Wild Turkey Kentucky Rye Whiskey 70 cl, 40.5% ABV - Cocktail Whiskey

Product Information

Nose: First thought - spicy bubblegum. The rye spice mixes in with a sweet cotton candy note that gives Wild Turkey 101 Rye a sweet and spicy nose. The rye spice isn’t in your face and instead the heat on the nose seems to come more from the proof than the mashbill. There’s wood bark, maple syrup, and lightly earthy tones as well. As with many ryes, there are notes of spearmint and pine, but they are faint and restrained. Overall, the nose is pleasant, and beguiles you into taking a sip. Rare Breed was introduced in the early 1990s as Jimmy Russell's answer to his friend and competitor Booker Noe's landmark release a few years prior, Booker's. Released in 1988, Booker's has a legitimate claim to have lit the fuse of the Bourbon Boom to come. It was a premium bourbon bottled at barrel proof and proved to the spirits community — including Jimmy Russell and Wild Turkey, clearly — that whiskey drinkers wanted more than affordability and flavored spirit.

Wild Turkey 101 Rye Review — The Whisky Study

Palate: The first sip gives off a sweet, herbaceous quality of freshly cut grass, rye spice, and vanilla. As it develops more, flavors of toasted sweet oak, evergreen pine, leafy greens, and caramel show up. The proof and rye spice give a warm mouthfeel – perfect for brisk winter nights. The heat isn’t overpowering, with the 101 proof being perfect for allowing the flavors to develop in the mouth. Wild Turkey 101 Rye is more spice forward than other barely legal ryes, leading with a stronger rye influence than the mashbill would have you to believe. The mouthfeel is pretty good, with a creamy, yet punchy quality that is no doubt aided by the 101 proof. In the mouth: Starts with a weak and watery flavor and texture. This has a nutty bitterness of almonds at midpalate and the manufactured wood flavor of particle board as the most salient notes. Again turning dilute, this finishes with a synthetic vanilla flavor and the vaguest grainy nip as the sole reminder that this is, in fact, a rye. Conclusions

Russell’s Reserve 6-Year-Old Rye (2014) – Review

Finish: Medium finish with heavy wood notes that lead to a spicy drying finish. Definitely satisfying but could be made more interesting with a touch more sweetness. Unlike competitors Buffalo Trace Distillery, Heaven Hill, Brown-Forman and so on, Wild Turkey does not experiment (with publicly available product, anyway) with mashbill. Despite bottling more than 20 expressions, there are only two grain ratios that dictate the foundation of all Wild Turkey whiskey — one for bourbon, one for rye. Most limited releases from major distilleries are gobbled up by thirsty drinkers or greedy flippers before regular folks have a chance. For whatever reason, the hype train skipped Master's Keep and continues to feast on allocated bottles like Blanton's, Weller 12-Year, Four Roses Limited Edition, Michter's single barrel releases and so on. Don't ask why, just be thankful the retail prices you find aren't being pumped up by illegal sales on Facebook.

Wild Turkey Straight Rye (40.5%) Whiskey | Master of Malt

Continuing our Wild Turkey coverage, today we’ll be considering the distillery’s range of rye whiskeys. A medium finish of rye spice, dark fruit, raw grain and a mild astringency that perks up towards the end. A bit off balanced with flavors coming and going and sweet and savory being at odds with each other. A thin and watery body mix with a lax feel to create a less-than-exuberant, but far from unpleasant, experience.

Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Rye – Review

Wild Turkey 101 Rye was once (and possibly still is) the quintessential rye whiskey. People that are newer to whiskey might not even realize there is such a thing as Wild Turkey 101 Rye, since due to supply constraints, it isn’t found in many stores. With the rye revival and MGP-produced rye whiskeys flooding the shelves, Wild Turkey’s rye whiskeys seem to be diminishing in the public conscience. The company may speak of high demand, but when was the last time anyone spoke fondly of the 81 proof version and how many are even aware of the fact that a 101 proof version exists anymore? Finally, we have the newest entrant in the Wild Turkey rye whiskey family. After years of fan requests, Wild Turkey finally obliged by providing a barrel strength rye to match the bourbon in the Rare Breed series. Will generously provided this sample to me; cheers for that, Will! On the nose: Sweet and delicate. Lemon meringue pie, freshly cut spring flowers, whipped cream, and a very subtle hint of orange rind. I’m getting some more characteristic rye scents of aloe vera and stainless steel here, but mostly this is a light and airy presentation of aromas. There’s a noticeable creamy sweetness from the corn component of the mash bill. It is the oldest and lowest proof bottle in Wild Turkey's main collection of bourbon, features that paint it as an ideal value sipper, especially for those who aren't attracted to Wild Turkey's 100-plus proof products.

Wild Turkey Rye 81 Review - The Whiskey Jug Wild Turkey Rye 81 Review - The Whiskey Jug

Rye Mash: again, neither Campari or Wild Turkey have officially confirmed this, but Turkey's rye products are thought to start with a mash of 52% rye, 36% corn, 12% malted barley (Wild Turkey Rye, Rare Breed Rye, Russell's Reserve Rye, etc.). Wild Turkey Pricing On the nose: More classically rye-like than any of its predecessors, but also more exuberant. There are some buttery, corny scents, but better balanced against some offsetting aromas of aloe vera, eucalyptus, and menthol. This has the spicy citrus note of pink grapefruit, which is a highlight for me. The comparatively high strength is noticeable in the form of a slight burn inside the nostrils. Where Wild Turkey bourbon features more rye in the mash than is industry standard, its rye features less. The estimated rye content in the mash sits at 52 percent, just 1 percent more than is legally required to be called rye whiskey. This means that, unlike many of today's popular Indiana-style ryes (which are made from mashes carrying 90-plus percent rye), it drinks a whole lot more like bourbon than drinkers expect. Just like its mainline bourbons, Wild Turkey splits its large batch rye into an 81 and 101 proof offering, the latter only available in 1-liter format, and at a moderate price hike. Expect Wild Turkey's signature bite, but don't assume its status as a rye whiskey means you'll need a glass of milk handy to deal with the heat. In the mouth: This tastes like a moderately mature grain whiskey. It’s got a brittleness in terms of texture, and little but a vaguely creamy buttery flavor. If I really swirl, I can elicit some of the grape candy flavors from the nose, but it’s a stretch. ConclusionsToday, Rare Breed is in contention for most affordable barrel proof bourbon on the shelf. After many years of waiting, Wild Turkey rye fans' prayers were answers, as the company introduced Rare Breed Rye in summer of 2020. The most rye-like of the “ryes” from Wild Turkey. Presenting this at barrel strength allows the whiskey to maintain some of the more forceful aromas and flavors that I normally associate with rye. It’s not a world-beater, especially for the price, but it has at least salvaged the category of Wild Turkey rye for me. Score 5/10 Those of you expecting a hard-edged rye whiskey will likely be disappointed; Wild Turkey’s rye whiskey is from a mash bill of 52% rye, 36% corn, and 12% barley. It’s just over the legally stipulated 51% for being labeled a rye whiskey, and I’m expecting a heaping helping of corny sweetness throughout these as a consequence.