Review #635 - Wild Turkey Master's Keep Beacon

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

Potentially the final release in Wild Turkey's Master's Keep collection, at least for the time being - this is Beacon, a Kentucky straight bourbon. This carries an age statement of 10 years based on the youngest bourbon in the batch, but this whisky is actually a combination of 10 year old and 16 year old bourbon.

The 16 year bourbon component was selected by Eddie Russell, and it was distilled in 2007 and 2008; that makes it some of the last distillate from the old Wild Turkey plant. The 10 year component was selected by Bruce Russell, and it was distilled in 2015, which means it came from the updated Wild Turkey production facilities.

After the blending process, this was bottled at a strength of 59% ABV (118 proof) - the highest proof point of any whisky in the Master's Keep series.

Wild Turkey Master's Keep Beacon

USA - Bourbon

MSRP: USD 300 (2025, estimated)

Age Statement: 10 Years

Strength: 59% ABV

Details: Bottled 2025

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle 50% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Strong oak, which brings vanilla and tobacco - very nice, good depth. Subtle wood spice mixes with bruleed sugar, and there's a hint of a toast note; the classic Wild Turkey 'funk' is very subtle here. A dark cherry note hides in the background; with time, the vanilla note grows quite strong.

Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel; lots of oak, a bit tannic, with some leather. There's a soft savory side to the oak, but also baking notes like cinnamon, black pepper, and spiced caramel. The complexion is dark, and it's quite rich.

Finish: Savory, leathery oak, and the cinnamon lingers from the palate; the vanilla returns from the nose, specifically vanilla bean. Hints of burnt toast and wood smoke build, and it's quite warm; the length of the finish is medium-long.

Final Note: The nose here is amazing, offers all of those sweet and oaky notes that you expect from a well-crafted, well-aged bourbon. We found it to be a very oak-forward experience in general, especially on the palate, where it was almost overwhelming; that said, there are some nice baking spices notes and very subtle fruits to round out the profile.

Very, very good bourbon, but it comes at a cost - that's pretty typical for special releases from Wild Turkey. Because of that, our value rating suffers a bit; that said, this could be a special release that's worth getting due to the heritage of the distillery, especially if you like heavily-oaked bourbons, as long as you can find it around MSRP.

Our Average Rating: 8.5 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating (MSRP): 5.08

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.

Me, My Wife & Whisky
Previous

Review #636 - New Riff High Note First Decade Bourbon
Next

Review #634 - Balcones ZZ Top Tres Hombres