By Andy Young
The father-and-son master distiller team at Wild Turkey, Jimmy and Eddie Russell have worked together to release the distillery's oldest bourbon, the 17-year-old Master's Keep.
The bourbon was barrelled at 107 proof, was 89 proof when dumped and 86.8 proof (43.4 per cent ABV) when bottled; a result of the time these particular barrels spent ageing in stone warehouses.
Jimmy and Eddie are the only father and son master distilling duo in the industry and share 95 years of whisky making experience.
“Master's Keep is the result of a lot of experimentation, patience and faith,” said Eddie Russell. “The sweet spot for Bourbon ageing is usually between 8-12 years because older Bourbons tend to become too woody or spicy from sitting too long in the barrel. What I was able to do with Master's Keep was retain the Bourbon's rich caramel and vanilla flavours by ageing the barrels in both stone and wood warehouses, sampling from them every few months to decide their next move.”
Jimmy Russell added: “I tend to not like Bourbons aged longer than 12 or 13 years because they lose the caramel and vanilla flavours, but Eddie and I both agree thanks to the unique way this whiskey was aged we have something special here that we truly hope our Wild Turkey fans and Bourbon connoisseurs enjoy.”
The bourbon is described as having, "a smooth and silky introduction that transforms into caramel and vanilla sweetness, and finishes with a satisfying burst of spiciness and oak, it is one of the finest sipping whiskies to ever come from the distillery".
This limited edition bourbon will be available to liquor stores national from late August with a $200 RRP.