What better to do on a cold day here in Indianapolis? Drink some warming rye, and today’s drink is Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Cornerstone Rye. This is the fourth release of the Master’s Keep series and the first rye. From their website, ” For this one-of-a-kind Limited Edition, Eddie Russell hand-picked and set aside a secret lot of his oldest and boldest rye whiskey barrels”. Secret?
If you can find Cornerstone Rye, it is a bit on the high side, selling for $199. It is 109 proof, aged at least 9 years, but has some 11-year-old barrels in the mix as well, and comes in a very nice, corked bottle with an engraved turkey on the front. The mash bill is 52% rye, 36% corn, and 12 % malted barley.
Talking Bourbon has long been a fan of the flagship Wild Turkey 101 but has had mixed results on everything else Wild Turkey. Also, somewhat odd that this “bold” rye is only 52% rye. That just barely qualifies it as a rye. We are hoping it is a strong rye but have our doubts.
NOSE
Matt: This is a very active nose with many smells shining through. Upfront is oak, rye, and bread. Following that is green wood, vanilla, brown sugar, toffee, apple, tobacco, and anise. Ice made it lighter and sweeter smelling.
Todd: Nice aromas of oak, cedar, grain, rye, and black pepper. Coming in behind that is toffee, orange, nuttiness, and a slight smell of banana. Ice brought out some sweetness.
TASTE
Matt: Pretty darn hot neat but still pick out flavors of rye, vanilla, black pepper, and cinnamon. Also, get a bit of tobacco. Ice added caramel and white cake.
Todd: An oaky sweetness with some grain and pepper stands out. Lessor tastes include milk chocolate, rye, and grape. Ice improves the whole experience.
FINISH
Matt: medium long with a little more wood.
Todd: long with some honey and baking spice.
OVERALL
Matt: I love rye, and this didn’t disappoint.
Todd: Good stuff, though a bit pricey.
Nose 4.25 out of 5
Taste 8.25 out of 10
Finish 4 out of 5
Total score 16.5 out of 20 barrels.
A little ice or some water definitely helps this rye open up and calm down. And at 109 proof, there is no shame in diluting it a bit and making it to your taste. The only real drawback is the lack of the big rye taste. You could tell it was a rye, but it was a lot sweeter than most of the ryes we like. We were wrong, there is another drawback, and that is the $200 price tag. That is a little salty for a lot of people.
In the end, Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Cornerstone Rye is very good even if it does not taste like a traditional rye. It has a nice, complex nose and taste with a good finish. It is hard to find so it is kind of cool to come by a bottle. If you can find Cornerstone Rye, and you can afford Cornerstone Rye, we recommend buying a bottle of Cornerstone Rye.