In March, the entire BAXUS team made the pilgrimage to Kentucky with one clear mission: secure some exceptional Wild Turkey liquid. Our Drops Program has always been about getting top-tier whiskey into people’s hands—whether that’s limited, allocated releases or hand-selected barrel picks we’ve hunted down ourselves. Naturally, that path led us to one of Kentucky’s cult-classic distilleries: Wild Turkey. Last year we selected a single Russell’s Reserve barrel; this year, we doubled down and came away with two bourbon barrels—and, even rarer, a Wild Turkey rye.
So how does a barrel pick actually work? How do you choose a winner? And what does the process look like on the ground? Let’s take you along for the ride.
The BAXUS crew converged on downtown Louisville—I even flew in all the way from Australia—where the Campari team chauffeured us to Lawrenceburg. After a quick 9 a.m. warm-up pour of Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel, we were introduced to the legendary Bruce Russell. For the uninitiated, Bruce is the third generation of the Russell family to work at Wild Turkey. With more than 15 years at the distillery, he lives and breathes the brand. He also runs Wild Turkey’s barrel pick program, personally selecting the barrels that end up in front of groups like ours.
Down at the Tyrone rickhouses, five barrels stood waiting. Glasses in hand, we stepped into the wooden warehouse and began a slow, intentional tasting. Bruce added a twist: he asked us not to check the warehouse or floor information until the very end—forcing us to choose with our palates, not our expectations.
We moved through the lineup, taking notes and revisiting pours:
- Barrel one opened with spicy peppercorn and nutty undertones.
- Barrel two exploded with butterscotch and bright lemonade.
- Barrel three felt like it came from another distillery entirely, showing deep dried-almond character we’d never seen in a Turkey barrel.
- Barrel four was Christmas in a glass—cinnamon, nutmeg, warming spice.
- Barrel five delivered cherry cola, fizzy sherbet lemon, and a light effervescent texture.
After some quiet debate, we eliminated our least favourites and found ourselves deadlocked. We’d come intending to buy one bourbon barrel… but barrels two and five were simply too good to leave behind. A quick call (and a little desperate pleading) to the Campari team sealed the deal. Then came the reveal.
Barrel two came from the fourth floor of warehouse M at Tyrone, while barrel five hailed from the fourth floor of warehouse E at Camp Nelson. Same mash bill, same DNA—but dramatically different personalities shaped by their environments. And yes: that signature fizzy, soda-pop note Camp Nelson fans obsess over was loud and proud in barrel five.
Eagle-eyed Turkey drinkers will also notice that Camp Nelson warehouse E is the source of this year’s Single Rickhouse release. The 2025 edition is pulled from the fifth floor; our single barrel sat just one floor higher. If you’re keen to taste Camp Nelson’s profile without hunting down a pricey SR bottle, we reckon our pick is a pretty great alternative.
With our bourbon picks locked in—and a few pours already under our belts—Bruce took us to the next set of barrels: Wild Turkey rye. For those who know Bruce, this is his wheelhouse. Historically, Turkey only produced rye for a single week each year under Jimmy Russell. Today that’s been bumped to about a month.
These three rye barrels were a quicker decision. The first two showed classic Turkey rye character—baking spice layered with tropical grapefruit. But barrel three was undeniable. An unapologetic rye that dialled the baking spice and complexity up to 11: oat biscuits, warm cinnamon, sourdough bread, and the signature Wild Turkey clove. This winner came from the third floor of warehouse H at Tyrone. Like the Russell’s rye program, it’s proofed down slightly, landing at Wild Turkey’s iconic 101 proof.
Selecting these three barrels for the community was a blast—and sparked plenty of lively debate among our team. We can’t wait for you to play along in this year’s Turkey Hunt event and taste the results for yourselves. We’re incredibly excited for you to try them.
As part of our 2025 Wild Turkey hunting event at BAXUS, enthusiasts will have the chance to chase some of this year’s most coveted releases. Two highly allocated bottlings will be featured: the Russell’s Reserve 13 Year (Spring 2025) and the Camp Nelson E Single Rickhouse release.
Keep a close eye on our socials, and be sure to sign up for both BAXUS and Boozapp for your shot at snagging some MSRP allocated Turkey this Thanksgiving!
Read the full article at The Wild Turkey Barrel Pick Experience: From Rickhouse to Glass
