Wild Turkey

USABourbonHigh proof

Brand1940

DistilleryLawrenceburg · Kentucky

OwnerCampari Group

StyleKentucky Straight Bourbon

Proof101 proof (50.5%)

Core101 · Rare Breed · Russell's

A bourbon that leans on 101 proof. Kept by the Russells, father and son, for over 60 years.

Say Wild Turkey and the number that follows is 101. It refers to the proof (50.5% ABV), and while most bourbons lower their strength to go smooth, Wild Turkey has stubbornly kept it high. That's the brand's identity.

At the centre of that stubbornness are the Russells, father and son. Jimmy Russell, who has worked at the distillery for more than sixty years, is a living legend, and his son Eddie carries on the role. It's rare in the whisky business for one family to guard a single distillery's flavour for so long.

The common misconception is that "high proof means too harsh to drink." If anything, the Wild Turkey 101's higher strength lets vanilla, oak and spice well up richly, and it leaves plenty of room to adjust with water or ice. The recommendation is an Old Fashioned made with the 101 — even inside a cocktail, the whisky doesn't get buried; it holds its ground clearly.

Flavourofficial / critical

CaramelVanillaOakRye spiceOrangeTobacco leaf

Glossaryfor beginners

BourbonAn American whiskey made from at least 51% corn and aged in new charred oak — defined by law.

ProofThe US strength scale; half the number is the alcohol by volume. 101 proof = 50.5%.

Barrel proofBottled at the strength it left the barrel, with little or no water added. Rare Breed is the example.

Single barrelBottled from one barrel. Kentucky Spirit and Russell's Single Barrel belong here.

Range & Collections

101The 50.5% flagship. Rich and full — the face of Wild Turkey.

Rare BreedA barrel-proof bottling with little water added; the step-up that keeps aroma and strength.

Kentucky SpiritA single barrel, sharply individual.

Russell's ReserveThe 10-year and single-barrel premium carrying the Russells' name.

Longbranch · Master's KeepLongbranch (refined with charcoal and mesquite) and the aged Master's Keep — limited and premium.

Value by AgeData-based2026.6 as of

101Flagship · high proof~£30

Rare BreedBarrel proof~£55

Russell's Reserve 10yoSmall-batch premium~£60

★ Master's Keep DecadesAged premium · A Russell father-son blend~£250

Wild Turkey's worth lies less in auction records than in the men who kept it — Jimmy Russell, distilling for over 60 years, and his son Eddie. Russell's Reserve single barrels are a collector's target, and aged limiteds like Master's Keep fill the premium peak. The brand's heart, though, is the unchanging 101.

Prices are approximate retail / duty-free · Limited editions at brand list price (volatile) · Not a personal tasting score

How It’s Made

Wild Turkey is a straight bourbon made at Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Pitched at a higher proof (101) than many bourbons at its price and cut with less water, it stacks rye spice and oak over caramel and vanilla. Rare Breed pushes that richness at full barrel strength, Russell's Reserve through single-barrel character.

High proofThe flagship 101 is 50.5% — fuller and heavier than bourbons at the same price. Less water means a sharper aroma.

The RussellsJimmy Russell guarded the taste as master distiller for over 60 years, with son Eddie carrying it on.

Barrel proofBottlings at full barrel strength, like Rare Breed, represent Wild Turkey's bold identity.

Friend of the Old FashionedRich and spicy, it is a favourite base for classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned.

History

Built on an old distillery dating to 1869, the name 'Wild Turkey' was attached in 1940 after a staff turkey-hunting trip. Jimmy Russell, who joined in 1954, worked as master distiller for over 60 years and was called the 'Buddha of bourbon'; his son Eddie now carries the taste on. It sits today under Italy's Campari Group.

How It’s Drunk

Wild Turkey is the name for drinkers who want their bourbon rich and strong. A long-time bartender's favourite in the US, its high proof and clear aroma — above all the 101 — earn it a devoted following. Less for casual mixing than for enjoying its full flavour neat or in a classic cocktail like the Old Fashioned.

◆The Right GlassSignature

At high strength, the 101 is best neat in a Glencairn, opened with a few drops of water. With a barrel-proof Rare Breed, how you manage the water transforms the aroma. Rich and spicy, it also takes well to one large cube taken slowly, or as the base of an Old Fashioned.

→ The neat glass → The cask-strength glass