Wild Turkey Master’s Keep 2025 Is Here: Beacon

Wild Turkey has just announced the 10th and final release in its Master’s Keep collection of whiskeys. “Beacon” is a 118-proof blend of 10- and 16-year-old bourbons, carefully selected by father-and-son duo Eddie and Bruce Russell. This bottling signifies a historic (and for fans, perhaps bittersweet) ending to a series that helped catapult modern Wild Turkey to widespread acclaim. 

The Master’s Keep line started in 2015 and — with the exception of 2017 — has been released annually since. Second-generation Master Distiller Eddie Russell wanted to explore whiskeys beyond Wild Turkey’s main lineup, beginning with a 17-year-old bourbon that became the distillery’s oldest release at the time. The nine previous releases have spanned ages, categories, blends, proofs, and finishes:

• 17 Year (2015, bourbon)
• Decades (2016, bourbon)
• Revival (2018, bourbon finished in sherry casks)
• Cornerstone (2019, rye)
• Bottled-in-Bond (2020, bourbon, also 17 years old)
• One (2021, bourbon finished in toasted barrels)
• Unforgotten (2022, blend of bourbon and rye finished in rye casks)
• Voyage (2023, bourbon finished in rum casks)
• Triumph (2024, rye)

Beacon concludes the Master’s Keep line with a blend of straight bourbon whiskeys. The 16-year-old bourbon was distilled between 2007 and 2008; according to the brand, these were some of the last barrels produced before the 2011 distillery expansion. The 10-year-old bourbon comes from barrels Bruce Russell produced in 2015, shortly after he joined the company and under the tutelage of his father (Eddie) and grandfather, Jimmy Russell. The packaging for Beacon features signatures from both Bruce and Eddie.

“In my eyes, Master’s Keep Beacon bridges two pivotal moments of Wild Turkey’s rich legacy,” Eddie Russell told Food & Wine.

“The 16-year-old bourbon comes from one of the final batches produced at the original distillery, while the 10-year-old selection dates back from Bruce’s first whiskey that he helped make alongside our distillery manager, Jimmy, and me,” Eddie adds.

For Bruce Russell, who currently serves as associate master blender, Beacon nods to the past while looking to the future. “To see the series come full circle in the final release is something I’ll always be proud to have my name on,” Bruce tells Food & Wine. “It not only honors where Wild Turkey has been, but also points to where we’re headed.”

Bruce also emphasizes Beacon as a showcase for Wild Turkey’s blending style, resulting in a layered drinking experience. “The [primary] bourbon in Beacon is a robust 16-year-old that acts as the base and lays down a solid oak foundation, enriching it with earthy notes of vanilla, dark cherry, and brown sugar. Then, we mix in a 10-year-old bourbon to give it a long, warming finish that brings out mature oak, sweet tobacco, and baking spices.”

The final blend for Beacon was bottled at 118 proof. According to Eddie Russell, that mark came after extensive testing to ensure the bourbon balanced rich flavor with a “smooth and approachable quality.”

A limited, allocated release, Master’s Keep Beacon will be distributed in major markets around the world starting this Fall. It carries a suggested retail price of $300 in the United States.