Wild Turkey Releases Final Master’s Keep Expression
Wild Turkey Distilling Company announced the final release in its Master’s Keep collection: Master’s Keep Beacon.
Capping off a decade of releases, this final chapter is a tribute to the distillery’s heritage while shining a light on the road ahead. Crafted by Master Distiller Eddie Russell and Associate Master Blender Bruce Russell, this limited-edition 118-proof release is a blend of two distinct, hand-selected bourbons and will be available at select retailers globally starting this September.
Master’s Keep Beacon is a blend of 10 and 16-year-old bourbons, each hand-selected to reflect key moments in the distillery’s history. Eddie’s selection, a 16-year-old bourbon distilled between 2007 and 2008, was pulled from some of the last remaining barrels laid down in the original Wild Turkey distillery where he first honed his craft, just before the distillery’s major expansion in 2011.
Bruce’s 10-year-old selection, distilled in 2015, is among the first he produced alongside his father and grandfather, Hall of Fame Master Distiller Jimmy Russell, when he joined the family business. Together, they’ve created a harmonious blend of flavors from distinct eras and the highest-proof release in the Master’s Keep series.
Dating back to 2015, the Master’s Keep series was originally the brainchild of Eddie Russell, offering a dedicated collection to explore new expressions beyond Wild Turkey’s iconic core lineup. Since then, he has continued to push the limits of bourbon craftsmanship to create some of the most sought-after limited releases in bourbon.
As Wild Turkey has grown into a coveted brand by whiskey collectors, the limited-edition collection has played a defining role by offering space for creative exploration that still pays homage to the distillery’s roots. Over the last decade, each release of the series has received overwhelming response from the bourbon community, solidifying Master’s Keep as one of the most respected collections in the industry.
Top spirits publications and voices have scored the expressions with high marks, consistently recognizing the releases as best whiskies of the year. For the final chapter, father son duo Eddie and Bruce drew on decades of shared whiskey-making expertise to craft a release that both honors the series’ legacy and stands as its crowning achievement.
This sought-after collection consists of 10 global releases since its inception: 17 Year (2015), Decades (2016), Revival (2018), Cornerstone (2019), Bottled in Bond (2020), One (2021), Unforgotten (2022), Voyage (2023) and Triumph (2024).
“When we set out ten years ago to launch the Master’s Keep series, we knew we had something special but I never imagined the journey it would take us on,” Eddie Russell said in a news release. “Our first release was the most unique whiskey we’d ever released, and with each expression since we’ve been able to share some of the rarest whiskies in our rickhouses, all while staying true to who we are as Wild Turkey. Looking back a decade later I’m very proud of what we’ve created to date, and looking forward to what’s next.”
“Since joining the distillery, I’ve watched my dad craft some incredible bourbons as part of the Master’s Keep lineup, all rooted in the principles and dedication to bold flavor established by my granddad,” Bruce Russell added. “This final release feels especially meaningful, as the first Master’s Keep with my signature on the bottle and made using bourbon I helped create during some of my earliest days at the distillery. I’m proud to leave my mark on this iconic collection with a bourbon that represents a meaningful chapter in my own journey, and paves the way for the road ahead.”
Master’s Keep Beacon will be available globally in limited quantities for a suggested retail price of $300.
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ABOUT WILD TURKEY
The distillery for Wild Turkey Bourbon is in Kentucky is situated on a deep limestone shelf on the Kentucky River. The shelf acts as a natural filter and provides the distillery with crystal clear water, vital to making such a high-quality product. Wild Turkey features the legendary father and son Master Distilling team of Jimmy and Eddie Russell, who have over 100 years of collective experience working at the Wild Turkey distillery, and are now joined by the next generation, Associate Blender Bruce Russell. For more information, visit http://wildturkey.com/.