Wild Turkey reveals oldest rye whiskey

by Melita Kiely

Campari Group-owned Wild Turkey has released its oldest rye whiskey to date: Master’s Keep Cornerstone Rye.

The expression is made from master distiller Eddie Russell’s oldest #4 alligator char barrels, each of which is filled with a rye aged between nine and 11 years. Master’s Keep Cornerstone Rye is described as having flavours of vanilla, black pepper and toasted rye on the palate, followed by honey and baked apple. Bottled at 54.5% abv, a total of 16,000 bottles will be released globally priced at RRP US$175 per 750ml. Russell said: “Wild Turkey is one of the few legacy distilleries that remained loyal to crafting rye even as vodka and gin became the new, hot thing. “Cornerstone Rye celebrates our continued commitment to the grain. As my own son Bruce has reminded me given his devotion to rye in working with the bartender community, it’s a fundamental part of our history.”