Wild Turkey Rye 101

Beautifully spicy - actual carraway notes, which are disappointingly rare. Anise, bay.

I'm pretty new to rye whiskeys. Peppery and minty, which is nice, hint or two of bitter, a bit herbal. Honey and vanilla sweetness is more pronounced as I sip. Bright flavors that I really enjoy.

Nose - sweet and spicy, very similar to the 101 bourbon but more herbal and mint scents Palette - minty baking spices, rye flavors shine through at the end with some bitterness Finish - oak on the finish. medium length. Warm. Not bad for a $22 bottle. Similar in caliber to its bourbon counterpart. Solid value rye pour

As the expert say, the nose is herbaceous. With a pleasant sweetness. The mouth feel is slightly oily. With mint and cinnamon pepper.

Been enjoying this expression for some time but I just noticed that I've never recorded tasting notes, so here we go for review 201. Tasted neat from a glencairn after several minutes rest. The nose isn't extraordinary in any way, but it has all the right notes. There's a bit of barrel char, some caramel, a bit of mint and notes of dark rye bread. With a little exploration I can pull out some evergreen and dill. There's a noticeable touch of ethanol but it isn't offensive to me. On the palate this is nicely spicy, good depth of rye notes, dill, menthol, caramel, leather, barrel char, wet oak, and a bit of demerara sugar. The mouthfeel is nicely silky and slightly rich - almost an oiliness that I really like when sipping neat. The finish is moderate and sweet with just a touch of sourness to the fade. There is a slight warmth of ginger that remains on the back of the tongue and in the throat. This is hearty and really expresses itself almost like a high-rye bourbon and less like a true rye whiskey, but the fruitiness and vegatal elements of the rye remain. To me this is a bit tamer than Joseph Magnus straight bourbon whiskey with a little less mint and a tamer profile. For me the Magnus is a bit rambunctious as a sipper, but it make a KILLER Manhattan. Speaking of Manhattans, that is why I keep Wild Turkey 101 Rye in my cabinet pretty much all the time. It's my go-to Manhattan pour. Any mixed drink, actually. I like this better than Rittenhouse for about the same money. I find the Rittenhouse has a more complex midrange and top notes, but is thinner in its foundation. I think the Wild Turkey rye is better balanced. While I enjoy this rye neat, its not my daily. For a little taste of rye with my black coffee (a Sunday morning ritual), I prefer Jack Daniel's Rye. At 90 proof it doesn't offer the horsepower of the WT101R, but its fruitier and a bit more delicate and complex on the palate. I don't like the JD in a cocktail and rarely on the rocks - its my neat sipper. It can get lost easily in the mix. For mixing cocktails and such I'll take the WT101R for my well rye and keep the New Riff, Sagamore Spirit, JD Single Barrel and WTRBR for serious sipping or special concoctions. I gave the JD rye a 2.75 score and that might have been just a touch stingy, but it's kind of a one trick pony for me. 2.5 is smack dab in the "average" range. This is a bit better and a good value. I think it deserves a 3. This is a solid rye and a great choice for any cocktail, on ice or neat. It's just a good product at a good price (yes, I might be a Wild Turkey fan boy but I'm not apologizing).