Wild Turkey is a Kentucky straight bourbon distilled in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, on a site the Ripy family first built in 1869. The brand took its name in 1940 after an Austin Nichols executive shared it on a wild-turkey hunt, and it has been shaped for three generations by the Russell family — Jimmy, Eddie and Bruce. Known for a higher-rye recipe and heavily charred oak, the range runs from the 101-proof flagship to Rare Breed, Russell's Reserve and the Master's Keep series. This page gathers the bottles in the vault, each linked to its own page.
- 1869 — the Ripy brothers, Irish immigrants, build a distillery on what's now Wild Turkey Hill in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.
- 1893 — their bourbon is chosen to represent Kentucky at the World's Fair in Chicago.
- 1940 — Austin Nichols executive Thomas McCarthy shares the 101-proof bourbon on a wild-turkey hunt; his friends keep asking for "that wild turkey bourbon," and the name sticks.
- 1942 — Austin Nichols releases the first official Wild Turkey bottling.
- 1954 — Jimmy Russell joins the distillery, becoming the brand's third master distiller and, in time, one of the longest-tenured in the world.
- 1971 — Austin Nichols buys the distillery outright and renames it the Wild Turkey Distillery.
- 1981 — Eddie Russell joins his father; he is now a master distiller, with son Bruce continuing the line.
- Today — Wild Turkey is made by the Wild Turkey Distilling Co. in Lawrenceburg under the Campari Group.
Few distilleries are so closely tied to one family. Jimmy Russell started at Wild Turkey in 1954 and became its third master distiller, earning the nickname "the Buddha of Bourbon" over a career now spanning seven decades — among the longest of any master distiller anywhere. His son Eddie joined in 1981 and is a master distiller in his own right, and grandson Bruce represents a third generation. Their throughline is consistency: a refusal to chase trends, even through the bourbon boom that reshaped the category around them.
Wild Turkey is distilled in Lawrenceburg from a higher-rye bourbon recipe and aged in new American oak with a heavy char, which drives its signature baking-spice and caramel character. The flagship Wild Turkey 101 is bottled at 101 proof — the strength Thomas McCarthy carried on that 1940 hunt — and the house style carries through the range, from barrel-proof Rare Breed to single-barrel Kentucky Spirit and the older Russell's Reserve and Master's Keep bottlings. Proof and age vary by expression.
The Range
The Wild Turkey range, grouped by tier. We link each bottle as it's confirmed in the vault:
| Core | |
| Wild Turkey 101 | Bourbon · 101 proof · flagship |
| Wild Turkey 81 / Bourbon | Bourbon · 81 proof |
| Wild Turkey 101 Rye | Rye · 101 proof |
| Longbranch | Bourbon · oak & mesquite charcoal |
| Barrel Proof & Single Barrel | |
| Rare Breed | Bourbon · barrel proof (6/8/12-yr marriage) |
| Rare Breed Rye | Rye · barrel proof |
| Kentucky Spirit | Bourbon · single barrel · 101 proof |
| Russell's Reserve | |
| Russell's Reserve 10 Year | Bourbon · 10-year · 90 proof |
| Russell's Reserve Single Barrel | Bourbon · single barrel · 110 proof |
| Russell's Reserve Rye / 13 Year | Rye · single barrel / 13-year bourbon |
| Master's Keep & Special Releases | |
| Master's Keep series | annual releases (Decades, Revival, Cornerstone, Bottled-in-Bond 17yr, Triumph, Beacon) |
| Generations · Jimmy Russell's 70th · Austin Nichols Archives | commemorative releases |
We link each Wild Turkey bottle as it reaches the vault. Browse more Kentucky bourbon, American rye, and the rare and allocated vault.
Collector Note
Wild Turkey rewards range-hunting. Collectors track the batch-to-batch and barrel-to-barrel variation in Rare Breed, Russell's Reserve Single Barrel and the store picks, while the annual Master's Keep releases and commemoratives like Generations and Jimmy Russell's anniversary bottlings are chased on release. Because so much of the line is batch- or barrel-specific, the proof, year and condition all matter.
Production Methodology
Wild Turkey is distilled at the Wild Turkey Distilling Co. in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, from a higher-rye bourbon mash (its rye whiskies use a separate, rye-led mash). The spirit is aged in new American oak with a heavy char, and the house has long favored a relatively low barrel-entry proof, which the Russells credit for the brand's depth of flavor. Wild Turkey 101 is bottled at 101 proof; barrel-proof and single-barrel expressions like Rare Breed and Kentucky Spirit are bottled at higher or barrel strength. Exact proof, age and mash are set per expression and confirmed on each product page.
Authentication & Vault Preservation
Every Wild Turkey bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authorized, authentic retailer, vault-stored and insured, shipped with protective handling and age-verified 21-and-over signature on delivery, and authenticated by our concierge before it ships. For the details, see how each bottle is authenticated, vault storage and concierge handling, and answers to common sourcing questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Wild Turkey, and where does its name come from?
Wild Turkey is a Kentucky straight bourbon distilled in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, on the site where the Ripy brothers built a distillery in 1869. The name dates to 1940, when an Austin Nichols executive, Thomas McCarthy, shared the bourbon on a wild-turkey hunting trip and his friends kept asking for "that wild turkey bourbon"; the first Wild Turkey bottling followed in 1942. It is made today by the Wild Turkey Distilling Co. under the Campari Group.
Who are the Russell family, and what is Wild Turkey known for?
The Russell family has shaped Wild Turkey for three generations: Jimmy Russell joined in 1954 and is among the longest-tenured master distillers in the world, his son Eddie joined in 1981, and grandson Bruce is now part of the team. Wild Turkey is known for a higher-rye recipe and heavily charred oak, with the 101-proof Wild Turkey 101 as its flagship. The range runs from 101 and Rare Breed to Russell's Reserve and the Master's Keep series.