Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye 112.2 Proof Neck pour, neat. Glencairn. Appearance: Rose gold, peach and honey colors. Legs develop quickly, but do linger. This bird is no stage 5 clinger. Interestingly, I had this covered with a challenge coin for about 10 minutes and this spicy girl fogged up the glass. I’m gonna need a cigarette after this. Nose: Warm cinnamon apples, lemon zest, fresh cracked black pepper and red pepper flakes. Palate: Rye bread peeks through as soon as this hits the tongue before quickly giving way to caramel sweetness, green apple and citrus. The spiciness dances through the palate, peeking through at various points and in different areas of the mouth before reaching its peak just as I begin to swallow and slowly trickling its way down to the belly. Not a strong Kentucky hug — more like a gentle squeeze on the shoulder to let you know that your good friend DOES care about you, man. Finish: Medium-long. Leather, rye bread and bittersweet chocolate notes. I was pumped to find this bird while hunting today, and had the hype validated by tonight’s dram. This rye is a wild night in Mexico, dancing with a spicy Latina in a flowing red dress, accompanied by Carlos Santana and Chad Kroeger’s “Into the Night,” only you get to remember all the fun you had the next morning. What a peach!