Taste Test: Wild Turkey Concludes Beloved Master’s Keep Series With ‘Beacon’

(Photo: Wild Turkey)

On Tuesday, Wild Turkey unveiled the final release in its revered Master’s Keep collection: Master’s Keep Beacon. The whiskey was selected by Master Distiller Eddie Russell and his son, Associate Master Blender Bruce Russell. It’s a blend of 10- and 16-year-old bourbons. Eddie selected the older one and Bruce the younger, which is fitting both in terms of their ages and tastes in whiskey; Bruce Russell has said his father prefers older, softer whiskey while he tends to favor slightly younger bourbon that packs a punch.

Eddie’s pick is distilled between 2007 and 2008, while Bruce’s was made in 2015 and is among the first whiskeys he produced alongside his father and grandfather, Hall of Fame Master Distiller Jimmy Russell, after joining the family business.

“Since joining the distillery, I’ve watched my dad craft some incredible bourbons as part of the Master’s Keep lineup, all rooted in the principles and dedication to bold flavor established by my granddad,” Bruce Russell said in a news release. “This final release feels especially meaningful, as the first Master’s Keep with my signature on the bottle and made using bourbon I helped create during some of my earliest days at the distillery. I’m proud to leave my mark on this iconic collection with a bourbon that represents a meaningful chapter in my own journey, and paves the way for the road ahead.”

Master’s Keep Beacon is bottled at 118 proof. It will retail worldwide in limited quantities for a suggested retail price of $300.

Created by Eddie Russell, the Master’s Keep Series has now been around for a decade now.

“When we set out ten years ago to launch the Master’s Keep series, we knew we had something special but I never imagined the journey it would take us on,” Eddie Russell said. “Our first release was the most unique whiskey we’d ever released, and with each expression since we’ve been able to share some of the rarest whiskies in our rickhouses, all while staying true to who we are as Wild Turkey. Looking back a decade later I’m very proud of what we’ve created to date, and looking forward to what’s next.”

We Got An Early Taste — Our Review of Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Beacon

You can click here to check out our full review, but let’s just say we believe Master’s Keep ended on a high note — with a bourbon we expect to be in “Best of 2025” discussions come year’s end.

Now that the Master’s Keep Collection has come to a conclusion, here’s the lineup in full:

• 2015: 17 Year
• 2016: Decades
• 2017: Master’s Keep 1894 (Australia exclusive release)
• 2018: Revival
• 2019: Cornerstone
• 2020: Bottled in Bond
• 2021: One
• 2022: Unforgotten
• 2023: Voyage
• 2024: Triumph
• 2025: Beacon

We might just have to put together a ranking of all 10 to mark the occasion!