Review #672 - The Reveries 16 Year Single Barrel 'Torment'
Distilled in Frankfort, but aged in Lawrenceburg - this is BuffTurkey, a Kentucky bourbon that shares DNA from both the Buffalo Trace distillery and the Wild Turkey distillery. Back in 2008, in order to meet production demands, Wild Turkey made a contract with Buffalo Trace to produce extra bourbon distillate with their excess capacity in the Wild Turkey style; this bourbon would then move from Buffalo Trace to Wild Turkey for its maturation period.
Here's the interesting part, though: while Buffalo Trace produced this bourbon with Wild Turkey's traditional low-rye mashbill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley, they used the Buffalo Trace yeast strain and equipment, creating a sort of hybrid style. The end result after maturation was a style somewhere between the profiles of the two legacy distilleries.
Because the profile of the barrels was so unique, Wild Turkey didn't end up using them in their core products; instead, they decided to offload the barrels in the last few years to non-distilling producers (NDPs). Due to the vintage of distillation around 2008, many of these barrels are now in the 14 year to 17 year age range, settling them firmly in the 'premium' end of the bourbon spectrum. They're also generally very high strength, making them even more desirable.
The Reveries, a relatively new producer headed by Jay West (T8ke), has picked a few of these single barrels and released them. This specific release, named Torment, carries a mature age statement of 16 years and 10 months, as well as a punchy strength of 61.55% ABV (123.1 proof).
The Reveries 16 Year Single Barrel 'Torment'
USA - Bourbon
Price: USD 320 (2025)
Age Statement: 16 Years
Strength: 61.55% ABV
Details: Not chill filtered; bottled 2025; 84 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 1 month from a sample (thanks u/vexmythocrust !). Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Old, perfumed, rich oak. This shows plenty of age, and a nice combination of sweet and dry notes, such as vanilla, creme brulee, molasses, but also clove, pine, and lumberyard scents. Graham cracker and cherry add more sweetness, and there's a musty licorice note in the background that's very reminiscent of older dusty (pre-1990) bourbons.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick; oak is again strong, bringing leather, but we also get fruit in the form of plum and orange seeds. There's a mild funk note similar to the classic Wild Turkey funk; almonds, orange peel, and herbal spice like tarragon are accents. It's tangy, sweet, and prickly with the strength; the licorice returns from the nose with more time.
Finish: Plenty of leathery oak lingers, but we start to see some tobacco notes in this finish. It's oak-forward overall, but there's still room for orange, wood smoke, a bit of savory spice, and just a hint of that funk. The finish is very long.
Final Note: This is an excellent bourbon and a fun combination of the signatures from these two distilleries. We do get some sweet, fruit-forward flavors that remind us of Buffalo Trace, especially that plum note in the nose, but the funky Wild Turkey profile grew in strength over time. Due to the age, it's definitely a heavily-oaked bourbon; if you like that style, though, this single barrel has plenty of nuance to keep you entertained for a long tasting session.
Value is okay, maybe a bit below average, due to the high price of the bottle. It's a great bourbon, though, and if you were lucky enough to be one of the 84 to get this during the initial release, it's worth opening and enjoying.
Our Average Rating: 8.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 4.97
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other recent Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey reviews:
Review #635 - Wild Turkey Master's Keep Beacon
Review #615 - William Larue Weller (2023)
Review #613 - Wild Turkey Jimmy Russell's 70th Anniversary 8 Year Bourbon
Review #610 - Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon (Rick 95, Barrel 332)
Review #570 - Benchmark Full Proof
