Wild Turkey is one of my favorite whiskey brands on the planet.
I know that some in this space like to feign objectivity, as though their personal biases and preferences are as easy to ignore as a manufacturer’s suggested retail price is for a retailer, but that’s just not reality. Whiskey tasting, and by extension, criticism, is a subjective field. The best way of stripping personal biases is by blind-tasting, but even then, we all have our own preferences and palates.
I say all that because what’s more important than objectivity is trust. I want you to know that I am personally predisposed to enjoying Wild Turkey whiskey. It’s a double-edged sword because I tend to prefer their distillate, even when tasting blind, which can be seen as a disservice to the impossible standard of objectivity, but in this case, it’s an advantage. Due to that preference, I have tasted more rare bottles from Wild Turkey than any other brand. I also like to think that I know a thing or two about the distillery’s baseline flavor profile. Thus, I can appreciate the occasions when they differ from the norm in an academically intriguing or sensory-based fashion.
In short, everyone’s palate is different, but this is a question I’ve pondered more than almost any other in the whiskey world: What’s the best bottle of Wild Turkey whiskey ever?
Before we get into my full ranking, I wanted to note something. For those unfamiliar, Wild Turkey began its life as an NDP or non-distilling producer. Essentially, they purchased whiskey produced at a distillery that they did not own and bottled it under their brand name. It was a common practice at the time, and it’s arguably an even more common practice today, one that shouldn’t be dismissed outright. However, for this list, I made an effort to only include whiskey that is known or widely believed to have been distilled at Wild Turkey, with an exception or two.
It may seem semantic, but in effect, it eliminates a lot of the “Dusty Turkey” that fans of the brand hold in high regard. It also gives us a much simpler (and shorter) timeline from which to draw entries for this list. There’s no hard-and-fast cutoff, but most experts agree that by 1990, 100% of the whiskey put out by the brand would’ve been made in-house.
Okay, rant over!
It’s time to break down our complete ranking of the best bottles of whiskey Wild Turkey has ever released!
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20. Wild Turkey Generations
ABV: 61%
Average Price: $750
The Whiskey:
To honor Wild Turkey’s unique history as home to two generations of active Master Distillers and the third generation, Bruce Russell, holding the title of Head Blender, they sought to celebrate their respective legacies with this special expression that they all had a hand in creating. This particular expression is a blend of 9-, 12-, 14-, and 15-year-old whiskey hand-selected by the Russells.
The end result is non-chill filtered, bottled at barrel strength, and was initially priced at an MSRP of $450, making it the most high-priced Wild Turkey offering of all time.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
This is arguably one of the most unique and off-profile Wild Turkey releases out there. That said, it isn’t just on this list as a curiosity. This is actually a full-throttle, flavorful bourbon that is just as special for its vanilla-forward, creamy profile as it is for the fact that three generations of the Russell family contributed to its creation, and have their names prominently displayed on the bottle.
You can make the case that this is one of the most special bottles in the history of bourbon for that last point, but if you pop the top, you’ll find that the liquid itself is commendable as well.
19. W.B. Saffell
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $60 (375ml)
The Whiskey:
At its core, this is (reportedly) a blend of 6-12-year-old bourbon, bottled as a limited edition under the Whiskey Barons series by Campari to honor the legacy of William Butler Saffell, founder of one of Lawrenceburg’s long-lost distilleries. Housed in 375ml bottles, this one was initially released in 2019 and sported “batch 1” on the neck tag, but several batches later, sometime between then and now, that batch identification info has been omitted.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
It ain’t the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog! W.B. Saffell was released officially by Campari as the third expression in the Whiskey Barons series. I’ll come clean and admit that, despite being a fairly cool concept, I’m not quite sure why Campari created the lineup at all. The first two releases were generally panned for being substandard. For the third iteration, however, they brought in Eddie Russell to right the ship, and it’s been smooth sailing for this bold, bite-sized bourbon ever since.
This one can still be intermittently found on shelves even though, best I can tell, it doesn’t have a regular release schedule. Given it’s size and outstanding quality, you’d be wise to buy two or more.
18. Wild Turkey American Spirit 15-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2007)
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $1,500
The Whiskey:
The thing to know about Wild Turkey American Spirit is that, for a long time, it was the brand’s only bottled-in-bond expression. That’s since changed with the release of 2020’s 17-year Master’s Keep. This one was matured for 15 long years before being bottled a hair below Wild Turkey’s iconic 50.5% ABV or 101 proof.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
According to several sources, this is Jimmy Russell’s favorite Wild Turkey expression of all time. That should give you some great insight into not only its superlative quality but also Jimmy’s preferences. He tends to prefer Wild Turkey whiskey under the 10-year age mark, and right at the 101 proof point, the brand is famous for.
Take one sip, and yup, this is a Jimmy whiskey, with stern shoulders from the kick of baking spice, but a medium-bodied base of sweet notes with a touch of bite on the back end. This is just great sipping, through and through.
17. Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Cornerstone
ABV: 54.5%
Average Price: $500
The Whiskey:
Wild Turkey’s then-oldest rye to date, Master’s Keep Cornerstone, is an expression that we have thanks to Bruce Russell. Affectionately known as the Russell’s “Rye Guy,” it was his influence that inspired his dad, Eddie Russell, to create a Master’s Keep expression solely using Wild Turkey’s well-aged stock of rye whiskey. This one is a blend of barrels that are between nine and 11 years old.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
It’s chocolatey, it’s full of sweet mint, and it’s arguably the greatest rye Wild Turkey has ever put out. For a brand that’s historically eschewed giving much of its attention to the rye category, they’ve still managed to cook up some dandies in their day.
While some might advocate for the quality of Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Rye, Rare Breed Rye, or the most recent Master’s Keep offering, Triumph, I think it’s fair to say that Cornerstone stands alone as the most convincing of the bunch, with what might be the longest finish of any Wild Turkey whiskey ever.
16. Wild Turkey Rare Breed W-T-01-91 (1st Edition 1991)
ABV: 54.8%
Average Price: $1,000
The Whiskey:
Since its inception in 1991, Wild Turkey Rare Breed has been noted as a blend of six-, eight-, and 12-year-old bourbon. Also of note, it’s bottled at cask strength.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
Oh, Rare Breed. This is the contemporary Wild Turkey expression that I champion the most, not because it is always the best bourbon on the table, but because it can invariably hold its own against the best. Going back to the inaugural release of this expression, the quality was somehow even better with Jimmy coming out of the gates swinging at another iconic barrel proof bourbon: Booker’s, which made its commercial debut a few years prior.
15. Wild Turkey Beyond Duplication 12-Year Bourbon
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $3,000
The Whiskey:
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: 12-year, 101-proof bourbon from Wild Turkey. Those specs were in their prime in the 1980s and early 90s when this expression roamed the Earth. It was initially released domestically before being designated as an export-only offering in the mid-80s.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
I know that “split label” versions of this expression are all the rage among Wild Turkey nerds. Hell, I love them too. Maybe it’s the lesser-used turkey depicted swooping across the top of this bottle, but this one in particular holds a special place in my heart. At any rate, most Wild Turkey fans will tell you that 12-year-old, 101 proof bourbon from the brand is as can’t miss as it gets, and Beyond Duplication is frequently cited as proof.
14. Russell’s Reserve 13-Year Bourbon
ABV: 57.4%
Average Price: $150
The Whiskey:
Russell’s Reserve 13 first hit the market with a big splash in 2021. In the four years since its debut, there have been several other batches of the critically acclaimed release to hit the market, with 2024 marking the first year it wasn’t released since its inception. Russell’s Reserve 15 was introduced last year in its staid, though the word on the street is that Russell’s 13 will be making its triumphant return in the near future.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
When it was initially released, bourbon fans kind of lost their minds. The anticipation was through the roof as enthusiasts speculated about just how excellent Russell’s Reserve could be at a slightly higher proof and matured for a bit longer. Expectations were met, and with certain batches (if you pay close attention to laser codes, you’ll notice different batch codes), they were even exceeded.
The first release was rumored to feature whiskey matured for up to 15 years, and as such, it has an oakier backbone that makes it my personal favorite.
13. Wild Turkey Cuvee Lafayette (Export)
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $2,000
The Whiskey:
The thing to remember about several Wild Turkey releases designated for the French market during this time is that the brand was owned by Pernod Ricard, which is based in ‘L’hexagone.’ This expression, created for that market (though bottles also made their way to the Asian market), is comprised of 12-year bourbon making it akin to “Cheesy Gold Foil” or Beyond Duplication releases from the same time period.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
Sadly, very few people stateside have managed to taste this expression. It’s one of countless export-only Wild Turkey offerings that seem to mirror domestic releases, but with whiskey that’s slightly different and arguably better. This limited edition was created specifically for the French market, though cases apparently also made it to the Asian market.
In effect, this is just Cheesy Gold Foil for fans of baguettes, but this 12-year, 101-proof bourbon has a certain je ne sais quoi that makes it worthy of mention here.
12. Wild Turkey 1855 Reserve
ABV: 55%
Average Price: $945
The Whiskey:
Released in 1992, this expression was created to send a barrel-proof blend of Wild Turkey bourbon to foreign markets. Allegedly, this one is a blend of 6-, 8-, and 12-year bourbon, and it features a few label quirks that we don’t really know the motivations behind, including a back label that identifies its creator as “Jim” Russell. Huh!?
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
This is essentially Rare Breed for the export market, but with a few additional odds and ends. You can see design shades that make it comparable to Rare Breed: barrel proof bourbon, aged for at least 6 years (despite being a non-age-stated product that blends in older stock), and they share a similar bottle shape. That said, at times throughout its history, it almost felt like Wild Turkey was rewarding the export market for standing by them through the lean years with whiskey that was a shade better than its domestic offerings. This expression is one of those examples.
11. Wild Turkey Kentucky Legend Single Barrel Bourbon (The Donut)
ABV: 55.5%
Average Price: $1,600
The Whiskey:
This product of the late 90s (1998) was the first and last time bourbon fans have seen single-barrel, barrel-proof bourbon with “Wild Turkey” plastered on the front label. Bottled without an age statement, this expression notably shares a name with a duty-free offering that was bottled at 101 proof in the early 90s.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
Prior to the release of Wild Turkey Generations, these “Donut” expressions were the highest proof bottles that Wild Turkey ever released under its own banner. That alone makes them a cool consideration for any Wild Turkey fan, but they also match that high-ABV with a ton of flavor. Wild Turkey fans have been pining for single-barrel, barrel-proof bourbon ever since this expression was discontinued after about one year in 1998, and it isn’t just for the specs. The quality of Kentucky Legend was, as the kids say, like that.
10. Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Barrel Proof 17-Year KSBW
ABV: 43.4%
Average Price: $700
The Whiskey:
This whiskey, the first in Wild Turkey’s Master’s Keep lineup, featured a bourbon aged for 17 long years (only the second time the brand had released a bourbon so well-aged) at a surprisingly low cask strength proof point: 86.8. The story generally goes like this: Wild Turkey decided to store a few barrels in the atypically cool warehouses of Castle & Key which subsequently saw the hyper-aged whiskey lose proof points over the years, resulting in one of the more unique expressions in the brand’s storied history.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
I’m well aware that this is one of the more controversial picks here, but for me, this is the best Master’s Keep of all time, and the best Master’s Keep definitely deserves a spot on this list. While the Bottled in Bond 17-Year Master’s Keep bourbon features an almost medicinal cherry cough drop note, this one has the genuine article in spades. It’s full of lush black cherry notes, has a lovely viscous mouthfeel, and is deceptively vigorous despite its modest cask strength proof point.
9. Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson B
ABV: 60.1%
Average Price: $305
The Whiskey:
Always the product of barrels from a single rickhouse, thus the name — 2024’s Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse focuses on the brand’s Camp Nelson B rickhouse. Also of note: this is the highest proof offering to ever come from the Russell’s Reserve lineup at 120.2 (landing just shy of Wild Turkey Generations’ 120.8 for the highest proof from a Wild Turkey offering).
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
This expression is quite capable of outperforming Russell’s 13 or Russell’s 15 in a blind tasting, which should tell you everything you need to know. While it is slightly off-profile for the brand and has a bit more in common with Wild Turkey Generations than other Russell’s Reserves, the creamy, vanilla-laden layers of flavor on offer with this expression make it a must-try for any fan worth their feathers.
8. Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit “Pewter Top”
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $615
The Whiskey:
The year was 1994, and while the eight-year age statement had disappeared from Wild Turkey 101 labels, this new expression emerged, and it is believed to have been matured for roughly the same period of time. The early releases of the new expression, Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit, were a hit and featured an impressively styled glass bottle in the image of a turkey with its tail feathers plumed.
This is essentially single-barrel Wild Turkey 101, but due, in part, to its fancy bottle, it’s widely believed this expression was created not just to pick up the slack of the sunsetted age-statement on 101, but also to rival the success of Buffalo Trace’s Blanton’s.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
You know those prosaic bottles of Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit that adorn liquor store shelves these days? They’re delicious, albeit slightly overpriced, right? Well, they descend from a great bird that not only sported a fabulous fan-tail bottle (Wild Turkey, for the love of all that is good, please bring those bottles back!) but early versions also wore a pewter top, thus the nickname.
Kentucky Spirit continues to be an incredible expression, one you should go out and buy at your earliest convenience, but there was something magical about earlier releases. Especially those early ones with a pewter top.
7. Wild Turkey 17-Year Bourbon
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $2,000
The Whiskey:
This limited, one-time release produced 5,000 bottles and was primarily targeted at the export market in Japan, though an unspecified, and surely much smaller number, of bottles made their way to the domestic market. Not much is known about the reason for this release, or any of the additional specs behind it, other than the fact it’s 17-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
This bottle pairs an ornate package with scant details or differentiators. Details be damned, it’s just really good bourbon. If I were to nitpick, and I’m forced to here, like other 17-year expressions that Wild Turkey released in its wake (there are two 17-year Master’s Keep bourbons), it feels as though the age and proof on this bourbon thinned out its mouthfeel a bit.
The flavor is still robust, and indeed it’ll stop you in your tracks from the first sip, but competition is cutthroat, and if there were anything that keeps this one out of a higher spot, it’d be that minor quibble that logs it as potent but not perfect.
6. Wild Turkey “Cheesy Gold Foil” 12-Year Bourbon
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $1,800
What Makes It Important:
Wild Turkey 101, perhaps more than any other offering, helped maintain the bourbon industry’s viability in the global market through the lean years of the 70’s and 80’s. While domestic sales of bourbon were in the toilet during those decades, it was the inventiveness of distilleries and the explosion of the foreign market, primarily Japan, that kept many of bourbon’s most storied producers in business.
For Wild Turkey, that meant offering their 101-proof bourbon in several styles to the export market. The success of its bourbon sales in Japan helped keep them afloat and produced some now-legendary expressions like this one, affectionately known as “Cheesy Gold Foil” due to the shiny label that adorns it. It’s an age-stated 12-year bourbon bottled at the brand’s most iconic proof point.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
Without a doubt, Cheesy Gold Foil (or CGF) deserves a spot among the best Wild Turkey expressions of all time. The issue? Expressions released in the mid-to-late 80s may have come from a source other than Wild Turkey Distillery, while later releases did come from the modern distillery. That means there’s a degree of variance among them, with some preferring and lionizing the more modern versions, while some “dusty Turkey” fans go to bat for the releases of unspecified origin.
Things can get almost religious for worshippers of Wild Turkey.
That said, assessing only the releases from 1990 onward, you’d be hard-pressed to call this anything but exceptional bourbon. Even with Wild Turkey releasing a number of bottles bearing similar specs, Cheesy Gold Foil still continues to hold up as a fan-favorite.
5. Russell’s Reserve 15-Year Bourbon
ABV: 58.6%
Average Price: $250
The Whiskey:
Russell’s Reserve 15 is Wild Turkey’s latest age-stated release, and boy, has it been met with enthusiasm. The brand’s digital launch caused its website to crash both days it made the expression available online. This expression is non-chill filtered, and given their track record, one can safely assume there’s bourbon even older than 15 years in this blend.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
For contemporary bourbon fans, this bottle needs no introduction. You can sit it down at literally any bourbon tasting and watch a flock of fans crowd around, crooning its praises.
Suffice it to say, this is the best Wild Turkey expression released in the last ten years, and for a brand that’s arguably in its second or third golden age, that’s really saying something.
4. Wild Turkey Tradition 14-Year Bourbon (2009)
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $1,500
The Whiskey:
Wild Turkey has a funny way of reusing names, which can be confusing to the layperson. The original Wild Turkey “Tradition” was a late-90s export expression that came in a cool, unique, and shapely bottle. This version, released in 2009, went to both the domestic and export markets, produced 30,000 bottles globally, and features some atypically ornate packaging which comes complete with a box and a brass base for the bottle.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
I had the pleasure recently of tasting this expression side by side with Russell’s 15, which, by all accounts, is the best Wild Turkey product of the last ten years. I hate to say, it wasn’t even a close competition. This is another incredible Wild Turkey bottle that somehow vastly outperforms its specs on paper and offers up a tasting experience that, well, has to be experienced to be fully appreciated.
Rich flavor, a buttery mouthfeel, and a finish that grips both your palate and your imagination. Imagine that, and you’ve got the general outline of Wild Turkey’s 14-year Tradition export bottling.
3. Wild Turkey 15-Year Tribute (2004 Export)
ABV: 55%
Average Price: $2,650
The Whiskey:
In 2004, Wild Turkey released twin expressions sporting the “Tribute” name, with one going to the domestic market at 101 proof, and this 110-proof version reserved for the export market. By all accounts, both expressions featured the same liquid, with the only differences being those already named: domestic vs. export and proof point. Created to honor Jimmy Russell’s 50 years of service at Wild Turkey and housed in the brand’s defunct but iconic “tail feather” bottle with a faux gold topper, the packaging was every bit as refined as the man responsible for the whiskey inside.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
I’ve had avid Wild Turkey fans argue the point that Wild Turkey 15-Year Tribute, the domestic version, is the best gobbler of all time. They, of course, are wrong, because as amazing as that expression is, there’s another feral bird bearing its name that bests it: this export-only version.
The slight uptick in proof delivers everything the domestic version does and more, making for a Wild Turkey expression that captures the essence of its classic “dusty” profile thanks to its age but with a depth of flavor that goes well beyond almost anything else I’ve experienced in a bourbon.
2. Russell’s Reserve 1998
ABV: 51.1%
Average Price: $1,400
The Whiskey:
Imagine, if you will, a time when Jimmy Russell isn’t playing a pivotal role in the Wild Turkey brand. It’s that very (harrowing) thought that inspired this limited edition, which was comprised of 23 hand-selected barrels that Eddie Russell set aside in 1998. The idea was that they would eventually be bottled as a tribute to his dad Jimmy on the eve of his retirement. A swan song befitting of the Buddha of Bourbon.
Well, 15 years later those barrels had reached the peak of their maturity but Jimmy wasn’t going anywhere.
The barrels were dumped into steel tanks to preserve their flavor before being bottled and released in 2015. Despite its limited quantity and what was then an eyebrow-raising asking price of $250, the 2,070-bottle batch sold out quickly and is commonly cited as the very best bottle of Wild Turkey ever sold in America.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
Are you a fan of Russell’s Reserve? Pick one: 10-Year Small Batch, Single Barrels, or the 13- or 15-year-old expression. If you answered “yes,” then let me explain it this way: this is the greatest Russell’s Reserve release of all time, full stop.
This bottle has all the hallmarks of Wild Turkey’s best whiskey. It’s full of baking spices and dark sweetness, decadent layers of flavor, and it has a silky and exceptionally long finish. For those who love the boldness of Wild Turkey’s classic flavor profile, it’s nearly impossible to top this bottle in all of the whiskey world, let alone among the brand’s litany of historic releases.
1. Wild Turkey Master Distiller Selection 14 (2006 Export)
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $1,800
The Whiskey:
While Russell’s Reserve 1998 may hold the title of being the best Wild Turkey bourbon ever sold in America, Wild Turkey 14-Year Master Distiller Selection is the international champ. Reserved for the Japanese export market, bottled at 107 proof, and limited to roughly 6,000 bottles, Master Distiller Selection was said at the time to be “Jimmy Russell’s vision of the ultimate bourbon.” With one sip, I was immediately inclined to agree.
Why It Belongs Among The Best:
Look, I believe that this is the best bottle that Wild Turkey has ever produced. In talking to brand historians and other superfans, many of them would agree, and as I mentioned at the outset of this article, objectivity is an impossible standard in a subjective field. Do you know how hard it is to get a group of whiskey fans to come to a near-unanimous consensus?
Wild Turkey Master Distiller Selection doesn’t have the most eye-popping price tag or the most eye-watering proof point. It isn’t the rarest, nor is it all that exceptional in any one way, except the one that matters most: taste.