Wild Turkey Rye

[badams]

is Wild Turkey Rye as good as the best Highland scotches?



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dont be caught up in all the hype, good whisky at half the price

[Deactivated Member]

What a peculiar question!

[Badmonkey]

Wild Turkey Rye is damn fine whisky. I certainly enjoy drinking it as much as I do some great Highland scotches. But the styles are so different that I don't think I would compare them side by side.

I wish I could find Wild Turkey Rye in Alberta.

[Deactivated Member]

You might talk me into that viewpoint here -- but, generally, I think you'll have better response to it here:
http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/index.php

Wild Turkey rye, however, IS a very good value for the money. There are several better ryes, though more expensive (except for Rittenhouse BIB).

[Ed]

Wild Turkey Rye is certainly worth a try. It is not too expensive in most markets. In the end, only you can decide. However, as Tim said, Rittenhouse BIB is probably both cheaper and better. If you can get it.

Ed

[hilliamash]

If we talk ryes, then we're talking Sazerac. The 18 year Sazerac is amazing, and the baby at 6years is just behind it. Even Jim Beam has a reasonable rye version....quite good for the price, but the Sazeracs stand in a class to themselves IMHO.

[shoganai]

Yes, Sazerac 18 is great. I have only had 1 50ml sample, but I can say that hands down it is by far the best (of the two) rye whiskies I've tried.

Good news for Pennsylvanians, it looks like PALCB is starting to stock this one. So I should be able to get my hands on a whole bottle before too long.

[Drrich1965]

81 Rye Wild Turkey Rye (50.5%, OB, circa 2006). December 20th, 2006. Brought this bottle to a dinner with friends, and gave it as a gift. Marcia and Andy, great people! So, since I had it at someone else's house, I did not make notes. Yet, I really like this whisky a lot. I think I am starting to really "get" American whisky, and certainly enjoy rye a good deal. Tons of peach, spicy rye, and butterscotch on the palate, just yum. More full bodied than the Jim Beam Rye. Bigger, complex. Very good stuff, and for the price ($18), forget about it.

[IainB]

Wild Turkey Rye is damn fine whisky. I certainly enjoy drinking it as much as I do some great Highland scotches. But the styles are so different that I don't think I would compare them side by side.

I agree. It's certainly a reasonably regular frink for me, and I do enjoy it as much as any other whiskey style. That said, hard to compare to anything else.

I also agree that the Sazerac's are something special, but wouldn't necessarily put them that far above the WT Rye. Just diifferent, in the same way as I'd enjoy a Lagavulin and a Bushmills, boh single malts but very very differenk whiskies.

Now, I wouldn't be a greatly experienced in Rye, or Bourbon for that matter, so when trying a new rye I tend to use the WT Rye at a starting point for comparison.

[bamber]

I think it is pretty pointless comparing malts to American whiskey. Personally I like both about the same (drinking a Van Winkle Rye as I type) but I've given up trying to convince bourbon drinkers to enjoy Scotch and vie versa. It just does my head in:

Scotch drinker on bourbon: Ooooh it's too sweet, too woody tastes like Jack Daniel's.

Bourbon drinker on Scotch: It tastes like an old ashtray, it's too harsh bla bla bla.

Not sure where that came from. I'm off to bed.

Oh yeh - WT rye. I would say it is not as good as the 'best Highland Scotches', but it's ok. If I was going to compare it to a Scotch I'd say Ben Nevis 10yo OB in that it is pretty good and quirky, with a very distinctive taste. If you offered me a bottle of either I'd huff an puff trying to work it out.

[shoganai]

I think it is pretty pointless comparing malts to American whiskey. Personally I like both about the same (drinking a Van Winkle Rye as I type) but I've given up trying to convince bourbon drinkers to enjoy Scotch and vie versa. It just does my head in:

Scotch drinker on bourbon: Ooooh it's too sweet, too woody tastes like Jack Daniel's.

Bourbon drinker on Scotch: It tastes like an old ashtray, it's too harsh bla bla bla.

Not sure where that came from. I'm off to bed.

I'm not sure either, but I agree with the above 100% (except I'm not drinking a VW).

BTW there is something about the way the initial question was posed that cracks me up every time I read it. It's like it's setting up an ad campaign or something.

[IainB]

I think it is pretty pointless comparing malts to American whiskey. Personally I like both about the same (drinking a Van Winkle Rye as I type) but I've given up trying to convince bourbon drinkers to enjoy Scotch and vie versa. It just does my head in:

Scotch drinker on bourbon: Ooooh it's too sweet, too woody tastes like Jack Daniel's.

Bourbon drinker on Scotch: It tastes like an old ashtray, it's too harsh bla bla bla.

Not sure where that came from. I'm off to bed.

Oh yeh - WT rye. I would say it is not as good as the 'best Highland Scotches', but it's ok. If I was going to compare it to a Scotch I'd say Ben Nevis 10yo OB in that it is pretty good and quirky, with a very distinctive taste. If you offered me a bottle of either I'd huff an puff trying to work it out.

Well I started on Irish and I love both. And it's a good point to say the WT Rye is maybe not on a par with the best scotches. But then, as was said above, you need to compare like with like. I would put the likes of the Sazerac 18, Thomas H. Handy uncut and my most recent addition, Rittenhouse 21 on a par with similarly aged or cark strength products. Different but what you might call "parity of esteem".

[bamber]

BTW there is something about the way the initial question was posed that cracks me up every time I read it. It's like it's setting up an ad campaign or something.

It really does The posters signature is pretty snappy too.

Well I started on Irish and I love both. And it's a good point to say the WT Rye is maybe not on a par with the best scotches. But then, as was said above, you need to compare like with like. I would put the likes of the Sazerac 18, Thomas H. Handy uncut and my most recent addition, Rittenhouse 21 on a par with similarly aged or cark strength products. Different but what you might call "parity of esteem".

and I would agree that then they are on a par - although I've not tried the Handy yet

[Gov]

I had a 101 at WhiskyFest on Friday and really liked it. I am not sure if it was the Rye or not. What are the differences?

[dcb]

I went through a bottle of WT Rye 101 pretty quick a few months ago. It's rye flavor is less bold than the Sazeracs, which is sometimes what I prefer. Good stuff, I'd buy it again, especially for the under $20 price and 101 proof.

[Gov]

I went through a bottle of WT Rye 101 pretty quick a few months ago. It's rye flavor is less bold than the Sazeracs, which is sometimes what I prefer. Good stuff, I'd buy it again, especially for the under $20 price and 101 proof.

From what I can tell there is a 101 and a 101 rye. Are they both considered rye, just the other rye more rye? Did you get those ryes?

[Bob O.]

I went through a bottle of WT Rye 101 pretty quick a few months ago. It's rye flavor is less bold than the Sazeracs, which is sometimes what I prefer. Good stuff, I'd buy it again, especially for the under $20 price and 101 proof.

From what I can tell there is a 101 and a 101 rye. Are they both considered rye, just the other rye more rye? Did you get those ryes?

One is a Bourbon and the other a Rye. Their Bourbon does have Rye in their mashbill.

[Gov]

I went through a bottle of WT Rye 101 pretty quick a few months ago. It's rye flavor is less bold than the Sazeracs, which is sometimes what I prefer. Good stuff, I'd buy it again, especially for the under $20 price and 101 proof.

From what I can tell there is a 101 and a 101 rye. Are they both considered rye, just the other rye more rye? Did you get those ryes?

One is a Bourbon and the other a Rye. Their Bourbon does have Rye in their mashbill.

Thanks, I am clueless when it comes to kentucky whiskey. One thing I noticed is that I can only tolerate one dram of the 101. I think it is because it is very sweet and rich. It is like a dessert whiskey I guess.

[Bob O.]

Thanks, I am clueless when it comes to kentucky whiskey. One thing I noticed is that I can only tolerate one dram of the 101. I think it is because it is very sweet and rich. It is like a dessert whiskey I guess.

Yeah, Bourbon has a different flavor profile then Scotch Whisky. This is why you have some people who prefer one over the other. Then there are others like me who appreciate them both for what they are. Just depends on my mood.

[suffolkwhisky]

Sorry to be pedantic but Wild Turkey Rye isn't up with the very best American whiskies so it cannot compare to the very best Scotches. However, it is a very pleasant drink which personally I love.

[Gov]

Sorry to be pedantic but Wild Turkey Rye isn't up with the very best American whiskies so it cannot compare to the very best Scotches. However, it is a very pleasant drink which personally I love.