‘A Historic Release’: Wild Turkey Celebrates Heritage With Generations Bourbon, its Most Expensive Whiskey Ever

Wild Turkey Generations is the most expensive Wild Turkey whiskey ever. (Photo: Wild Turkey)

On Thursday, Kentucky whiskey producer Wild Turkey announced the release of the first collaboration between three generations of the Russell family. The Wild Turkey distilling team of grandfather, son and grandson Jimmy, Eddie and Bruce Russell crafted this bourbon together. Fittingly, it’s named Wild Turkey Generations.

Jimmy and Eddie Russell are co-master distillers, while Bruce Russell was recently appointed associate blender. Jimmy Russell is the longest-tenured master distiller in the entire spirits world, according to Wild Turkey.

Bottled at 120.8 proof, Wild Turkey Generations is a blend of -, 12-, 14- and 15-year-old bourbons presented in a bottle etched with the signatures of all three Russells.

“With Generations, we set out to make a whiskey that was truly a celebration of family and bold spirit,” Bruce Russell said. “My dad always says we are more than the name on the bottle – and this was my first opportunity to bring my own point of view while also applying everything I’ve learned from him and my granddad. We love this whiskey and are so proud of the story it tells.”

According to Wild Turkey, Bruce and Jimmy prefer bolder bourbons, while Eddie is partial for softer expressions. Bruce selected the 12-year-old whiskey in the blend, Eddie chose the 15-year component, and Jimmy picked the 9-year-old expression. The 14-year-old bourbon was collaboratively chosen by Bruce and Eddie.

“I’ve made some great whiskies throughout my career, and Generations is going in my hall of fame,” Jimmy Russell said. “The experience of working with my son and grandson to create a blend that celebrates our family and tradition has been a highlight of my career.”

Wild Turkey Generation is a highly limited release, with only 5,000 bottles available at select U.S. retailers. With a suggested retail price of $450, Generations is Wild Turkey’s most expensive whiskey ever released.

“From the moment Jimmy, Bruce and I started talking about Generations, I knew we had something incredibly special on our hands,” Eddie Russell said. “Not only am I proud of the rich, intricate whiskey that we created, but I’m honored to have worked alongside my son for his first release as Associate Blender. Seeing his name etched into the bottle next to ours will forever bring me back to the memories we shared when creating this rare release.”

Whiskey Raiders Chief Spirits Critic Jay West managed to get his hands on a bottle of Wild Turkey Generations a few weeks before it was announced. Check out his thoughts after first tasting it in the below video.

We’ll have our full Wild Turkey Generations review up on the site soon. In the meantime, check out West’s recent video comparing Generations with two other high-profile Wild Turkey offerings: Russell’s Reserve 13 Year and Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse.

Join the Whiskey Raiders Bottle of the Month Club, where you will receive hard-to-find bottles curated by Whiskey Raiders staff with a 90+ rating on whiskeyraiders.com plus live virtual tastings. Sign up here!