The bourbon is still made from the same mash bill, using locally-grown corn. It’s still fermented with a yeast that has been used since the beginning, distilled on the same 52-foot high copper column still. It’s still aged in char #4 oak barrels, some of which will reside in Warehouse A, which has stood on a limestone shelf overlooking the Kentucky River since 1894.
The more things change, the more things stay the same at Wild Turkey Distillery, which dates back to 1869 when the Ripy brothers opened their family operation in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.
Most days, Jimmy Russell, all of 90 years old, still drives himself to the distillery, the same place he’s worked since September 10, 1954, and been Master Distiller at since 1967. His son, Eddie Russell, meanwhile, has worked at Wild Turkey since 1981, starting at the bottom as a relief operator, but today likewise standing as Master Distiller. That’s a combined 114 years of Wild Turkey expertise between the two men.
"The access we still have to legends in the bourbon industry is really cool."
says Bruce Russell, Jimmy’s grandson and Eddie’s son, who now serves as the brand’s Associate Master Blender. “When I bought my Ford Bronco, believe me, there was no one from the Ford family still working there.” He’s excited that he’s been able to get to work on Wild Turkey’s newest product — which is also one of their oldest products.
Though the distillery has stood since the mid-19th century, it wouldn’t take the name Wild Turkey until 1940, as the legend goes, after a company executive, Thomas McCarthy, brought along some bourbon on a wild turkey hunting trip in the Carolinas with friends. They loved it and, soon thereafter, this inside joke amongst friends became a legitimate brand with the release of Wild Turkey 101, with, yes, an eight-year-old age statement.
IT WAS A BONAFIDE HIT.
And it would reign strong on the American bourbon scene for fifty years. It was Jimmy Russell’s favorite Wild Turkey product, his favorite bourbon in the world, in fact. Unfortunately, with the late-20th century decline in Americans’ proclivity for bourbon, the eight-year-old was taken off the U.S. market in 1992. (It would remain available in some overseas locations, a best-seller that would eventually appear on secondary markets where U.S. fans would snap it up.)
With age stated bourbons gaining popularity in the early 21st century and the consistent conversation online from bourbon enthusiasts requesting the availability of Wild Turkey 8-Year-Old in the U.S., the brand decided to finally fulfill their loyal fans' wishes and re-introduce Wild Turkey 8-Year-Old into the U.S.
In 2011, Wild Turkey’s parent company, Gruppo Campari, invested some serious money to expand the existing distillery. Suddenly, there were twenty-three 30,000 gallon fermentation tanks, 134,000 square feet of space, and the ability to distill 11 million gallons of bourbon per year, nearly doubling their capacity. Meanwhile, that humble Warehouse A had grown to two dozen aging facilities over two sites.
Eventually, there was enough stock to bring an eight-year-old Wild Turkey 101 back to the States. “This is a very unusual product for me to talk about, because normally, if I’m talking to [the press], it’s about the true introduction of something,” says Bruce. “But the eight-year-old is a reintroduction.”
In many ways, it’s quintessential Wild Turkey, age stated, at that iconic proof, and full of flavor — and at a friendly price of just $45. Rich and dark with notes of caramel, toffee, cocoa, dried fruit, and medicinal cherry, it’s chewy on the finish and a touch spicy, but with the edges rounded off.
Bruce believes it’s an everyday bourbon designed for everyone: affordable for most budgets, desirable by neat drinkers or cocktail lovers, a go-to choice for neophytes and connoisseurs alike.
“If you ask my grandfather Jimmy, it’s all we should be making,” jokes Bruce. "So I can’t think of a product that’s really come out in my lifetime that my family has been more excited to see hit the shelves."
Wild Turkey 8-Year-Old is available to purchase now across the U.S.