Wild Turkey 81 Rye

Wild Turkey tells BourbonBlog.com that it will release a new Wild Turkey 81 Rye in March 2012. This 81 proof rye whiskey  was created  by a mingling of 4 and 5-year old Rye whiskies naturally aged in warehouses without computer temperature controls available. This new Wild Turkey rye whiskey will be available in the US for around $22.99 per 750ml. bottle.

Like the 2011 release of Wild Turkey 81 Bourbon, this whiskey was crafted by Wild Turkey’s Associate Master Distiller, Eddie Russell.

In fact, Eddie gave BourbonBlog.com an early hint that he was solely working on another whiskey earlier in September 2011 when we interviewed him in our video segment about Wild Turkey 81 Bourbon published below and linked here.

Eddie Russell is Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame inductee and the son of whiskey legend Master Distiller Jimmy Russell. Eddie again kept the latest cocktail tastes of both mixologists and whiskey enthusiasts in mind when coming up with Wild Turkey 81 Rye.

“Wild Turkey 81 Rye was created after talking with mixologists and whiskey lovers around the country who were in search of a Rye whiskey that wouldn’t back down to a mixer,” Eddie Russell tells BourbonBlog.com. “This extra-aged Rye is definitely the star of any cocktail – the flavor won’t run and hide. It stands up tall and reminds you sip after sip you are drinking real Wild Turkey whiskey.”

The smooth taste and warm smokiness of Wild Turkey 81 Rye is born from its natural aging process in American oak barrels with the deepest number 4 or “alligator” char. The final product is a kick in the pants mingling of whiskies aged 4 and 5 years — more than other major Rye whiskies in the same category.

America’s whiskey of choice at the turn of the century, Rye whiskey lost its luster following Prohibition. Today, bartenders and whiskey fanatics have rediscovered Bourbon’s spicy cousin, fueling a 27% surge in Rye whiskey sales in the US last year (Nielsen US). Mixologists appreciate the flavorful punch Rye whiskey gives to such classic cocktails as the Manhattan and The Old Fashioned.

“Eddie’s latest handcrafted innovation, Wild Turkey 81 Rye, is an ideal brother for Wild Turkey 81,” Jimmy Russell tells us. “This is unlike any other rye in the category because it’s distinctively Wild Turkey. There’s no mistaking that bold Wild Turkey flavor.”

We’ll bring you a review soon of Wild Turkey 81 Rye.

Archived video segment above filmed and edited by Scott Hendrickson and Hosted/Producer by Tom Fischer.