Wild Turkey Rye 101

Wild Turkey Rye 101 WOW...review #300. I debated on a special pour for the occasion (even going so far as to crack open last year's Lag Offerman 11), but after a couple months of reviews piling up, I thought I'd review what has been my biggest surprise of 2021 so far, WT Rye 101. *NOSE/APPEARANCE: Pours in the Glencairn the color of Wet Straw with thick coating legs. Nose opens up with Spearmint, Rye Bread, Barrel Spice/Funk, and Varnished Old Oak (like a well worn Church Pew). Peppery and Herbal with Dill and Ginger. Prunes, maybe?? Just a hint of Cinnamon. More time in the glass gives it a "Sweeter" character. What a treat for the old olfactory receptors. *NEAT: Great Coating Viscous Mouthfeel. The Oak leads off, followed by a Vanilla'ish Honey Sweetness. Subsequent sips add Dill, Cinnamon Oil, and a White Pepper Tingle. It features a Long Building Spicy Finish that crescendos into a tingly coating of Sweet Mint, Black Pepper and Dill. This is a Whole Mouth experience. Tongue, Cheeks, Gums all get to enjoy the experience long after the dram is done. *SPLASH: Amps up the Dill on the nose. Palate becomes a little sweeter with Licorice and Allspice. Coastal folks will know what I'm talking about, but the aftertaste takes on that smell/taste of Freshly Snapped Long Leaf Pines that greet you as you walk out the front door the morning after a Hurricane to check for damage. *Verdict: Holy Crap...I may have a new favorite Rye! I had tried the 81 several years ago and was thoroughly unimpressed, but had always been curious about the WT101 due to its cult following among bartenders and enthusiasts. The standard WT101 is one of my favorite mixers, as that WT Funk always punches through the mixer in a simple two ingredient drink. This is the same. Old Fashioned, Rye and Ginger, Rye and Coke, or even better Rye and Cheerwine were all fantastic. Whiskey Sour with Fresh Squeezed Lemon? Oh, you betcha'. This just became available in NC, and at the same $24 as the old 81Proof version to boot. Not something limited for #300, but something special just the same.

Tempted to go higher based on the value. Sweetness balanced with rye spices, punchy enough to hold up with ice or in a cocktail, although admittedly I haven't tried it any way but neat. Update: bottle kill gets a quarter bump. I'm sure I enjoy this way more than I should.

Not sure why this gets such a low rating. Had high hopes coming in from the 101 bourbon and they didn’t disappoint. Classic rye taste with a sweet finish. Can’t beat it for a rye under $25

Banana on the nose and palate. Doesn’t have the potency characteristic for being 50%

At ~$26 I ask myself - why pay more chasing Pikesville, etc. at 2x+ the cost when you don't get that return in qualify. No need to refine this to a mixer. Drink it straight and never feel like you're settling.

Herbal notes on the nose with baking spices. Dill on the palate with loving spices. Finish continues the dill with a little brown sugar.

Different animal than regular 101. Sweeter and lighter

While the low proof Turkey rye is a worthy bottle that certainly earns a spot on any drink mixers shelf, what about the 101 version? Is it better? Let's find out. Right off the bat the nose is a fruity rich spice bomb, a true rye drinkers nose. The barrel strength amazingly yields next to no ethyl burn. Nose: 5.0 The front indeed gives up some of that orange citrus and cinnamon, yet another Christmasy drink. The well aged flavor is apparent, no harsh bitters, just some feint wood barrel notes and hints of cherry vanilla and leathers. All I can say is if you drink this rye and are not impressed, there really has to be something wrong with you, or you just aren't really a "rye guy". The Turkey 101 rye just brings it, in an amazing manner and with all that barrel proof richness you might expect from far pricier rye's that too often just don't deliver. If that's not enough you can find this for under 30 dollars or less than 1/3rd of what you would expect to shell out for Peerless. It really doesn't remind me of the Russells profile the way the lower proof Turkey rye does, instead it seems to have a bolder yet more balanced profile. Recommendation, under 30$ BUY(buy extra and stash it), because this is less expensive doesn't mean waste on mixers, use the cheap Dickel/Bulleit etc for that, this is a dram worthy of drinking neat. I'm giving an extra .25 for the value but really it probably deserve more. Get it now while you can, (or kick yourself later). Cheers!