Everyone has their favorite Master’s Keep. For some it’s the elegance of the eponymous inaugural release, for others it’s the complexity of Decades. For me, Revival, Unforgotten, and the 17-year Bottled in Bond have long traded places as the top three. But regardless of where your rankings fall, you now have some serious contemplating to do. I’m not ready to make my final decision just yet, but Master’s Keep Beacon might just be the best in the series.
What is Beacon? At face value, it’s a blend of 10- and 16-year-old Wild Turkey bourbon bottled at 118 proof. Sounds simple enough, yet there’s more than meets the eye. For starters, it’s the only Master’s Keep release bearing two signatures – Master Distiller Eddie Russell, and his son, Associate Master Blender Bruce Russell. According to the box liner notes, the 16-year whiskey was hand-selected by Eddie, while the 10-year whiskey was distilled in 2015 by Bruce under the supervision of his legendary grandfather, Jimmy Russell. It’s both a nod to the past and a toast to the future, as the oldest stocks were produced at the former Wild Turkey distillery, while the remainder of the blend at the new facility which formally launched in 2011.
Depending on who you ask, Beacon may (or may not) be the final edition in the Master’s Keep series. This may come as a surprise, but I hope it is. All good things come to an end. Like a memorable story, there’s a beginning and an ending. When one stretches creative endeavors out, the odds of things becoming repetitive, forced, or even worse, artificial, only increase. I’m not saying that Eddie or Bruce can’t continue to make impressive whiskey (I’m counting on it), but Beacon seems like an appropriate final chapter for this story.
One might even call Master’s Keep a perfect arc. What began with a simple black box, ends with a similar, yet more decorative box featuring an “alligator char” texture. The first release was also the lowest in proof, while Beacon is the highest. And finally, what started with a single generation (Eddie) ends with a second in collaboration (Eddie and Bruce). It just feels right for Master’s Keep to end with Beacon, though I’m sure there are those who will disagree.
Before discussing Beacon further, I think it’s important to bring the bourbon and its flavor profile into the conversation. After all, it’s what matters most (and why you’re probably reading this). So without further ado, let’s give this one a taste.
Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Beacon
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Proof: 118
Age: 10 years (a blend of bourbon aged 10 and 16 years)
Misc.: Distilled and bottled by Wild Turkey Distilling Co., Lawrenceburg, KY
Color: dense copper
Nose: (fragrant; caramel & tobacco-forward) toasted caramel, well-seasoned humidor, toffee, rickhouse oak, barrel-aged orange creamsicle, stewed red apple, leather
Taste: (rich, layered & robust) vanilla bean, sweet charred oak, savory cherry, aged tobacco, dried blood orange, cola, hints of fermented orchard fruit
Finish: long, warm & flavorful w/ brown sugar, white pepper, oak spice, creamy root beer, singed cherry skins, slowly diminishing tobacco, leather & clove
Overall: This is how you craft a series finale. With Master’s Keep Beacon, Eddie and Bruce Russell have given their loyal audience exactly what they’ve been asking for: a well-aged, high-proof, straight Wild Turkey bourbon. Not only that, but it’s an impressive whiskey that rivals other acclaimed higher-proof Wild Turkey offerings like Generations and Russell’s Reserve 15. In fact, I’d say that it’s a significant improvement over Generations – particularly in balance and structure – and occupies the same top-quality tier as Russell’s 15. As much as I adore Russell’s 15, Beacon has already outperformed the neo-iconic bourbon twice in recent comparisons.
So what makes Beacon impressive? Aesthetics and stories aside, this is a profile that’s both familiar and unique – taking the best traits of beloved Wild Turkey offerings of the past and giving them a new spin. While I’m confident the 16-year bourbon in this blend would’ve stood tall on its own, would it have provided enthusiasts and Turkey fans with something new? Possibly, though I’m doubtful. Hell, it wouldn’t surprise me if the 16-year portion came from barrels held back from Russell’s 15 (purely speculation). While I’m sure folks would go crazy for a “Russell’s 16,” I’d argue it’s low-hanging fruit. That’s one thing I’ve always admired about Eddie’s special projects – he tends to avoid the conventional route, opting for a road less traveled. All of that to say, Bruce’s 10-year bourbon is definitely working some magic here. So much so, I’m more curious how that tasted on its own than I am the 16-year.
Of course, I couldn’t write a Master’s Keep review without bringing up its price. While I’ve seen no official press release for Beacon, most reasonable retailers have been charging $300-$350. Considering the average of the range, if $325 is indeed the suggested retail price (or close), then I’m fine paying it. I paid $323 (tax included) for this bottle, which is slightly below the average and to this day maintain zero regrets. Sure, Russell’s 15 was $250 with a minimum age of 15 years, but I’m telling y’all, Beacon is right up there with it in terms of an experience. I don’t participate in whiskey secondary markets, but from what I’ve heard Russell’s 15 is notably higher than $250 these days. Bottom line – I can understand not being thrilled with paying $300+ for a Wild Turkey product, but finding Beacon via a retailer now is much better than the alternatives down the road.
What a decade it’s been for Wild Turkey – specifically Eddie Russell. I’m guessing he had no clue what was ahead of him when he signed on back in 1981, yet over the last decade alone he’s created some of Wild Turkey’s most desirable offerings – many of which belong to the Master’s Keep series. As stated previously, I’m not quite prepared to name Beacon the best of the lineup, but I can say that it’s a conversation I have with myself regularly. It’s simply that good.
This is one to cherish, folks. If you have the opportunity to give Beacon a try, make certain to seize it.
dj
Enjoy this blog? Please consider supporting it via Patreon. In return you’ll receive access to exclusive rewards and weekly whiskey content. Thank you! dj