wild turkey master's keep
beacon (2025)

What better place to start than at the end?

My trajectory into bourbon started with home mixology -- months and thousands of dollars spent on spirits, strange ingredients, and glassware -- And it was all in service of discovering that neat whiskey is where my heart is. However, that didn't initially lead to bourbon. It led to scotch first. The sherry finishes were what really captured my attention, especially as someone who can't stand wine of any kind on its own. Around this same time, where scotch was my preferred neat spirit and I was dabbling in bourbon, my best friend was deploying to Korea and he trucked his gargantuan whiskey collection over to my place in a U-Haul for a couple years of storage.

I discovered the Wild Turkey Master's Keep series first by realizing that he had many of them, but not Revival (2018). Having already established a preference for sherry-matured scotch, the idea of an Oloroso sherry finished bourbon was intriguing. And, naturally, I became enthralled by the thought of filling out the series. It was an approachable goal, save for a few well-loved releases such as Decades (2017). I found Revival for some outrageous secondary price and threw caution to the wind. That was my first introduction to the Master's Keep line.

The Beacon (2025) entry is a blend of 10-year and 16-year whiskey, the former developed by Bruce Russell and the latter by Eddie Russell. It is alleged to be the end of the Master's Keep run, "for now." The series end with black packaging textured to look like barrel char. It's bottled at 118 proof, which is notably high for any Wild Turkey release, but the highest of the Master's Keep series.

I haven't written on a Master's Keep entry as of yet. So, as foreshadowed, let's start at the end.

Nose An initial wave of jammy, sweet blackberry underscored by subtle waxy leather and Luxardo cherry syrup. Meanwhile, an adjacent but different layer has a marshmallow aroma swimming among creamy caramel. A theme I find consistent throughout the experience of this whiskey is the contention between classic and mature bourbon.

Palate Control of the scrimmage goes to the classic bourbon notes on the palate. Spiced oak and caramel cream on the front palate give way to vanilla extract and cinnamon on the deep palate before the finish. Throughout, subtle fig custard and toasted marshmallow that transfers from the nose serves to soften and sweeten the foundations of a classic profile that would otherwise taste coarse in some measure.

Finish The game changes hands after a flash of cinnamon -- The mature aspects of the whiskey take over. Sweet, cherry pipe tobacco dominates the finish. There's an exceptional stamina driven by an oiliness that lingers, but doesn't overwhelm. The stated proof matches the experience flawlessly.