Wild Turkey

On a cliff above the Kentucky River, Wild Turkey has kept its style defiantly old-school: high rye in the mash, deep alligator-char barrels, and comparatively low entry proof so the whiskey — not water — fills the bottle. Master distiller Jimmy Russell worked here for over sixty years, the longest tenure in bourbon history, with son Eddie beside him. The signature 101 remains the bartender's bourbon: spicy, toffee-rich and unbothered by fashion.