Wild Turkey tells BourbonBlog.com that they is launching the new Austin Nichols Archives Collection with its first release, Gold Foil Edition: a 16-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon bottled at 120 proof, non-chill filtered, with a suggested retail price of $400.
Just in the last few weeks, I had the pleasure of tasting a pour of the vintage Wild Turkey 12-Year “Cheesy Gold Foil” at Neat Bourbon Bar & Bottle Shop in Louisville, Kentucky. Wild Turkey says that vintage bottle inspired the new Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil Edition, a 16-year, 120-proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon.
To be clear: Wild Turkey is not releasing a new 12-year-old bourbon here; the new Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil Edition is a 16-year-old, 120-proof bourbon inspired by the vintage 12-year “Cheesy Gold Foil” bottle. I wanted to share a photos from the night I tasted the vintage 12-year at Neat below, with another image included at the bottom of this story.
Neat is the kind of place where bourbon history is not just displayed — it can still be tasted. Known for older, vintage, and “dusty” whiskey bottles, Neat gives bourbon drinkers a rare chance to experience pours from another era, including bottles that have become reference points for collectors and longtime whiskey fans.
That made the timing especially interesting.
The new collection is led by Bruce Russell, Wild Turkey’s third-generation Associate Master Blender, and is designed to honor some of the most coveted vintage bottles in Wild Turkey’s history.
To be clear, the new Gold Foil Edition is not a re-release of the vintage 12-year “Cheesy Gold Foil” bottle. Instead, Wild Turkey says this new 16-year, 120-proof bourbon is inspired by that collector-favorite era, aiming to capture the complexity, aroma, and mature oak character that made those older Wild Turkey releases so memorable.
The Austin Nichols Archives name also reaches deep into the brand’s past. Austin Nichols was the wholesale grocer and liquor distributor that helped create the Wild Turkey brand in the 1940s.
Part 2: Bruce Russell’s First Austin Nichols Archives Release
The debut Gold Foil Edition is built around the idea that some bourbon stories are worth waiting decades to tell.
According to Wild Turkey, the new release is inspired by one of the brand’s most sought-after vintage expressions from the 1980s and 1990s, affectionately known among collectors as the “Cheesy Gold Foil.”
The flavor profile is described as bold, sweet, and punchy, with notes of cherry cola, clove, dark caramel, tobacco, cocoa, and leather, along with the mature oak “funk” that dusty Wild Turkey fans often prize.
Bruce Russell calls it “probably one of the best smelling whiskeys we’ve ever done.”
That line says a lot about how Wild Turkey is positioning this bottle. This is not simply a nostalgic label or a collector-facing limited release. It is a modern Wild Turkey bourbon created to speak directly to the drinkers who understand why older Wild Turkey bottles have earned such a passionate following.
It also gives Bruce Russell a new platform within the Wild Turkey portfolio. While the Russell family has long been central to Wild Turkey’s modern identity, the Austin Nichols Archives Collection places Bruce at the front of a series designed to interpret and honor the brand’s past through new limited releases.
Release Details At a Glance
Wild Turkey Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil Edition will be released in limited quantities in select markets beginning in June 2026.
Release Details
- Brand: Wild Turkey
- Collection: Austin Nichols Archives
- First release: Gold Foil Edition
- Whiskey type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
- Age: 16 years
- Proof: 120
- Filtration: Non-chill filtered
- Suggested retail price: $400
- Availability: Limited quantities in select markets beginning June 2026
See Photo above of the original 12-year-old Cheese Foil courtesy Wild Turkey. Photo below captured at Neat.
For collectors, this release has several points of interest: the Austin Nichols name, the Gold Foil inspiration, the 16-year age statement, the 120 proof bottling strength, and Bruce Russell’s leadership of the collection.
For Wild Turkey fans, the bigger story is the brand’s decision to formally celebrate the dusty-era bottles that helped shape so much modern enthusiasm around the brand.
Having recently tasted the vintage 12-year “Cheesy Gold Foil” myself, I can understand why Wild Turkey would choose that bottle as a point of inspiration. It is the kind of whiskey that reminds you why certain bottles become more than releases. They become reference points.
The new Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil Edition appears aimed directly at that audience: bourbon drinkers who know the history, recognize the reference, and understand why a Gold Foil-inspired Wild Turkey bourbon will draw immediate attention.
Bottom line: Wild Turkey’s Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil Edition is not a return of the old 12-year bottle. It is a new 16-year, 120-proof bourbon inspired by the vintage “Cheesy Gold Foil” legacy — and the first release in a new Bruce Russell-led collection that connects Wild Turkey’s collector-loved past with its future.
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