Wild Turkey

EDDIE RUSSELL Despite coming from Kentucky bourbon royalty, Edward Freeman Russell had to earn his position as Wild Turkey master distiller. MASTER DISTILLER FOR WILD TURKEY AND RUSSELL’S RESERVE

Son of legendary master distiller Jimmy Russell and second generation Russell to work for Wild Turkey, when Eddie Russell chose to join the family business in 1981 he started at the lower end of the job spectrum, as a humble relief operator. From there, he worked his way up the job ladder, eventually becoming a supervisor of new production and then a warehouse supervisor. After two decades with Wild Turkey, he moved into the position of manager of barrel maturation and warehousing, and it was in this role that he worked alongside his father to create Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old award-winning bourbon.

It was at this stage that Eddie pushed for the introduction of Wild Turkey Bourbon, initially called Wild Turkey 81, to offer drinkers a premium bourbon that can be mixed in any cocktail and maintain its bold and spicy taste.

In 2010, Eddie was inducted to the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame alongside his father and other greats of the bourbon industry. Following this accolade, Eddie was bestowed with the title of master distiller in 2015. He and his father are now the industry’s only father and son master distiller duo that work together side-byside. Both Eddie and Jimmy are now actively involved in every step of the distillation and ageing process of Wild Turkey’s whiskeys. In his time as master distiller, Eddie has been the driving force of Wild Turkey Longbranch, the brand’s collaboration with renowned actor Matthew McConaughey. He has also been instrumental in the production of Wild Turkey’s Master’s Keep Revival – the fourth expression of the acclaimed Master’s Keep Series. Currently a duty free exclusive in Australia, this expression will be released on the domestic market in May 2019.

Now in his 37th year at the company, this year Eddie and Jimmy will celebrate a combined 101 years of service at the Wild Turkey distillery. This appropriately pays homage to Wild Turkey 101, the expression that launched Jimmy’s career over 60 years ago.

Keeping the business in the family, Eddie’s son, Bruce, joined the company as a brand ambassador in Austin, Texas some year’s ago, and has recently taken a role at the distillery to learn how to produce bourbon.

Eddie lives in Lawrenceburg, KY, the town where he was born and raised, with his wife Judy. In his spare time, he likes to play golf or go training and hunting with hunting dogs. Just like his father Jimmy, he takes immense pleasure in travelling the United States and talking about his beloved Wild Turkey whiskey.

Eddie with father Jimmy Russell