Wild Turkey has unveiled the Austin Nichols Archives Collection, a new limited-edition annual series led by Associate Master Blender Bruce Russell that draws inspiration from the distillery’s most coveted vintage bottles. The inaugural release, Gold Foil Edition, is a 16-year-old, 120-proof Kentucky straight bourbon available in select markets beginning May 2025 at a suggested retail price of $400.
The Gold Foil Edition pays homage to a cult-favorite Wild Turkey bottling from the 1980s and 1990s known among collectors as "Cheesy Gold Foil."
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The Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, distillery said the new series launches after the conclusion of its Master’s Keep line last year. Austin Nichols Archives marks the first Wild Turkey series to be led by Bruce Russell, who carries the Russell family legacy into its next generation alongside his father, Eddie Russell, and grandfather, Jimmy Russell.
Bruce Russell first conceived the series more than a decade ago to honor his grandfather and to reimagine classic bottlings through a modern lens.
"Austin Nichols Archives has been a labor of love, and I’m excited to finally share it with bourbon lovers everywhere," said Russell. "Gold Foil Edition was the perfect bourbon to launch the collection. Inspired by a personal favorite of mine and of many Wild Turkey fans, I drew on everything I’ve learned from my father and grandfather to create a whiskey that honors the Wild Turkey legacy."
The release draws inspiration from the so-called "Glut Era," a period when whiskey fell out of favor and inventories swelled. During that time, Jimmy Russell often blended older barrels into standard bottlings, creating bourbons with distinctive depth and what enthusiasts call "mature oak funk."
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Gold Foil Edition is non-chill filtered and was crafted from barrels sourced from Wild Turkey’s celebrated Camp Nelson F, D, and E rickhouses.
Official tasting notes from the brand describe the bourbon as having notes of dark fruit and mature oak, cherry cola, clove, and dark honey, with an extremely long finish of peppery spice, brown sugar, and leather.
The packaging draws on vintage advertising and Wild Turkey’s origin story. The canister features an autumnal hunting scene that nods to how the brand got its name, while gold foil lining and a heritage-inspired label complete the tribute. Each future release in the series will include a different hidden Easter egg for devoted fans.
The Austin Nichols Archives Collection positions Wild Turkey to tap into the growing collector market for limited-edition American whiskey, a segment that has seen significant expansion across the bourbon category in recent years.
