Happy birthday Al Capone! One of the original gangsters, Capone would have been a very old man if he was still alive today. What better way to celebrate than with Al’s favorite booze, Templeton Rye?

Templeton is distilled in Iowa according to the prohibition-era recipe that made it infamous at that time. As a rye whiskey, you get the liquid-cinnamon spice that you’d expect, but there are a couple of surprises in the taste. First, the 40% alcohol gives this whiskey less of a throat burn than other ryes. Second, there are traces of fruit in the flavor, like orange and coconut. These two elements make Templeton an incredibly smooth liquor.

While Templeton makes great Old Fashioneds and Manhattans, I imagine I’ll be drinking this neat most of the time. I’m really trying not to gush here, but this $40 bottle of rye is tremendous, and a fitting toast on Al Capone’s 114th birthday.