Originally crafted by the famous distiller Eddie Russel as Wild Turkey 81’, Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon is matured in American white oak barrels with No. 4 "alligator" char. Using natural limestone filtered water and only non-GMO grains, this wonderful whiskey boasts notes of sweet vanilla, pear, and hints of spice. Enjoy this full-bodied and rich bourbon neat or in a classic cocktail.
Following the end of the American Civil War, the Ripy Brothers returned to their native state of Kentucky and together, opened a distillery on the slopes of a hill in Lawrenceburg. The distillery operated continuously for nearly fifty years until the 18th Amendment, which prohibited the sale of alcohol in the United States, was ratified. Following the end of Prohibition, the Ripy Brothers Distillery was reopened and a distillery executive named Thomas McCarthy took samples of maturing whiskey from the distillery on a turkey hunt with a group of friends. The next year, his friends asked him to bring "some of that wild turkey whiskey" on their next hunt, giving birth to the distillery's new name.
Today, Wild Turkey Distillery is stewarded by Master Distiller Jimmy Russell and his son Eddie Russell who together have over 101 years of experience producing bourbon and they are the only father-son duo in the Master Distilling Hall of Fame. "I was born and raised in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky," says Jimmy, "which was a small community when I was growing up, but there were four bourbon distilleries here, and you had families working all the distilleries. You wanted to get in the business. My grandfather and my father, me, and now my son, we've all been in the business." Famous for the bold and spicy flavors the duo's higher-rye recipe and lower barrel entry proof produces, Wild Turkey uses only the best ingredients, which included 100% American grown non-GMO grains and limestone filtered water from the Kentucky River.
