Taste Testing The New Wild Turkey Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil Edition 16 Years Old

As the beloved Wild Turkey begins its landmark transition to fully embracing its third-generation of Russell's as Master Distillers, from the legendary first-generation Jimmy Russell to then second-generation Eddie Russell, and now third-generation Bruce Russell, it's a more than seven decade long tenure of one of Bourbon's most enduring and iconic families. Under the Russell's, Wild Turkey has not only produced some of the most sought after expressions, but has more importantly steadfastly rode through the ups and downs to lifting the brand and distillery to ever greater heights.

And so with the new Austin Nichols Archives collection, this is a new series helmed by third-generation Bruce Russell that was created to pay tribute to some of the distillery's most sought after expressions that dot the rich tapestry of its over 170-year long history much like a turkey-shaped constellation. Bruce is currently Associate Master Blender of Wild Turkey, and is of course naturally in-line to eventually taking on the mantle of Master Distiller himself, just as his father and grandfather have and continue to serve today as co-Master Distillers. It's therefore an impressively bold move for Bruce to start his debut line-up with none other than a tribute to Wild Turkey's famous Gold Foil of the 1980's.

The original Wild Turkey Cheesy Gold Foil.

As a matter of a quick recap, the expression known as the Gold Foil, or more typically nicknamed the Cheesy Gold Foil (or CGF for short), was in fact officially named the Wild Turkey 12 Year Old 101 Proof Bourbon when it was first released in 1988. It was given the nickname - just as many of Wild Turkey's illustrious vintage releases have too picked up nicknames like Pewter Top and Split Label - because of its striking shimmery golden label that had hot stamped on it the distillery's famous turkey in flight. And so as as it happened, the 80's was a terrible time for the Bourbon landscape as a whole, with a massive glut and overstock that was met with little demand. Hoping to catch the eyes of weary customers, and really more consequentially to save Wild Turkey from demise, Jimmy Russell would thus bottle the Bourbon is a gleaming gold foiled label that would strike out in a shelf stuffed with dusty bottles. This, coupled with the fact that the Bourbon inside was simply so outstanding, known for being a real heavy hitter where it comes to flavour, worked out splendidly, and so the Wild Turkey Cheesy Gold Foil would see its run stretch on to the early 90's before being discontinued. Jimmy would later on call the legendary Bourbon his all time favourite, and would even reveal that he had blended in a good amount of 20 year old Bourbons in what was otherwise labelled a 12 Year Old. And so with this incredible label, the amazing story behind it, and the spectacular liquid inside, it's no surprise then that even decades later, the Wild Turkey Cheesy Gold Foil remains one of the distillery's most iconic releases.

Three generations of Russell's at Wild Turkey; (Left to Right) Master Distiller Eddie Russell, Associate Master Blender Bruce Russell (Back) and Master Distiller Jimmy Russell (Front).

Now, with that in mind, third-generation Bruce has sought to pay tribute to this legendary release with his own Gold Foil Edition, which serves as the debut release of the highly anticipated Austin Nichols Archives collection. This is momentous in many ways as a subtle passing of the torch given that just last year in 2025, his father Eddie Russell's own highly lauded Master's Keep Collection had just concluded its 10 year run, making way for the Austin Nichols Archives series. To fully seal the deal, the new Gold Foil Edition is also the first release that will bear solely Bruce's name, where in the past his signature has only appeared alongside his father and grandfather's. And finally, just to make sure what's inside is just as big a deal as what's on the outside, Bruce has stated that the Bourbons contained in the new Gold Foil Edition will also be the last ever release made solely from whiskies distilled in Wild Turkey's old distillery, and from the very same distillation still that his father and grandfather had relied on for the past decades (and for every historically important release from Wild Turkey) prior to Wild Turkey's 2011 move to its new and current premises right across the street from its original location.

The new Wild Turkey Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil nails it on every count.

And so getting into the specs of the Wild Turkey Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil Edition, this is a 16 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey that's been proofed down to 120 Proof (60% ABV) from its original batching at 148 Proof (74% ABV). It was distilled in 2008 at the original Austin Nichols Distillery from across the road where the current distillery sits at, and comes only from Wild Turkey's Camp Nelson ageing site, and in particular the top floors of Warehouses D, E and F. About 500 barrels of 16 and 17 year old Bourbons were batched to produce this release. Something also has to be said about the really beautiful packaging box that it comes in, serving as a display case, with a vintage styled scene featuring an autumn turkey hunt printed on it. And inside, there's even a copy of the original 1980's Wild Turkey Cheesy Gold Foil that's printed on the casing! It's cheesy to say, but Wild Turkey really nailed every single thing about this new release! They've pulled out all the stops and pretty much made the bottling of every Wild Turkey fan's dreams.

And so here we've got a tribute to Wild Turkey's most legendary expression, the first ever to solely carry the incoming third-generation Russell's name, the last ever to contain Bourbon made entirely at the original Wild Turkey distillery and distilled on the very same still used by three generations of the house's Master Distillers (well, soon to be, anyway), all wrapped in a fully loaded packaging. The expectations are high for this one, so let's get right to it!

PS. Big shoutout to Lion from Singaporean independent bottler Animal Spirits for making this happen! Your generosity in sharing this is deeply appreciated! Cheers!

Bourbon Review: Wild Turkey Austin Nichols Archives Gold Edition 16 Years Old, 60% ABV (120 Proof)

Tasting Notes

Colour: Amber

Aroma: Incredibly perfumed, with bountiful and lush aromas of peanuts on cream and toffee, peanut brittle and peanut butter, with just a whiff of leafy parsley that integrates closely with the nuttiness. Tones of vibrant yet rich cherries, almost of cherry pie filling, accompanied by some licorice and sarsaparilla and outlined by a delicate citrusy quality of burnt orange peels and orange blossoms. Bouquets of exotic purples florals of geraniums and irises, all atop this richness of caramel, brown sugar and clove spice. It’s quite thoroughly spiced in a most aromatic way, that binds to that rackhouse mustiness with an undercurrent of lacquered mahogany. There’s also an earthiness that cusps the base with leather and tobacco, with a slick of maple that outlines the aromas. It’s incredibly forward and expressive with that signature Wild Turkey nutty funk, encased with a whole lot of richness.

Taste: Medium-bodied, it’s immediately really rich, oily and bodied. It’s got great presence and intensity with an initial spiciness that recedes to unveil a body of sweet savouriness of burnt brown sugar, peanut brittle, peanut parfait, cherry cola, cherry pie filling, stewed plums and prunes, root beer floats and licorice. It’s mellow and rich, with a striking presence and spiciness that moves from the front to the back. A slight bitterness of herbal roots of sarsaparilla and angelica that contrasts with the mellowed richness of the body, topped with clove spices and burnt orange peels as well. It’s really forward and bold, with also quite the definition and clarity, almost a modern precision to it.

Finish: Long, seamless finish, delicately but with that lively spiciness. Lingering tones of nutty toffee, oak char, worn leather, a touch of parsley and a slick savouriness of burnt sugar, backed up by a subtle yet rich undertone of vanilla cream.

My Thoughts

This is thoroughly impressive! It nails everything we love about Wild Turkey, combining that signature Wild Turkey funk with those cherries, spices, exotic florals, warm and rich confectionaries and those musty and earthy tones. It ticks all the boxes to a tee, integrates its to this well bounded, concentrated lustre that's then intensified several notches up. There's so much vigour and presence, right away the aromas are expressive, with the flavours on the palate forward and of presence, yet at the same time backed up by this depth of rich mellowness. It's striking yet at the same time works deftly to build presence by bringing the spices forward, and at the same deepening the bow of the confectionary richness, which serves to create this expansionary effect and yet without heaviness or going over the top. The finish is persistent and energetic, really lively, punchy and long, and has this incredibly seamlessness that just unfurls in a somewhat contrasting unhurried pace, surfacing these textured nuances, which feels like the total opposite of the impact at the front. That said, it's very well bounded together and tightly integrated, and so some air time is needed for the layers to gain some lift and space out alittle bit.

It's everything you want from Wild Turkey - it's like a "Best Of's" or a "Remastered" version of a cult classic album - that's here given this particular precision and clarity that makes it feel so modern. It almost feels like it was engineered in a lab! And so to answer the obvious question of how the new Wild Turkey Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil Edition compared with the original Wild Turkey Cheesy Gold Foil, I have to say that they both share that heavy hitting intensity, that supernova burst of flavour and by and large the same flavour profile, although the original seems to display more broadness and breadth, with more confectionary tones, orchard fruits and dark berries with also a distinct meatiness that we don't so much see in the new Gold Foil Edition. Conversely, the new Gold Foil Edition feels more like clockwork, where the fat has been trimmed away, leaving just the chiselled and linear hallmarks of Wild Turkey's signature flavours that are then isolated and amplified with amazing integration. The new Gold Foil Edition also seems to carry a more prominent Wild Turkey funk, with also more exotic florals and a more forward spice profile.

Old versus new, the new Wild Turkey Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil Edition feels like a cleaned up, more focused and almost straight laced rendition that has ironed out any of the wonks that were perhaps some part of the original Cheesy Gold Foil old time charm. Now make no mistake, this is an absolute banger, a real modern classic with contemporary sensibilities of the like. Does it replace the original? No, nor if I had to guess, does it want to. It is after all but the opening act for a collection that pays homage to expressions that underpin Wild Turkey's incredible run. It's a one off that simply has to be included in any conversation about what the most iconic Wild Turkey expressions are, and so it doesn't come off like it wants to necessarily be your next grail. But let's not beat around the bush, this is so polished and stylish, it is undoubtedly some of the best Bourbon's to be released today.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot