Wild Turkey Distillery

Overview and History

Wild Turkey Distillery is located in the heart of bourbon country in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Since before Prohibition, they have been making popular Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey and continue to be one of the most well-loved bourbon brands to this day.

Wild Turkey is known for using the finest ingredients and a proprietary yeast blend, which gives Wild Turkey its unique, well-balanced flavor and has done so for over 60 years.

At Wild Turkey, they take the char of their oak barrels used to age their bourbon seriously. They use only No. 4 “alligator char” oak barrels, which are the deepest charred barrels available. This gives the end product its unique rich color and well-balanced but delicate flavor.

All Wild Turkey whiskies are aged for at least five years, allowing the spirits to mature to their finest taste and most well-balanced and smooth finish possible.

Offerings

Wild Turkey has a broad product line with offerings including:

• Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Wild Turkey 101
• Wild Turkey Rye
• Wild Turkey Rye 101
• Wild Turkey Longbranch
• Wild Turkey Rare Breed
• Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye
• Kentucky Spirit
• Master’s Keep Bottled-in-Bond
• Master’s Keep Cornerstone Rye
• Master’s Keep Revival
• Wild Turkey Decades
• Master’s Keep
• American Honey
• American Honey Sting
• Russel’s Reserve 10-year
• Russel’s Reserve Rye
• Russel’s Reserve Single Barrel
• Russel’s Reserve Single Barrel Rye
• Russel’s Reserve 2002

Let’s take a closer look at their most popular whiskies — Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Kentucky Spirit, and Master’s Keep.

Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Also sometimes called Wild Turkey 81, this is their signature Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey that follows the original Eddie Russell recipe. The bourbon is finished in No. 4 charred white oak barrels and has a smooth, fruity, rich flavor with a well-balanced and smooth finish.

Kentucky Spirit

Kentucky Spirit is a high proof (101 proof) bourbon that is a single barrel, small-batch bourbon hand-selected by the Master Distiller. This bourbon is known for its bold, sweet, and honeylike notes and a well-balanced, smooth finish that is excellent for sipping or on the rocks.

Master’s Keep

This is a long-aged bourbon that is hand-selected by Eddie Russel, the Master Distiller. The bourbon is aged for 17-years in both brick and wood rickhouses, which exposes the bourbon to different climatic settings, which affects the ultimate flavor. The sweet, rich, and bold bourbon is 86.8 proof and has a unique sweet and nutty flavor with hints of smoke and spice.

Tour Information

You can visit the historic distillery for a tour at their Wild Turkey Visitor Center, located at their headquarters in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.

Turkey Takes Flight Experience

Their tour is available by reservation only and is limited to groups of 10 or fewer at this time. The cost starts at $11 per person. The tour starts with a comprehensive virtual tour that details the company’s history, the bourbon-making process, and what makes Wild Turkey stand apart from other bourbon offerings.

Guests will learn the importance of ingredients as well as the intricacies of the aging process. The tour ends with a tasting experience where guests can sample five premium bourbons.