Wild Turkey is a historic bourbon brand from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The roots of its distillery reach back to 1869, when the Ripy family opened a distillery on the site. The Wild Turkey name emerged in 1940 after an Austin Nichols representative took several whiskey samples on a wild turkey hunting trip. His companions later asked for more of ‘that wild turkey whiskey’, and the name remained.

The modern identity of Wild Turkey is closely associated with the Russell family. Jimmy Russell joined the distillery in 1954 and became one of Kentucky’s best-known Master Distillers. His son Eddie started working there in 1981 and also became Master Distiller in 2015. Together, they preserved a bold and traditional house style.

Wild Turkey uses corn, rye and malted barley, limestone-filtered water and a proprietary yeast strain. Its bourbon enters heavily charred new American oak barrels at a relatively low proof, reducing the amount of water required before bottling. Wild Turkey 101, Rare Breed, Kentucky Spirit and Russell’s Reserve are known for full flavours of vanilla, caramel, spice and firm oak.