song from wild turkey whiskey commerical

The air keeps the moisture to a minimum and helps to push the bourbon in and out of the wood, which is extremely important to strike that perfect balance when aging. I believe the air circulation helps the most. What is it about the Camp Nelson rick houses, especially about warehouse A and warehouse F that make them so special?ĮR: The Camp Nelson warehouses are set high on hill overlooking the Kentucky River. JM: The Camp Nelson rick houses have always held a special place among Wild Turkey fans, both for the Russell’s Reserve bottlings and for the Master’s Keep bottlings.

For Maturation Photo, courtesy Wild Turkey Distillery However, they are good to blend the bigger batches that give us a consistent taste – which as I mentioned is important to Jimmy.īarrels Awaiting Filling With New Mark Spirit Before Being Transferred to Wild Turkey's Rick House. Too much of either doesn’t produce the flavors we want as small batches or single barrels. To produce those sweet spots, you need the movement from in the wood to out of the wood. The bottom floors produce earthy and floral notes because it stays cool all year. The 3 rd through the 5 th stories give us those sweeter notes. If you look at the top of the warehouse, temperatures can reach more than 100 degrees in the summer so those whiskeys have much more oak and tannins. How much variation do you find between the different barrels in a rick house? Do you think Wild Turkey might also adopt this practice on your higher end bottlings?ĮR: The seven stories within the warehouse add different flavors from almost each level.

JM: Some of the private bottlings of Russell Reserve done under the Russell barrel program list both the warehouse and the floor where it was matured. We knew we had the liquid and it’s been a fun journey coming up with a new expression each year that is desirable for this mature (ultra-aged ) whiskey audience.Įddie and Jimmy Russell Sampling Whiskey at One of the Camp Nelson Rick House Photo, courtesy Wild Turkey It was a natural progression for Wild Turkey to follow suit with our so highly aged whiskies. Then, distilleries started releasing older whiskeys that appealed to those high-end collectors. The second release was about taking what I loved (10 YO) and adding some very old bourbon to blend.įor many years, Wild Turkey was releasing some of the oldest whiskey out there at eight and 12 years.

The flavor was layered from candy to spice back to sweetness. The bourbon aged slower than our normal metal clad warehouses. We relocated barrels to some stone or brick warehouses in Frankfort to age. We didn’t have any space for new whiskey in the middle of the 1990’s. It was aged in brick warehouses off-site. The (first ) 17-year Master’s Keep was the most unique whiskey we have aged.

The flavor of the barrels helps me to decide how these are used in the release. With Master’s Keep, I’m given a chance to do things that are relevant to what is happening now in the bourbon category – experimenting with aging techniques and finishes. My father Jimmy has always wanted to stay true to the old way of making bourbon – the way he learned when he was taught by his predecessors Bill Hughes and Ernest Ripy. Is there a unifying theme to the various bourbon expressions? Given that these bottlings are all barrel selections, what do you look for in a barrel when making your selections for the Master’s Keep bottling?ĮR : For as many years as Jimmy Russell has been at the helm of Wild Turkey, we’ve been known for consistency and continuity in our bourbon making approach – even if it wasn’t a popular or trendy choice. The most recent Master’s Keep was Bottled in Bond (50% ABV), while the first Master’s Keep was a straight whiskey. The bourbon bottlings have reflected a variety of approaches: the sherry cask finish on the Revival expression, for example, or the mix of aged bourbons in the Decades bottling. JM: There have been a total of five Master’s Keep expressions released, four bourbons and one rye whiskey. To talk about his latest Master’s Keep release.

Song from wild turkey whiskey commerical