I am, in general, not a big fan of rye whiskies. I have tried quite a few, sometimes in tastings right next to the bourbons produced by the same distillery…and I’ve always enjoyed the bourbons more. While I don’t expect that (the enjoying bourbons more part) to change, I keep trying to find a way to appreciate rye whisky more. Recently a YouTube channel I follow declared that Wild Turkey 101 Rye Whiskey is a very good rye for bourbon lovers…and that it is, in fact, better than the 101 Bourbon that’s currently made its way to market. Surprisingly, it took about two weeks and checking into about 6 liquor stores before I found anyone selling this particular bottle…at only $22, I really expected to find this just about everywhere.
Wild Turkey 101 Rye uses what people refer to as a “barely legal” mash bill…it’s 51% rye, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley. That relatively high corn content should provide a sweeter note than ryes that take the primary grain content up to 60 or 70 percent of the mash bill. It is bottled at 101 proof, 50.5% ABV.
Putting my nose into the glass, I got an aroma that definitely wasn’t bourbon…instead the herbal mix that rye carries greeted me, along with a barest hint of mint and a little vanilla hiding deep down. When sipped, the sweetness definitely takes the steering wheel, with a front end that is rich with caramel and vanilla before the rye spice starts to take over in mid-palate and into the long finish. Subsequent sips really accentuated that journey that this Wild Turkey 101 Rye take you on. This rye never does pay off the aroma of mint with the flavor of it (and I’m okay with that), but it does have a nice black pepper presence and herbal/spicy finish. I think I have a new favorite rye whiskey!
