EDDIE RUSSELL
Our home was founded by Jimmy Russell, known by many as “the master distiller’s master distiller,” a legend of bourbon. The devotion and artistry for fine bourbon runs in the Russell family, and Master Distiller Eddie Russell is no different. Eddie, Jimmy’s son, joined the family legacy, and for 30 years he learned everything Jimmy had to teach: every tradition, every technique, every touch of craft.
When the time came to spread his wings, Eddie created Russell’s Reserve® as a tribute to his father’s legacy and their shared passion for bourbon, but filled with original ideas, showing Jimmy that he had his own way of crafting bourbon.
JIMMY RUSSELL
Jimmy Russell has been an integral part of the Wild Turkey family for over 60 years, making him the longest-tenured, active Master Distiller in the bourbon industry. He was trained by the greats and inspired the next generation, passing down his time-honored secrets and bourbon contributions to his son, Eddie. Together, they created Russell’s Reserve as one of the only father-and-son Master Distiller teams in the industry.
OUR HISTORY
Together, the Russells offer a blend of old and new, an infusion of timeless traditions with modern and fresh thinking, making each bottle of Russell’s Reserve a celebration of the past, crafted specifically with today’s bourbon drinker in mind.
1981
Eddie Russell, son of Master Distiller Jimmy Russell, is welcomed into the Wild Turkey family and begins his life-long career in the whiskey industry.
1998
To celebrate Jimmy’s 45 years of service at the Wild Turkey Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, Eddie crafts a special small-batch bourbon called Russell’s Reserve.
2001
Wild Turkey Russell’s Reserve debuts as a 10-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon, bottled at 101 proof.
2005
Russell’s Reserve 10 Year Old Bourbon evolves into the 90-proof bottle that is on shelves today. This small-batch bourbon is a testament to the family’s history.
2007
Eddie creates Russell’s Reserve Rye, a 6-year-old small-batch bourbon, bottled at 90-proof.
2010
Eddie joins his father and other whiskey icons when he is inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame™.
2013
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon is introduced as a 110-proof, non-chill filtered expression.
2015
Following in his father’s footsteps, Eddie earns the distinguished title of Master Distiller. Jimmy and Eddie are the longest-tenured father and son duo in the bourbon industry, with more than 100 collective years of experience as of today. Eddie also releases Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Rye, a 104-proof, non-chill filtered bottle, and the first Russell’s Reserve vintage whiskey, Russell’s Reserve 1998.
2018
The second vintage in the series, Russell’s Reserve 2002, a 17-year-old barrel proof bourbon, is launched.
