14 Bourbons To Try If You Like Wild Turkey

If you're a big fan of Wild Turkey, then you most likely enjoy your whiskey with a little more bite. The flagship Wild Turkey 101 bottle has much of the classic sweetness you expect with bourbon but also comes with bolder and spicier flavors than most basic bottles. It makes it a standout choice if you want an affordable bottle that offers a more robust drinking experience. If that sounds like your kind of bourbon, what are the next bottles you need to check out on your whiskey journey? That's what I'm going to look at here. I've found 14 bourbons that capture something of Wild Turkey's appeal without just being a simple replica.

This includes bourbons that have a similar price tag and ones that are a bit more of a luxury. However, all of them are easy to find if you want to tick them off your list. Having spent around two decades exploring whiskey, I've enjoyed all of the bottles on this list and feel they are all a logical next step. Each has its own personality and offers something a little different. By the end, you should have found a few great alternatives to Wild Turkey or, perhaps, your new favorite bottle.

This is perhaps the most natural next step if you enjoy the bold and spicy character of Wild Turkey 101. Rare Breed builds on that profile but is bottled at barrel proof, without added water to lower its strength before bottling. That gives it a greater level of intensity. Its proof has changed over the years, but the quality is remarkably stable. It helps to make it one of the top-shelf whiskeys you can always rely on for good value.

The flavor profile is similar to the 101, but those flavors are much deeper. On top of this, it adds more dark fruit, toffee, and peppery spice. The higher proof also makes it warmer, but there is enough sweetness to stop it from being overwhelming. It's a full and concentrated bourbon, so don't be afraid to add a few drops of water to open up its flavor. At around $60, Rare Breed allows you to enjoy a more premium version of the 101 without breaking the bank. It may take a bit of getting used to if you're not yet comfortable with high-strength spirits, but it's a must-try bottle.

As with the 101 and Rare Breed, Russell's Reserve 10-year is also made at the Wild Turkey Distillery. And as with those two, it's also well-priced, being one of the best whiskeys you can get for under $60. Coming from the same distillery, it has much of that Wild Turkey DNA while still having its own charms and personality. Bottled at 90-proof, it's a little gentler than the 101 and much more approachable than Rare Breed. That doesn't mean it lacks character, as the decade of maturation gives it plenty of complexity.

The sweetness comes from a sumptuous mix of toffee and honey, showcasing a deeper taste than you get with most basic bourbons. There is still a nice helping of spice here from cinnamon and pepper, but without the level of bite from the 101. That's because the spice influence here is more gently warming in character. Stone fruits and toasted oak help to give it more depth, with a finish that gives you a calming and lingering warmth. It has many of the qualities you'll already appreciate, but in a more refined and measured style.

A lot of the picks here mirror the spice you get from Wild Turkey but offer a few different tasting notes around that. Four Roses Single Barrel is perhaps the best example of that thinking, as it has plenty of spice but also its own distinctive profile. Four Roses is a fascinating brand for a few reasons, with one of those being that it has 10 different recipes in its range. The Single Barrel uses just one of those recipes, which the brand calls the OBSV. This includes a yeast strain that brings out fruit flavors and a mash bill that is 35% rye.

The fruit doesn't dominate the palate, but you'll enjoy notes of cherry and plum alongside the more classical bourbon flavors. The sweetness here is lovely, and you'll also taste oak and subtle herbal notes. Pepper is the most dominant spice and helps to give the whiskey an impressive balance. Single-barrel bourbons can differ slightly from one barrel to the next, but this bottle is a wonderful introduction to them. This is why it's an excellent beginner bourbon despite its production process being a little different. And at around $50, it's a fantastic gateway to premium bourbon while still having many of the same qualities as Wild Turkey.

I included the Wild Turkey Rare Breed in the best bourbons to try if you like Knob Creek, so it only seemed right to reciprocate the compliment. If I often talk about earthy flavors, these mainly come from the likes of nuts, spices, and oak, but also from other sources such as leather and tobacco. If you like the spice of Wild Turkey, there's a good chance you'll appreciate these types of flavors in other bourbons. While Knob Creek 9-year isn't outright spicy, its toasted nuts and deep oak give it a similar warmth.

The extended aging here helps to develop rich, sweet flavors that work in impressive balance with those flavors. So, while they have different routes to get there, each bottle gives you robust flavor, a warm finish, and plenty of character beyond its sweetness. At less than $40, Knob Creek 9-year is also one of the more affordable bottles here. For Wild Turkey 101 fans, this is an easy bottle to recommend. In fact, it's an easy bottle to recommend to anyone who likes whiskey.

We've looked at plenty of classic brands in this list, but here is an entry from one of the best newer distilleries around. Given its relatively short history, the consistency that comes from New Riff is all the more impressive, and the Single Barrel is a good example. At around $50, it's also competitively priced compared to other single-barrel bottles. Bottled at barrel proof, New Riff Single Barrel can vary in strength and flavor depending on the individual barrel, but its high-rye mash bill typically delivers plenty of peppery spice.

Along with this, you can expect a rich vanilla and butterscotch sweetness alongside fresh oak. New spice notes can then come from cinnamon and clove to give it plenty of intensity. It doesn't shy away from bold flavor, but the craftsmanship still makes it easy to drink if you can handle high-proof spirits. If you enjoy Wild Turkey 101 and want to step up to something stronger and more experimental, New Riff Single Barrel is well worth exploring.

The Knob Creek bottle above is made by Jim Beam's distillery, and so is Old Grand-Dad. It means that both of them share a similar DNA in terms of those earthy notes I referenced. Another aspect they have in common is great value, with this bottle being an affordable pick in the $20 to $30 range. Bottled at 100-proof, it's nearly the strength of Wild Turkey and offers a similarly spicy character. The sweetness here isn't unique, but you'll still enjoy its caramel and vanilla notes.

Oak and toasted grain help to give it additional depth, and then you'll get the spice coming through in the form of cinnamon and black pepper. It feels more lively and raw than most other options here, but that may be more to your taste. This bite makes it a great bourbon for adding to cocktails, but it also more than holds its own as an everyday sipper. Given its affordability, this may be the place to start for those seeking a Wild Turkey alternative. 

Henry McKenna is a bottle that is both single-barrel and matured for 10 years, giving it an interesting contrast with the unique character of single-barrel whiskey and the rounded profile that comes from extra maturation. Coming from the excellent line of whiskey from the Heaven Hill distillery, it's also bottled in bond, meaning you get to enjoy it at 100 proof. It has a notable oak influence that is evident throughout the tasting experience and is joined by a peppery spice.

Hints of honey help to give it a lovely sweetness with rich notes that showcase its extended aging. It has a similar spice and warmth to Wild Turkey 101 but with more of an emphasis on mature oak and deeper flavors. In the $60 to $70 range, it has that step up in quality you'd expect from a step up in price. Given that it's bonded, single-barrel, and aged for 10 years, it's a whiskey that can teach you a lot about the nuances of bourbon.

One thing we've not massively touched on so far is how rye plays a huge role in how spicy a whiskey will be. To be bourbon, there needs to be at least 51% corn. Malted barley is also used, usually in small quantities. The rest is most often rye. The Henry McKenna above has a fairly standard type of split of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% barley. However, this bourbon from Redemption is 60% corn and just 4% barley, with rye making up the remaining 36%

The result is a whiskey that will appeal to those who like the spicy nature of Wild Turkey but want to take it up to the next level. The peppery kick you get here won't be for everyone, and you'll also find clove and cinnamon on the palate. All that being said, there is still plenty of sweet caramel, and the proof of 92 stops it from being too robust. It's a great introduction to high-rye bourbon, and at usually less than $30, it's well worth seeking out.

Old Forester 1920 is another great whiskey to try if you want to take things to the next level in terms of richness and intensity. Made in the Prohibition-era style, it's bottled at 115-proof and delivers the character that fans of bolder bourbons often appreciate. It's the best of an impressive line of whiskeys from Old Forester and gives you plenty of intriguing tasting notes such as chocolate, toasted nuts, and tobacco.

What I love most is the deep caramel and toffee notes that first coat your taste buds. Along with the flavors mentioned above, there is plenty of warmth coming from black pepper and cinnamon. With a touch of cherry and oak, it has impressive layers of flavor that bring more to the glass than Wild Turkey 101. Both have a similar level of assertiveness, but at around $60, Old Forester 1920 gives you more of a premium drinking experience.

Yellowstone is one of those brands that use a historic name but are relative newcomers when it comes to making whiskey under its new custodians. The man who revived Yellowstone is Stephen Beam, a descendant of the famous Beam family. As with New Riff above, the relative youth doesn't hold Yellowstone Select back from being an excellent bourbon. What you'll get with this bottle is familiar sweetness with oak, spice, and a touch of fruit. It's a good option for drinkers who appreciate complexity without necessarily needing a barrel-proof pour.

Bottled at 93 proof and usually found under $40, Yellowstone Select offers a gentler drinking experience than Wild Turkey 101, but there's enough character to keep it interesting. Butterscotch is the most interesting of those sweeter notes, and the fruit comes from figs and apricots. With a little pepper that continues to the finish, it's a lovely bourbon to sip. Both have a traditional Kentucky profile, and Yellowstone is a great option if you love those Wild Turkey flavors but are interested in a softer and more rounded approach.

The history of bourbon is rarely straightforward, but Michter's has a legitimate claim to being one of the oldest bourbon brands still in existence. With all that history, it's no surprise the distillery has perfected the art of bourbon. Michter's US*1 Small Batch is an ideal whiskey to try if you want to appreciate the beauty of balance. What you won't get here is a million different tasting notes. Instead, what you get is flavors being presented in a deep and polished way that allows you to truly savor them.

There is a cinnamon spice on the palate, but it feels tamed compared to other bourbons, providing a gentle warmth along with the influence of oak. You'll enjoy rich butterscotch, and there are hints of red fruit. None of these notes dominate the palate and instead combine elegantly together. In a similar way to Yellowstone Select, it's a solid recommendation for those who enjoy the flavors of Wild Turkey but are intrigued to see them presented in a softer and more rounded texture. At less than $50, it's a refined expression that is well worth checking out.

This pick is a little different from others in this list as it's a wheated bourbon, meaning it has this grain in the mash bill instead of rye. On the face of it, that may make it seem like an odd recommendation for fans of Wild Turkey, but Maker's Mark 46 has plenty of similar qualities. There is a lovely helping of sweetness, with elegant notes of vanilla and caramel. That sits alongside another classic bourbon note of toasted oak, with this expression still showing a nice warmth of baking spices, despite the absence of rye.

What makes the 46 unique is that the expression undergoes additional maturation with seared French oak staves inserted into the barrel. This helps to create a nice range of fruits on the palate and a bit more of a wood-driven flavor, which is probably where some of those spicy notes come from. At around $40, it gives you a great insight into a different side of bourbon. It has similar complexity to Wild Turkey but takes a completely different approach to get there. It's a useful reminder that a bold bourbon doesn't always need a high rye content.

Here, I have another high-rye bourbon and another bottle from a relatively new distillery. Priced in the $50 to $60 range, this will appeal to those who appreciate spicy whiskey. There are a few interesting aspects of Wilderness Trail. All of its core bourbon adheres to the Bottled-in-Bond Act, and the distillery uses the sweet mash process. The latter fact means it makes each batch completely new, with no spent grain carried over from the previous batch. This is a more laborious process, but it offers great control over the end product.

The result is a whiskey that is bold, complex, and firmly rooted in traditional American character. There is still plenty of caramel and vanilla sweetness, but you'll then be greeted by waves of cinnamon and black pepper, underpinned by some toasted oak. Dark berries add complexity, and all of these notes are delivered with a rich mouthfeel. Wilderness Trail offers a chance to explore a different Kentucky producer while staying close to the bold, flavorful style you already appreciate.

At around $70, this is just about the most expensive bourbon on the list, but it is well worth it if you want to treat yourself. This E.H. Taylor expression is one of our favorite small-batch bourbons, as it offers plenty of deep flavors in a structured and well-balanced manner. It is bottled at 100-proof, so it pretty much matches Wild Turkey 101 for strength. As a result, what you get is a bourbon that has a similar level of intensity but delivers its flavor in a more rounded and deeper way.

You'll appreciate the spice here, as nutmeg and cinnamon are quickly noticeable on the palate, but without a high level of heat. That's partly because you'll also be greeted by a high level of sweetness, with the caramel being especially rich. Toffee accompanies it, and this is all built on a nice, toasted oak foundation. They aren't a direct comparison, but these features make E.H. Taylor Small Batch feel like a more refined version of Wild Turkey, perhaps a little more tamed.

For this list, I wanted to identify bottles that capture something of what makes Wild Turkey so appealing. This generally includes bourbons that feature bold, full-bodied flavors while still offering something unique. That could be a higher proof, extended maturation, or an expansion on one of Wild Turkey's tasting notes.

All of these picks are from personal experience and are drawn from the vast number of bourbons I have enjoyed over the years. That background has helped me understand the factors that go into Wild Turkey's character and how various bottles may appeal to those who enjoy its taste. Therefore, the selections should give you something new and interesting to explore rather than simply being a list of popular bourbons.