Frank is back with a review of another vintage Wild Turkey expression, the fan-named “Christmas Rye.” It’s been a good while since I last tasted a 101 Rye sporting the green and red label. After reading this piece, I’m determined to revisit it in the very near future. Enjoy! dj
Christmas came twice in 2018 for Rare Bird 101. In February of that year, David Jennings penned his first review of the well-regarded Wild Turkey “Christmas Rye.” The 101-proof expression is best known for its vibrant Christmas colored label and impressively intoxicating bouquet of flavors. A second review appeared on the site, appropriately, on Christmas of the same year. Those reviews featured two different years of the expression, which is notable as Wild Turkey’s historically limited rye production would indicate those bottles came from two wildly different batches.
Like most dusty Turkey bottles these days, Wild Turkey Christmas Rye commands a significant premium on secondary markets. I asked a representative at Neat in Louisville about the current price of Christmas Rye and he replied with a four-figure sum that knocked me back. While it may be your granddaddy’s Wild Turkey Rye, these days it’ll cost your first born to secure a taste of it (unless, of course, you try it at a bar).
The beauty of Neat is that while they have a vintage bottle shop, the establishment started as a premier whiskey bar. As such, many of the bottles they sell can also be found behind their bar. When I stumbled in on a sleepy Tuesday evening in early January (with visions of sugar plum fairies and marching wooden soldiers still fresh in the crisp night air) I thought to myself, Why not? We were a few weeks removed from the holiday, but Christmas Rye is one of those seldom-seen expressions that, unless you have a passion for Wild Turkey, flies under the radar for many enthusiasts. Considering you’re somewhere in the world reading this blog, I think it’s safe to say you’re a Turkey fan.
When I saw that Christmas Rye was reasonably priced (though more for a two-ounce pour than the cost of a bottle in 1997) I decided to bring the season’s cheer into the new year. It is believed, but not confirmed, that all of Wild Turkey’s rye from about 1974 through today comes from a 52% rye, 36% corn, and 12% malted barley mash bill. Because Wild Turkey’s bourbon is noted for being layered with spice, you might expect their rye to bash you over the head with it. On the contrary – while today’s Wild Turkey rye does contain ample spice, it rounds that out with a sweetness more reminiscent of bourbon than the “Indiana style” 95/5 rye most are familiar with. Will the same hold true for an expression released nearly 30 years ago?
As one final aside let’s make a note of what David had to say about the bottles of Wild Turkey Christmas Rye that he reviewed, both of which received high marks. Regarding the 1990 batch (final score: 4/5) he said, “I find greater rye complexity and profile balance in the modern Wild Turkey single barrel rye expression. I’ll concede it lacks the dusty traits, but if that’s all I’m missing out on, I’ll gladly take the gains of a bolder and spicier whiskey.”
When discussing the 1995 release (final score: 4.5/5) David remarked, “This ‘95 has notable, yet rounded rye spice and zest – very typical of well-aged Kentucky straight rye. And so the lesson (outside of “try before you buy”) is to note that earlier releases aren’t always better releases. Such as with this pour, where I find the ‘95 to be preferable in profile over ‘90.”
Let’s see how this 1997 Wild Turkey Christmas Rye compares, shall we?
Wild Turkey 101 “Christmas Rye” (1997)
Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
Proof: 101
Age: Not stated (at least four years)
Misc.: Bottled by the Austin, Nichols Distilling Co., Lawrenceburg, KY
Tasted neat in a Glencairn after a few minutes rest…
Color: Dark amber
Nose: Lavender candy, dusty oodles of butterscotch, corn nuts, pie crust, Cherry Coke, sage, chocolate truffle powder & black pepper.
Taste: Cherry Coke, Tootsie Rolls, nougat, nutmeg, stale baseball card bubblegum, vanilla, lavender candy, faint pops of spearmint.
Finish: Medium-long with white pepper, lemon zest, cinnamon, and a bit of cigar ash. A touch of ginger and red apple are also present.
Overall: What a gift this is! It does indeed have a slightly dusty character that stands out most prominently on the nose, but it couples that with noteworthy rich and vibrant flavors. Aside from lavender, which is largely absent in contemporary Wild Turkey rye, I’m sincerely impressed. It should also be noted that the mouthfeel is reminiscent of today’s Rare Breed Rye (112.2 Proof).
It’s a pleasure to sit and savor this pour (something I did over the span of roughly 40 minutes). It’s the viscous mouthfeel and just-enticing-enough, medium-length finish that really enhances the experience of sitting back and picking apart this whiskey. One can’t help but feel transported back in time when relishing a rye like this. The flavor inspires some introspection for sure, but the knowledge that this was readily available and easily affordable in 1997 runs contrary to the mantra of that year’s top song on the Billboard Hot 100, “Mo Money, Mo Problems.”
Just think, back then you could’ve had yourself a bottle deserving of any Turkey fan’s Christmas list for only $32. As is typically the case when considering dusty booze, what you’re willing to pay for it today is your business, but I’d need to have problems as large as the Notorious B.I.G. (and the bank account to match) to consider buying a bottle of Wild Turkey Christmas Rye in 2024.
That said, I’m grateful that there are bars like Neat where enthusiasts can at least try these bygone treasures. Funny enough, I recorded notes and scored this pour before reading either of David’s reviews. Many of our observations are aligned and with regards to the score I rated this one right in the middle of the range.
Rating: 4.25/5 🦃
fd
Photo by Michael Stroud.
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Dope review! And I like how you compare notes to what Rare Bird had mentioned for other Christmas Ryes released in earlier years. And Near is such a Time Machine when it comes to experiencing whiskey in Louisville!
So what did you pay for Xmas rye at Neat for this review?
In 1982 in Heidelberg-Neuenheim in Germany opened a little Wine & Whisky shop called ‘Macha Weine & Feines’. The Shop owner, Stephan Macha, focused in the following years more and more on American Bourbons and expanded his stock continously.
Ten years later he had the majority of Bourbon & Rye brands on the shelf and even got some licenses for importing a few bottlings exclusively for Germany. Including some pretty rare and today highly sought after Bourbons under the brand names ‘A.W. Hirsch’ & Boone’s Knoll’, which were destilled in 1974 in the original old Michter’s destillery and bottled 1990 after 16 years of barrel aging.
Mr. Macha also imported several Wild Turkey expressions: Kentucky Legend, Kentucky Spirit – plus this Green-Label ‘Christmas Rye’.
I bought my first and only bottle of this particular Rye during my first visit in the shop in 1998, so presumably it might have been the 1997 expression. The price was just 55 DM (about 30 Euros today)
A month later I went back for a second bottle – but the Green Label Rye was already out of stock: a total of 120 bottles had been sold within six weeks – one regular customer alone reportedly grapped 48 bottles for his juke joint in the Heidelberger Altstadt called ‘Sonderbar’ (still existing today).
In the following three years Mr. Macha had not gotten any additional Wild Turkey Ryes – I had to wait until 2002, then he got a shipment.
The new bottles did not have a Green Label anymore; the proof was lower, and the taste very disappointing: no more waxy-honey notes which the Green label sported prominenly, rather one-dimensional and flat by comparison.
In the next years I tried to get some Green Label Ryes in Whisk(e)y auctions and elsewhere, but I was not successful. It was much easier to find some older bottlings from the 70s and early 80s of the regular 8 years old 101 proof Wild Turkey, of which I found nearly a dozen over the years (14 years ago I got my last one for 90 Euros in the monthly Krüger whiskyauction – meanwhile the prices went up crazily, easily doubled or tripled since 2010).
The late nineties Green Label Wild Turkey Rye show up very rarely in Whisk(e)y Auctions nowadays, even if someone is willing to spend plenty of money for a bottle (not me, of course) he had to be very patiently…
Greetings from Germany
upi