Wild Turkey Rye 101

When it comes to American whiskey, I tend to lean towards bourbon if I'm drinking neat and rye if I'm having a cocktail. I'm not exactly sure why, since most rye whiskies I seem to like neat, but it just seems to work that way. Maybe I prefer to not be challenged when I'm drinking a spirit neat, since I tend to find rye whiskies more complex than bourbon. Wild Turkey is probably best known for their bourbon, especially between the rye 101 and the bourbon 101, but I think I may favor the rye 101 better. The nose features honey, mint and a touch of oak. On the palate I get baked apples, caramel and some spice, but it's pretty tame. It's actually creamy and very easy to drink. The finish has a bit of pepper and sweetness, but considering the proof there is very little burn. I was pretty impressed with this. Out of the six rye whiskies I've reviewed so far, only the Whistlepig 10yr beat this neat. This is slightly better than the Rittenhouse rye, but not by much. Either way, it's a very solid value and considering it's pretty useful in cocktails, it's a very good rye to have on hand. I would probably still favor the Rittenhouse rye because it's the best cocktail rye whiskey out there and almost the same experience neat (and cheaper), but you can't go wrong with this or that one.

My first time having rye neat so not sure how it compares. Tobacco and baking spices on the nose. More of the same on the palate but it definitely reminds me of the spices in Christmas cookies... Ginger snaps? Would love to try more ryes around the holidays.

Funky, caramel nose gives way to very spicy, sweet, cinnamon, long finish

Nose: The nose has herbal notes of fennel, eucalyptus, and mint. With the balance of sweet notes like cinnamon, vanilla, and salted nuts. Taste: On the palate is a nice kick with notes of vanilla, spices, oaky char, and mint. Finish: The finish is warm with lingering mint and a caramel taste.

Great mixer, and pretty decent on its own as well. Found it to be more bourbon-y than most ryes I've tried.