Wild Turkey Generations Bourbon Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: A-

The Russells are set to become a three-generation dynasty of master distillers at Wild Turkey Distillery. First came Jimmy Russell. Although his father was a distillery worker, Jimmy was the first to rise to the top production spot, a post he held for so much of modern history that the identity of Wild Turkey as an actual bourbon (i.e. the liquid, not the marketing) as we know it today is very much his invention.

Jimmy was eventually succeeded by his son Eddie Russell in 2015, after several years of working as  de facto or de jure co-master distiller. Now the company is grooming Bruce Russell, Eddie’s son, as the next master distiller.

Part of that grooming is Bruce’s participation in new Wild Turkey releases, such as the appropriately named Wild Turkey Generations. All three Russells are said to have worked on the bourbon, which was released this past autumn, drawing on stocks of nine, twelve, fourteen and fifteen year old bourbons. They bottled it at a healthy cask strength of 120.8 proof, with a production run of 5,000 bottles.

The Bourbon
The color here is a dark, nutty amber. Nosing yielded a current of spices up front: nutmeg backed with cloves and cinnamon. Behind that was tossed handful of fat dried cherries. A splash of water added a note of damp pipe tobacco in for good measure, which to me just underlines how its usually a good idea to add a little water once the ABV approaches 60%.

The palate also opens up spicy, and rather dry to boot. The sweet follow up is less cherry, being more in the traditional bourbon vein of candy corn and vanilla bean. That dry aspect on the front end fades as the sweetness gains. That splash of water allows this transition to develop into something akin to baked apples as the journey draws to its conclusion. From there, the finish rolls off to a musty, oaky spiciness, but that dissipates quickly to leave behind just a touch of vanilla.

Complex is not the word I would use to describe Generations. I think sophisticated is better. No individual aspect of it is really all that amazing. Instead, it’s the transitions that take place and develop, especially after being watered down a touch to a lower proof, that give it some real character.

The Price

Officially, this bottle goes for $450. It’s been described as the most expensive Wild Turkey bourbon ever, which I can neither confirm or deny at present, but I would not be surprised if that is true. A quick (and hardly scientific) survey of online retailers as I wrote this piece showed no one asking that price, instead demanding between $600 and $900.