Tasting notes

nose

caramel apple, honey, vanilla, gingersnap and lemon peel, with rye spice, a savory herbal note and charred oak

palate

caramel and orchard fruit open, then mint, licorice, lemon, Brazil nut, cinnamon and allspice over dry oak

finish

moderately long; cinnamon and citrus zest with dried fruit, then root beer and nutty notes, settling into dry oak and lingering spice as the warmth fades

Mash bill

Rye, corn and malted barley, in proportions Wild Turkey has not published for this release. The house rye recipe used for 101 Rye is 51% rye, 37% corn and 12% malted barley, a rye that keeps a large share of corn for body and sweetness. At barrel proof, that rye spice and the oak arrive without any water to soften them.

Awards

• Gold — New York International Spirits Competition 2020
• Finalist — Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2020
• Double Gold — San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2021

Why it's craft

Rare Breed Rye, released in 2020, is the rye counterpart to Rare Breed: a batch of four-, six- and eight-year-old ryes bottled uncut at barrel proof and without chill filtration. Wild Turkey distills and ages it in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, in barrels with the deepest No. 4 char. The batch strength is printed on the neck band, and Jimmy Russell, at the distillery since 1954, signs the label.