Kentucky distillery releasing final edition of storied bourbon
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Wild Turkey releases Beacon, final bottle in its 10-year Master’s Keep series.
- Beacon blends 16- and 10-year-old bourbons, picked by Bruce Russell, Eddie Russell.
- Limited global release set for September 2025 with $300 suggested retail price.
It’s the end of an era — or at least the end of a collection.
Wild Turkey is releasing the 10th and final edition in its Master’s Keep collection.
Launched in 2015, the collection has become of the distillery’s most sought-after limited edition releases.
This year’s version is Beacon, crafted by master distiller Eddie Russell and associated master blender Bruce Russell. It’s 118 proof — the highest in the Master’s Keep series — and a blend of two hand-selected bourbons.
“When we set out 10 years ago to launch the Master’s Keep series, we knew we had something special, but I never imagined the journey it would take us on,” Eddie Russell said in the news release.
“Our first release was the most unique whiskey we’d ever released, and with each expression since we’ve been able to share some of the rarest whiskies in our rickhouses, all while staying true to who we are as Wild Turkey. Looking back a decade later, I’m very proud of what we’ve created to date, and looking forward to what’s next.”
Eddie’s selection is a 16-year-old bourbon distilled between 2007 and 2008. It was pulled from some of the last remaining barrels laid down in the original Wild Turkey distillery just before the 2011 expansion by owners Campari Group, according to the news release.
Bruce’s selection is a 10-year-old bourbon distilled in 2015, among the first he produced alongside his father and his grandfather, Hall of Fame master distiller Jimmy Russell.
“Since joining the distillery, I’ve watched my dad craft some incredible bourbons as part of the Master’s Keep lineup, all rooted in the principles and dedication to bold flavor established by my granddad,” said Associate Master Blender Bruce Russell. “This final release feels especially meaningful, as the first Master’s Keep with my signature on the bottle and made using bourbon I helped create during some of my earliest days at the distillery. I’m proud to leave my mark on this iconic collection with a bourbon that represents a meaningful chapter in my own journey, and paves the way for the road ahead.”
Master’s Keep Beacon tasting notes
The result has a nose of dark fruit and cherry followed by honey, vanilla and cola. On the palate, it’s caramelized sugar, toffee and tea with warm baking spice and a long, warming finish with notes of mature oak and leather, according to the tasting notes.
Master’s Keep Beacon will be available globally at select retailers in limited quantities in September with a suggested retail price of $300.
The Master’s Keep collection, which was the brainchild of Eddie Russell, began with 17 Year in 2015 and continued with Decades, Revival, Cornerstone, Bottled in Bond, One, Unforgotten, Voyage, Triumph and now Beacon.
Bottles may also be available the gift shop of the Lawrenceburg distillery.
