Russell's Reserve 1998 Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon 102.2 Proof 750ml

Distilled in 1998, released in 2015 from just 23 barrels — Russell's Reserve 1998 is one of the smallest and most sought-after vintage releases Wild Turkey has ever put out, at 102.2 proof from a total run of 2,070 bottles.

The arithmetic is what makes it unusual. Twenty-three barrels is the kind of number a single store pick draws from, not a national limited edition, and 2,070 bottles is the entire worldwide production. Most bourbon described as limited ships in the tens of thousands.

The whiskey was roughly fifteen to seventeen years old when it went into the bottle, which places its distillation in a period of Wild Turkey production that collectors follow closely — the Jimmy Russell era, before the distillery's expansion changed the scale of what came off the still.

Bottled at 102.2 proof, slightly above the 101 that has defined Wild Turkey for decades.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Mature oak, dark caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, leather, tobacco, toasted nuts and warm baking spice.
• Palate: Rich and concentrated — caramel, vanilla, seasoned oak, cinnamon, dark fruit and toasted pecan over layers of mature Kentucky bourbon character.
• Finish: Long, warming and oak-driven, with lingering caramel, spice, vanilla and mature barrel notes.

Specs

• Brand: Russell's Reserve
• Distillery: Wild Turkey, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
• Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Distilled: 1998  |  Released: 2015
• Approximate age: 15–17 years
• Proof: 102.2 (51.1% ABV)
• Barrels selected: 23
• Total production: 2,070 bottles
• Size: 750ml

Explore the full Russell's Reserve collection or browse all bourbon at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How limited is 2,070 bottles, really? Extremely. For comparison, an annual limited release from a major Kentucky distillery typically runs in the tens of thousands of bottles. A 23-barrel release is closer in scale to a single retailer's barrel pick than to a national allocation, and it was never repeated.
• Why does the 1998 distillation date matter? Wild Turkey's production changed considerably in the years after, including a new distillery in 2011. Whiskey distilled in the late 1990s under Jimmy Russell represents a specific period that collectors seek out, and a dated vintage release is the clearest way to own a piece of it.
• Why is the age given as a range? The release carries no exact age statement — distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2015 puts it between fifteen and seventeen years depending on when in each year the barrels were filled and dumped. The distillation and release years are the documented figures.