The fabulous Wild Turkey distillery has always made a killer rye, but this is the first time we've been able to get the stuff at barrel proof and it doesn't disappoint in the slightest. It's no secret that I'm a HUGE fan of the kickin' chicken and while it's not everyone's cup of tea, Wild Turkey has slowly become the sleeper bourbon of the people. They do one or two special release every year, which of course have become extremely difficult to get, but mostly they just make great stuff and sell it for a great price. This stuff is no exception. The color is amber. The nose is expansive and overtly appealing. Huge aromas of dried spice, fresh mint, exotic woods, leather, burnt orange oil and spruce nibs. Some hints of tobacco leaf and behind something sweet and baked. On the palate it's got a wild core of tangy oak framed with fresh pepper, dried herbs, candied citrus peel, roasted nuts and warming mint on the finish. A total gem that just over delivers on every level.

There are only a few rye whiskies on the market that could match or improve upon the near perfection that is the WT 101 bottling. The barrel proof Rare Breed bottling is one of those rarities. If the spice offered by the Kickin' Chicken's Bourbon is your jam, don't miss the barrel proof version of the rye - it's turned up to 11 in every sense. The nose stands a mile high above the glass and is a complex amalgam of wild fruit patch and cracked peppercorns. Berries - black, red, and blue - intermix with fresh cut grass, humus soil, and sweet but piquant smell of hot chili peppers. The palate is a take no prisoner's affair. It's big and beastly with a serious focus on spice both pepper and cinnamon bark. If you let it linger long enough you unlock sweeter notes, gentler spices, roasted nuts, bitter chocolate cocoa nibs, and a sweet caramel/vanilla wood profile in the background. Tame it with water and it gets a little sweeter still - you can dial it in pretty much however you like it giving it tremendous flexibility in any cocktail application. It's a terrific whiskey all around.