Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Review

About – “At 17 years-old and hand-selected by Master Distiller Eddie Russell for its perfectly balanced flavor, Master’s Keep is the longest-aged whiskey released by Wild Turkey in the United States. Aged in both brick and wood rickhouses and at 86.8 proof, it starts out smooth and silky, transforms into a caramel, vanilla sweetness, and finishes with savory spiciness and oak.” This is the first release in the Master’s Keep series and it is bottled at barrel proof. Yes it came out of the barrel at 86.8 Proof. Master’s keep was originally released at $150.

Nose – Strong oak influence and a good bit of old funky musk. Kind of hard for me to get beyond the funky oak, but there is some dark honey behind there.

Palate – The first thing I pick up is that familiar honey covered grain that I associate with Wild Turkey. The rye influence is fairly prominent. You can taste the oak influence throughout with a touch of leather and a bit of musk from the nose. The finish is long and heavy on the rye.

Score – B+

Verdict – A very unique experience for bourbon and one that I really enjoy. I have long said that the Master’s Keep series is underrated as far as limited releases go. It isn’t every day that you get a 17 year old barrel proof product, and even more unique that you get an 86.6 barrel proof product. These are probably gone from most shelves, but if you see it at a bar it is worth the price of a pour for the unique experience.