Did Wild Turkey Just Pull A Springsteen?
Here's the thing about Wild Turkey. The brand has always meant something. Not just good whiskey — accessible good whiskey. Wild Turkey 101 is one of the best values in bourbon, full stop.
I'll be honest — I've been growing more and more frustrated with Wild Turkey for a couple of years now. Not with the distillers. Not with the Russells. Eddie and Bruce Russell make great whiskey. I have no beef with them. (Well, that said, I'm still a tad bitter about Eddie's mix-up of a dual-barrel pick for Bourbon & Banter years ago. Ask me about it next time we're together having a drink.)
The argument is with whoever is making the pricing decisions. Yeah, I'm looking at you Campari.
Wild Turkey just announced the Austin Nichols Archives Collection, a new limited-edition annual series led by Associate Master Blender Bruce Russell. The inaugural release is called Gold Foil Edition — a 16-year-old, 120-proof Kentucky straight bourbon paying homage to the legendary "Cheesy Gold Foil" bottles collectors have been chasing for decades. Non-chill filtered, sourced from Camp Nelson rickhouses F, D, and E. By all accounts, the whiskey sounds exceptional.
The price? $400 a bottle.
Are you kidding me?