WHISKEY REVIEW!

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Cornerstone Rye – 109 Proof – 9 & 11 year old Rye

Thee Wild Turkey. This distillery and I have a deep love affair. I believe Wild Turkey is the most consistent distillery in the last 50 years of distilling in Kentucky. Yup, that’s right, Wild Turkey. You see they have only two mash bills – one for bourbon and one for rye. It’s quite impressive. So with that, here is my first whiskey review on CigarHawk….oh and Drink More Turkey!

Nose: You will not want to stop smelling this glass. A warm and inviting vanilla marshmallow smell. It follows up with a hint of sweetness. There is absolutely no ethanol here.

Taste: Very bold up front. A peppery vanilla taste meets the forward palate. The forward palate lasts quite awhile. Honey immediately follows. The spice never fades. This is absolutely the most impressive thing about the taste. 

Finish: A solid lingering finish. The honey moves to the mid palate. The sweet spice carries all the way through. It’s warming in a good way. The spice comes back around to the forward palate which is unusual for any pour. 

Overall: Eddie Russell has done it. His father distilled the infamous “Christmas Rye”, which is something of legend. Eddie has landed himself another anchor to cement why he will be just fine the day (the unfortunate day) Jimmy steps back as Master Distiller at Wild Turkey. Cornerstone Rye has become (that’s right past tense) what it’s name says, a cornerstone. I am extremely impressed with this profile and will be purchasing more before it’s gone. Do yourself a favor, grab one before that happens. Cheers!

Score: 9.5/10

Added Water: After 5 drops of water, the spice dissipates. After 10 drops of water, it is sweet sweet honey all the way through.

*Full disclosure: I warm my palate before tasting any bourbon. Typically with a potato vodka. It’s always treated me better and I feel I get a much better nose and finish by doing this.