I did the [Bottled in Bond Boogaloo](https://openpourwhiskey.com/blog/bottled-in-bond-boogaloo/) a few weeks ago and the comments had one consistent note: where's Wild Turkey 101?

Fair. It's a legitimate question. The honest answer is I didn't have any at the time. The slightly more honest answer is that I also wasn't sure what the point would be. Wild Turkey 101 is the benchmark. It's the bottle everyone already knows is good. Putting it in a flight of bonded bourbons felt like inviting the varsity starter to a JV scrimmage just to prove a point. If you don't believe me check my [review of the Jimmy Russell 70th](https://openpourwhiskey.com/reviews/wild-turkey-jimmy-russell-70th-anniversary-8-year/).

But the people have spoken, and I am nothing if not responsive to feedback. Tonight I'm giving WT101 its moment, just not the one anyone expected. Instead of a six-bottle flight, it's a one-on-one against Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond. The unfair challenger. The $22 bottle that has absolutely no business being in the same conversation.

Two samples. Labels covered.

For a side by side comparison of the two [visit here.](https://openpourwhiskey.com/blog/budget-blind-wt101-vs-evan-williams-bib/)

# The Nose

Sample 1 opens with honey and cinnamon. There's a little funk underneath that gives me slight pause, but it settles. It's the more welcoming of the two noses. Not asking much of you.

Sample 2 is earthier. Dried fruit, raisins, and this oddly bright oak that shows up where you don't expect it. The funk is there too, maybe more present than on sample 1. Darker energy overall. More going on, but not necessarily more pleasant.

# The Palate

Sample 1 follows the nose. Honey carries through, cinnamon, light fruit, easy finish. That bitter orange funk from the nose makes a brief appearance on the back end and I'm not entirely sure I love it, but it doesn't linger long enough to be a problem. Clean enough. Goes down easy.

Sample 2 reaches for plums and dark caramel instead of the lighter fruit on sample 1. There's better depth here, a longer finish, the darker flavors hang around. But the funk is doing more work on this one and it's a little harder to ignore. Still good. Just rougher around the edges.

Here's the honest problem with this comparison: I keep picking up the other glass and liking it more. Sample 1 is refreshing after the density of sample 2. Sample 2 feels more satisfying after the sweetness of sample 1. They're not complex bottles. But they balance each other out in a way that makes picking a winner harder than it has any right to be at this price point.

# The Predicament

Neither of these is going to make you stop mid-sip and think. They're good for the money. That's the correct framing and I want to be honest about it. But within that framing they're doing their jobs well, and the contrast between them is real.

If I have to pick one, I'm going on gut: which of these do I reach for more often on a random Tuesday. Which one am I going to actually crush more of. On that question, sample 1 wins. The lighter, sweeter profile is the one I keep going back to even when sample 2 is technically showing me more. I don't always want more. Sometimes I just want easy.

Sample 1 wins. 6.4. Sample 2 gets a 6.2.

# The Reveal

Sample 1 is Wild Turkey 101. Sample 2 is Evan Williams BiB.

Not super surprised. The honey and cinnamon on sample 1 read as Turkey even without the label. The darker, earthier depth on sample 2 is what you'd expect from a Heaven Hill product doing its best at $22.

The more interesting part of tonight came after the reveal. I poured a 1:1 blend of both into a clean glass and I'm pretty sure it's better than either one on its own. The sweetness from the Turkey cuts the earthiness of the EW. The depth from the BiB fills in what the Turkey is missing in body. Together they land somewhere neither one quite reaches alone. It's a little ridiculous. Two budget bottles mixed on your counter arriving at something you'd happily sit with for a full evening. But there it is.

# What to Take Away

Wild Turkey 101 at $25 is exactly as good as everyone says it is. A 6.4 at that price is a strong score. Of course it's good. Jimmy Russell has been making it since 1954. The funk is there if you're looking for it but it doesn't get in the way.

Evan Williams BiB at $22 punches above its weight. A 6.2 here means it's delivering more than the price suggests, even if the rougher edges are noticeable. If someone asks you where to start with bourbon on a budget, this is one of the correct answers.

Neither wins by a mile. Both are good for what they are and what they cost. And if you want to do something slightly unhinged on a weeknight, grab a bottle of each, mix them equally, and see what happens. Worst case you've spent $47 and learned something. Best case you've accidentally made one of the better everyday pours on your shelf.

Full individual review on WT101 is in progress. Full [Evan Williams review is here](https://openpourwhiskey.com/reviews/evan-williams-bottled-in-bond/).

The Budget Blind Review: Wild Turkey 101 vs Evan Williams BiB