Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof 1997 Batch WT-01-97

Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof 1997 Batch WT-01-97
A unique barrel-proof release from Wild Turkey distillery in Lawrenceburg, KY. It is blended from barrels of 6 to 12-year-old bourbon.
The Wild Turkey distillery, then known as Boulevard, was built in 1935 by the Ripy Brothers in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The Wild Turkey brand name originated around 1941 when some, shared on a hunting trip, was called “some of that wild turkey whiskey.” It is distilled at bottled by the Austin Nicholls company and for many years they had sourced the whiskey from the Ripy’s, but eventually bought the distillery from them in 1972, renaming it in the process. Of almost equal importance, the purchase of the distillery included the contract of legendary master distillery, Jimmy Russell, who started working there in 1954. His name is synonymous with the brand, and his son succeeded him in 2015. In 2011 a new Wild Turkey distillery was built on the same site, replacing the original Ripy plant after 76 years.