Many legacy distilleries have at least one bottled in bond product as part of their core whiskey range, including Heaven Hill, 1792, Buffalo Trace, Old Forester, and Jack Daniel’s. Some brought theirs to the market more recently than others, but when you shop an established distillery’s portfolio, it’s safe to assume you’ll find at least one bonded whiskey available to purchase. Although the omission of a bonded product isn’t as conspicuous as say, a cask strength or single barrel expression, I’d still consider it slightly unusual. Which brings us to the subject of today’s review: Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Bottled in Bond 17-Year (totally not a mouthful).

The Master’s Keep line is no stranger to my household; I’ve managed to review one every Thanksgiving until this year (we can thank a cold for that). In fact, I’d originally resolved myself to acquire each Master’s Keep bottle…until I was unable to procure 2022’s Unforgotten (my review was based on a sample). This may have been an omen, however, as the following release utilized rum casks for finishing, along with a noticeable price bump. I didn’t enjoy rum at the time, so my potential purchase of Voyage would have been begrudging. Yet that initial goal began with my first Master’s Keep purchase, which was something of a two-pronged revisit for the brand.

Master’s Keep Bottled in Bond 17-Year was the second release in the line to bear such an impressive age statement. It also remains only the second and last time Wild Turkey has released an in-house bottled in bond product. The first was a limited release from 2007 called American Spirit, which bore a 15-year age statement and, from what I could gather, had a 24,000-bottle yield, with 25% of it going to Japan. Perhaps appropriately, David Jennings (aka Rarebird101) used this name for his first published book, American Spirit: Wild Turkey Bourbon from Ripy to Russell. If that doesn’t set some sort of a precedent, then I don’t know what does.

Reported bottle yields on the Master’s Keep Bottled in Bond put it at around 14,400 bottles, so quite a bit fewer than its spiritual predecessor. I’d imagine this would be due to batching from fewer barrels, considering the original Master’s Keep 17-Year was under 90 proof and allegedly close to cask strength. Furthermore, all three of these ultra-aged bourbons were produced on Wild Turkey’s old still, back when the barrel entry proof was 107. But that’s strictly conjecture on my part. The box for Master’s Keep Bottled in Bond also mentions the barrels used came from Camp Nelson while American Spirit didn’t disclose, so it’s possible more rickhouses were utilized for the 2007 bottling.

Speaking of rickhouses, Eddie Russell has mentioned that every Wild Turkey rickhouse, both on-site and off, is government bonded. This makes the lack of a core Wild Turkey bonded release that much odder. My guess is that the slight bump in proof for the 101 bourbon and rye, combined with likely use of distillate from different seasons, and concern of product overlap, is what keeps Wild Turkey/Campari from making this a reality. Regardless of the reasons why, the question remains: how does such an old bourbon hold up?

Nose: Oozing with brandied black cherries upfront over a bed of sweet, musty earth notes akin to heavily steeped black tea generously sweetened by honey. Some orange and vanilla cream creep out amidst the backbone of rich red fruit, with the aforementioned black cherry mellowing out to more of a cherry pie filling seamlessly joined by hints of burnt, flaky bits.

Palate: Drier and more oak-driven than the nose lets on. A slight funk along the lines of hazelnut at the center soon overtaken by notes of tobacco, clove, fennel, and heavily charred oak.

Finish: Lingering tobacco and waxy nut essence (more macadamia here) with some complementary vanilla paste. There’s a surprisingly full, creamy texture that builds and builds as each subsequent sip sits.

Ultra-aged bourbons have always been attractive to bourbon consumers. Even when Master’s Keep Bottled in Bond was released in 2020, it wasn’t necessarily difficult to hear about highly aged products. This was also around the time that the last stragglers of older (13+ years) Knob Creek Single Barrels could be found. Since then, however, more and more bottles matured 13 years or longer have popped up, from Knob Creek 15/18 to Hardin’s Creek and Russell’s Reserve 13/15, along with multiple Barton-sourcing names like Sam Houston, Calumet Farm, and Lucky Seven, a variety of Old Fitzgerald releases, and more. So, while Master’s Keep Bottled in Bond 17-Year was never a particularly unique product, it appears even less so now as bourbon passes its plateau in popularity.

This is why I’m happy to report that the fifth domestically released Master’s Keep is rather unique in profile. I suspect the reason for this is threefold: the fact the whiskey came from Turkey’s previous still; entered the barrel at a lower strength, and was aged for so long. Combined, these reasons should theoretically translate to a profile that could be likened to Turkey products pf yesteryear. My experience with “dusty” bottles is anything but comprehensive, but I’ve tried a handful from Wild Turkey, and Master’s Keep Bottled in Bond contains some noticeable overlap, namely with dark stewed fruits and syrup. The main difference I’d highlight is this seems to have a more aggressive barrel char personality and inexplicably “waxy” texture to the finish.

I suppose now is a good time to bring up my stance on the unique profile of “dusty” bourbons. I generally consider them enjoyable, but other than the more exceptional examples, I tend to lean toward modern expressions. Thus, I don’t hold this ostensible connection as some intrinsic sign of superiority. With that in mind, Master’s Keep Bottled in Bond straddles a tricky line between modern and “vintage” with its profile. The sheer presence of oak can’t be understated, especially as it plays up the tannic tea and tobacco overtones with that waxy nut essence. Everything comes together better than I feel it should, especially considering how this bottle has gradually fallen off for me over time.

My final sentiment on Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Bottled in Bond 17-Year after nursing my bottle for over 4 years is one of growing frustration and appreciation. I find myself frustrated that the whiskey hasn’t kept up with my tastes, since I originally regarded it so highly (it’s my r/bourbon Reddit flair, for crying out loud). However, while I deliberately analyzed the whiskey for review, a unique profile and balance came out, such that I couldn’t help but be taken by it in a different way than before. One thing’s for sure: you’re not going to find a modern Wild Turkey product that tastes like this. The closest I can think of is Russell’s Reserve 15-Year, and even that’s a bit of a stretch. I’m not sure Wild Turkey will ever recapture the profile on display here, making it a worthwhile addition to the Masters Keep line.