey Honey Liqueur, and it was later rebranded and marketed as American Honey.
Wild Turkey produces a spicy version of American Honey
In addition to the American Honey Bourbon Liqueur, the Wild Turkey distillery produces a similar liqueur that has an unexpected, spicy twist. This liqueur, officially named American Honey Sting, starts with the same bourbon and honey combo, but it also has a touch of spicy ghost pepper. The result is a sweet and zesty liqueur with a warm and soothing honeyed finish. Just like the classic version, it is a 71-proof liqueur.
According to Wine Searcher, the average price you will pay for a standard bottle of Sting is around $20, which is similar to the classic American Honey version, though it is slightly more expensive. Sting can be enjoyed as a shot, but you can also use its fun, spicy flavors in cocktails in mixed drinks. American Honey recommends lemonade as the perfect pairing for American Honey Sting.
American Honey is an award-winning liqueur
Reviews can sometimes make or break a product, and though feedback from actual customers is always welcomed, earning professional recognition, and being praised by the most distinguished experts in the business, counts the most. Judging by the awards it has received, the popularity of American Honey is well-deserved: This is a skillfully crafted, high-quality liqueur.
As Whisky Notes reported, in 2010, American Honey was named the best whiskey liqueur at the World Whisky Awards. In 2013, American Honey collected the Silver Medal in the flavored whiskey category at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, which is one of the oldest and most renowned events of this kind.
The latest acknowledgment came in 2021 at the New York International Spirits Competition, where American Honey was awarded the prestigious double gold award in the whiskey category. This success should be deemed especially important considering the fact that it was the only flavored whiskey liqueur on the list.
It was the first honey-flavored bourbon in the U.S.
Adding flavors to spirits is nothing new. Pharmacists initially used herbs and spices to impart different flavors to beverages, either to supposedly enhance their properties or to improve the taste and make them palatable. As honey is an entirely natural product that has always been around, it was often used as a flavoring agent.
Wachusett Wine & Spirits explains that honey has numerous favorable qualities (such as sweetness and smooth texture), making it a desirable and suitable addition to most beverages. It all started with mead, but with the development of distillation, honey was often incorporated into potent spirits, and whiskey proved to be one of its best pairing partners.
The honey-flavored whiskey trend started with the aforementioned Drambuie from Scotland and continued in the 1940s with Tullamore's Irish Mist and Canadian Yukon Jack. Then, in the 1970s, Wild Turkey, led by the legendary Jimmy Russell, released American Honey, making it the first honey-flavored whiskey liqueur created in the U.S. According to The Drinks Report, American Honey was the first bourbon-based honey-flavored liqueur that was available stateside.
The liqueur received some mixed reviews
There are some mixed reviews about the quality and overall impression of American Honey. In its taste test, Thirty One Whiskey asserts that the flavor is overpowered by sweetness and those potent sweet vanilla notes that probably come from bourbon. Furthermore, the author claims that serving it on ice or blending it into cocktails didn't help tone down some of that assertive sweetness. However, not all connoisseurs agree with these claims.
Christopher Null from Drinkhacker, in his review, graded American Honey with a B+, claiming that the honey doesn't dominate or take over the flavor. Rob Allanson and Martine Nouet from the Whiskey Mag gave the liqueur 7.9 and 7.7 points, respectively. The tasters did emphasize its sweetness but didn't consider it a flaw, but rather a desirable trait and a defining characteristic that isn't overpowering or too intense. If your drinking preferences lean on the sweeter side, American Honey should be your drink of choice. For a rounded and more mellow expression, serve it on the rocks or blend it into cocktails.
Wild Turkey is now owned by Campari
Though the origins of Wild Turkey began in the mid-19th century, and the company attained its current name in the 1940s. Throughout the years, the brand has diligently worked to improve the quality and the entire production process, creating a wide range of high-quality bourbons that is continually expanded with new labels and releases. In this way, Wild Turkey managed to create a successful and strong brand identity that is entirely based on tradition, skill, and superior quality (via The Whiskey Jug).
Until 2009, Wild Turkey was one of the Pernod Ricard brands, but in 2009, it became part of Campari Group, one of the largest and most powerful corporations in the beverage industry. Campari Group reported that Wild Turkey was the fourth U.S. business in the company's portfolio and the biggest acquisition the company had made till that date.
The purchasing price was a whopping $575 million, and all the labels were incorporated under the Wild Turkey brand, including American Honey liqueur. The acquisition marked Campari's entrance into the bourbon market. Wild Turkey, as a premium bourbon brand, has plenty of potential for development and growth.