Master’s Keep is a range of limited-release whiskeys offered each year by Wild Turkey Distilling Company, a division of Campari Group. Now in its seventh year, it was initially developed by Master Distiller Eddie Russell in 2015.
Six yearly releases have been bourbon whiskeys, while one has been a rye whiskey. There was no release in 2016. Recently, I sat down with Eddie Russell to talk about Master’s Keep Voyage, his latest release.
Master’s Keep Voyage is a 10-year-old bourbon that has been finished for approximately eight weeks in a rum cask from Appleton Estate in Santa Cruz, Jamaica, which previously held 14 YO pot still rum. Appleton, one of Jamaica’s most storied rum producers, is also owned by Campari Group. This expression was the first rum cask finish in Wild Turkey’s history.
The project was a collaboration between Russell and Dr. Joy Spence, the renowned Master Blender of Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum. The two producers have over 80 years of combined experience crafting fine spirits. According to Russell:
Every year, we look forward to the release of Master’s Keep as an opportunity to rethink what our bourbon can be. Creating Master’s Keep Voyage in collaboration with Dr. Joy Spence was a real privilege, and I think our shared passion for telling a story through our spirits comes through in this one-of-a-kind whiskey.
Added Spence:
With Voyage, we set out to develop a spirit that allows the notes of the rum and bourbon to work in harmony. By aging Eddie’s hand-selected batch of 10-year-old bourbon in the finest casks we have at Appleton Estate, we were able to achieve a new level of flavor that gives whiskey and bourbon lovers a new way to enjoy their favorite drinks.
Voyage is the third Master’s Keep expression that underwent a cask finish. The other two were Master’s Keep Revival (2018), which experienced a finish in a cask that previously held 20 YO Oloroso Sherry, and Master’s Keep One (2021), which underwent a cask finish in toasted oak barrels.
The Sherry cask finish added fruitiness and sweetness and enhanced the nuttiness typical of Wild Turkey. The toasted oak barrel finish imparted a rich and smooth flavor, extenuating the vanilla, toasted oak, and caramel notes characteristic of Wild Turkey.
All six bourbon releases were based on the Wild Turkey mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley and were matured in barrels with a #4 char. The exception was Master’s Keep Cornerstone (2019), a rye whisky with a mash bill of 52% rye, 36% corn, and 12% malted rye.
Age-wise, the Master’s Keep expressions range from eight YO to 20 YO. Master’s Keep 17 YO (2021) and Master’s Keep Bottled in Bond (2020) were both 17 YO. Decades (2017) blended 10 YO and 20 YO bourbon. Master’s Keep One (2021) blended nine, 10, and 14 YO bourbon. Master’s Keep Revival (2018) blended 12-15 YO bourbon, and Master’s Keep Unforgotten (2022) blended eight, nine, eight, and 13 YO bourbon.
Proof wise, the bourbon expressions range from 43.4% ABV to 53% ABV: Master’s Keep 17 YO, 43.4% ABV; Master’s Keep One and Master’s Keep Revival, 50.5% ABV; Master’s Keep Bottled in Bond, 50% ABV; Master’s Keep Decades, 52% ABV; Master’s Keep Unforgotten, 52.5% ABV; and Master’s Keep Voyage, 53% ABV.
Cornerstone, a rye whiskey expression, blends nine YO to 11 YO whiskeys and is bottled at 54.5% ABV.
Wild Turkey does not always disclose the size of the yearly bottlings. Per Russell, they range from 10,000 to 25,000 bottles.
According to Russell, each Master’s Keep Expression offers a unique aroma and taste profile. Many of the barrels, he notes, come from the middle of the rick houses, considered the prime location for aging bourbon.
Each expression represents a blend of 75 and 125 barrels he selected. The intention, says Russell, is to identify barrels that magnify one or more of the taste and aroma characteristics typically found in Wild Turkey.
In the case of Master’s Keep Voyage, notes Russell, the hand-picked barrels showed pronounced “fruit and cocoa notes,” hence the decision to highlight those notes by an additional finish in a rum cask.
Historically, Master Distillers were charged with ensuring that their whiskies’ aroma and taste profile were consistent year after year. Per Russell, historically, the Wild Turkey drinker was an “older, Southern gentleman” who prized consistency in his whisky.
In recent years, notes Russell, the bourbon consumer has expanded to include more women and younger enthusiasts. These consumers look for different taste and aroma profiles and are less concerned with consistency than the traditional bourbon drinker.
Wild Turkey’s Master’s Keep and the more significant “Small Batch Barrel Proof” bottlings, he noted, are designed to appeal to this new consumer by offering alternative taste profiles consistent with the core Wild Turkey expression.
Below are tasting notes from a sample of the Master’s Keep Voyage.
Master’s Keep Voyage, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Finished in Jamaican Rum Casks, 53% ABV, 750 ml, MSRP $275
On the nose, there is a pronounced sweetness. There is the cooked corn and caramel sweetness typical of bourbon, along with notes of brown sugar, molasses cookies, and hints of honey. There are additional notes of cooked banana, dried orange zest, tropical fruits, vanilla custard, and spice notes of cracked black pepper, cinnamon, clove, a touch of allspice, and well-seasoned oak wood.
The bourbon is sweet, smooth, and oily on the palate, with a pronounced mouth weight. It features tropical fruit notes, including roasted banana/plantain, grape jam, cherry compote, and orange zest. Additional flavors include caramel, brown sugar, cooked grain, cocoa/milk chocolate, and a hint of nuttiness.
The finish is long and sweet, with lingering tropical fruit notes, mild pepperiness, and a hint of seasoned oak wood.
Master’s Keep is a terrific range that aptly illustrates everything bourbon can be while staying true to its Wild Turkey legacy. The latest release, Voyage, is easily, in my opinion, the best Master’s Keep ever released. Kudos to Russell and Spence for crafting a truly outstanding, balanced, and complex bourbon.
If you are not familiar with the Master’s Keep range, it’s definitely worth exploring.
Cheers