Several months ago, I was browsing Reddit, catching up on the latest opinions of various Wild Turkey releases, when I discovered a whiskey review from a Redditor named u/orangepaperbike. I was impressed, so I decided to read more of his work. Again, I was impressed. After striking up a friendly chat, I asked if he might be interested in writing a piece for the blog. To my delight, he agreed.

This is OPB’s first contribution to the Rare Bird 101 blog – and an important one. For too long, Australians have failed to receive the attention they deserve for their dedication to Wild Turkey. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, when it comes to Wild Turkey releases (LTOs or everyday expressions), we’re spoiled in the States. My hope is that you, the reader, will gain a better appreciation for our friends on the other side of the world. Enjoy! – David Jennings

Drinking in Australia is usually confined to hotel bars, during the few hours they’re allowed to open – they close at 6 pm in most places. The main drink is beer – stronger than ours and not as cold. Hard liquor is fairly expensive and much less commonly drunk than in America.

Riding on the same train with American troops, a mob of Aussies are likely to descend on the Yanks, investigate their equipment, ask every kind of personal question, find out if there’s any liquor to be had.

– A Pocket Guide to Australia, War and Navy Departments, 1944

Despite sharing many historical and linguistic links with the United States, Australia was still exotic enough to an average World War II American GI to require a pocket guide that covered everything from Aussie slang to differences in consumption of tea and butter between the two allies.

The stationing of the American troops in Australia had many consequences: Marriages, pop-culture osmosis, even future geopolitical alignment. It also gave Australians a taste for American whiskey – and they haven’t looked back since.

While bourbon and rye had a small presence in Australia before the 1940s, very little of it made it out of the United States in the first half of the 20th century. The American Prohibition (1920-1933), two world wars disrupting global trade and production, and protectionist tariffs imposed by foreign governments had all kept America’s spirit close to home. Australia also had its own spirit industry, dominated by British conglomerates like the Distillers Company of Edinburgh and Gilbey’s of London.

Along with hot dogs and swing-band records, American servicemen brought whiskey. While enlisted soldiers only had a ration of beer, officers received one or two quarts of liquor every month. The supply was tight, and liquor was a trading currency of its own, trickling down to the local population.

The American whiskey was better than the locally produced stuff, which was purposefully poor to corner the cheap-booze market. Post-war years only strengthened the Australians’ love for bourbon, and in 1961 their country became the largest importer of American whiskey, with sales jumping from two thousand cases a year to a hundred thousand, aided by a friendlier tariff stance than the rest of the world.

Among the well-known whiskey brands in Australia, one stands out – Wild Turkey. The Land Down Under is Wild Turkey’s largest export market (larger than Japan, the UK or Canada, despite having a much smaller population). While a lot of the sales come from a casual drinker seeking a good, affordable product, there is a small but passionate group of die-hard fans in Australia that is woven into the global Turkey community, undeterred by distance, access and high taxes. Its name is Aussie Wild Turkey Collectors (AWTC), boasting well over two thousand members in its Facebook homebase.

This group has hosted three generations of the Russells, creates their own merchandise, swaps and collects knowledge, and celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. They are the locomotive pulling the train of Wild Turkey’s continuing success in the country, although they are easily overlooked in the sea of sponsored influencer engagement and flashy ad campaigns.

This is their story, in their own words.

How do Australians discover Wild Turkey? Just like anyone, anywhere; no glamorous origin legends necessary: Through a friend or because it’s a quality whiskey for a decent price.

Bryan R (group founder):

“I was 18 (legal drinking age in Australia) in Albury, Victoria. You could get a beer, a Bundy (Australian rum) or Jim Beam, if you wanted bourbon, and that was about it. I moved to Darwin after joining the army, then Brisbane; if I wanted something special, I’d get a 12-year 101 or Rare Breed. I drank way too many bottles of Honey Liqueur. That stuff was so much better than an RTD or what you could get at the pub.

A bottle of Jim Beam “White Label” cost 20 dollars. A bottle of 86.8 proof Turkey cost 30 dollars and a bottle of Rare Breed at the time was 50 dollars. Turkey was not the option to get drunk. It was a step up from the usual.”

Brad B:

“I started drinking Wild Turkey nearly 30 years ago. I had a friend that I used to drink with that introduced me to Wild Turkey and I’ve never looked back!”

Ben K:

“I would drink Wild Turkey and Coke in my younger club days, but I didn’t start drinking straight until about 5 years ago.”

If you think RTDs (Ready to Drink pre-mixed beverages) are a recent trend, think again – they’ve been around long enough in Australia to have their own “dusty” versions. These regional expressions are canned onshore and remain very popular.

“Australia is the number one market and is one of the few places in the world we do the RTDs and it’s big business. When I first came here with my father about eight years ago, I walked into our first event I thought everyone was drinking beer. I didn’t know what was going on. I knew we sent the whiskey over because we have a bottling plant here. I just sent the bulk whiskey over and it didn’t dawn on me that 90% of the people were drinking RTDs.” Eddie Russell in 2018.
After acquiring a taste for Wild Turkey, their paths would often lead to deeper fandom that would manifest through building collections and seeking out other like-minded individuals. It also meant developing a community and giving back during the tough days.

Bryan R:

“When Facebook and eBay popped up, you’d see people flogging off Wild Turkey merchandise they got for free from a bottle shop, and I didn’t like that. So that was the genesis of the Aussie Turkey Lovers Facebook group in 2014 – I wanted a group where people with common interests would help each other to discover relevant promos, sales and new products.”

Brad B:

“My collection started with a single belt buckle from a bottle promo, and I still have it today. For many years I mainly collected merch, as I had no idea of availability outside of Australia, with the exception of probably half a dozen bottles.

For me personally, Wild Turkey and AWTC meant a feeling of connection and acceptance. I’d always enjoyed it as a drink; however, I never knew there were other people as passionate as I was. I finally felt like I’d found a place where I belonged. I always looked forward to the comradery and banter.

One of my proudest moments with AWTC was during January 2020. Early in the month that year a large portion of the Australian East Coast was being ravaged by bush fires. It was quite disturbing witnessing the devastation that it created. While packing away excess merch that I’d taken out of a Wild Turkey esky (cooler) to use during the Christmas celebrations, it occurred to me that instead of it just sitting there taking up space, perhaps I could sell it and donate the money to the Bush Fire Appeal run by the Red Cross, Australian Bushfire Services and the like.

Eventually I’d decided that instead of just selling it, I could auction it off. I reached out to Bryan for his input, and he suggested that perhaps Campari could be interested in donating some merchandise as well. Over the course of two weeks, I ran a series of auctions with members bidding on packs. The whole concept was a resounding success, and we managed to raise over 3300 dollars. The money raised was donated to the Red Cross and the Royal Australian Bushfire Services.  To this day I’m pretty chuffed that a bunch of average Turkey drinkers were able to do that.”

Being an important foreign market for Wild Turkey has its benefits – in particular, special visits from the Russells. Jimmy Russell began travelling to Australia decades ago, soon joined by his son Eddie Russell. Bruce is the third-generation Russell to make the long-distance pilgrimage recently. Local fans recall these trips with fondness and warmth – and some return the favor by visiting Lawrenceburg.

Brad B:

“In August of 2004 I won a competition from the local bottle shop to attend an event at Penrith Leagues Club for a dinner and tasting night to be attended by Jimmy Russell. I took along a few merch items to be signed and some photos of my small collection. This is how I acquired my first original Russell’s Reserve 10-year bottle, which I held onto it until my sons 21st birthday in 2023. This was my first and most memorable Wild Turkey event.

In early 2015, it was announced that Jimmy and Eddie Russell would be visiting Australia, and a special event to be held in The Rocks Sydney.

The night of “Meet the Masters,” after the initial event was finished, a number of core members were able to stay afterwards to have private drinks with both Jimmy and Eddie.  Not many bourbon drinkers can say that they have had the honor of raising glasses to two esteemed masters of the craft. 

That night also produced the infamous photo of Jimmy drinking from a “Donut” with a curly straw! The Donut was generously supplied by Scott Christie, and the straw supplied by myself as a bit of a piss take on Rob ‘Lowey’ Lowe.”

Ben K:

“I met Eddie and Bruce at the Master’s Keep Voyage Sydney release event. I love drinking Wild Turkey because you can see how much passion and love Jimmy, Eddie, and now Bruce have for the product they are producing, and how much information Bruce is giving about what he is doing.

I went to the distillery in March 2024 to do a barrel pick. It was a fantastic day in Warehouse A and it was a day I’ll never forget. So much history being in that warehouse and tasting straight from the barrel with Bruce Russell.”

Bryan R:

“When Jimmy Russell was here, someone asked him as he was opening a bottle, ‘Jimmy, how should we drink your bourbon?’

He said, ‘While I drink it straight, no ice, you drink it how you like it and don’t let anyone tell you how to enjoy it.’”

Since the inception of the Master’s Keep series in 2015, Australia has been a key market for the ultra-premium expressions. It occasionally receives its allocation before it’s available in the US, and holds the distinction of being the only country to have its own exclusive Master’s Keep release – 1894, a six-to-thirteen-year blend from Rickhouse A.
Distance from the United States has its challenges for Wild Turkey fans in Australia. Not all releases are available (Russell’s Reserve 13 and 15 are notable recent omissions), and high taxes add to the burden. What’s on their wish list?

Ben K:

“I would love to see more Russell’s Reserve private selects picked by Bruce Russell or have samples sent over and have the Aussie Wild Turkey Collectors group pick a few barrels. I would like to see a small allocation of Russell’s 13 or another Australia-only (like Master’s Keep 1894) release. I would also like to see Campari Australia do more events in Australia and bring Bruce and Eddie out every other year.”

Brad B:

“Sadly, I feel that Australia gets shortchanged with the selection and availability of Wild Turkey range. It would be wonderful to see more of the Russell’s Reserve picks here. The best we ever had was when Vintage Cellars (local liquor-store chain) had some private-select bottles available – I went out of my way to buy as many as I could find. Some 101 1.75L bottles would be a worthy addition; we used to get the 86.8s in 1.75L bottles.”

Bryan R:

“It would be great to see the 101 rye back on our shelves, and more access to the Russell’s line, as we only get the 10-year-old and occasionally the single barrel.”

About the author:

I enjoy reading and writing about every faucet of American whiskey – from its rich history to how it’s made and its enduring cultural impact. It goes without saying that I also love tasting it: You can read my reviews and essays on my Reddit profile (u/orangepaperbike). I split my time between the United States and Australia, always on a lookout for the next bourbon adventure on either continent and anywhere in-between. – opb

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