HAILING FROM THE “ISLAND OF KENTUCKY,” NEW FLAVOR DESIGNED TO GROW CATEGORY BY INTRODUCING WILD TURKEY BOURBON TO SPICED RUM DRINKERS LOOKING TO “MAN UP”

If variety is the “spice” of life, then Spiced Rum drinkers have reason to rejoice. In a move designed to offer a more masculine choice to Spiced Rum, Wild Turkey® Bourbon has written a new chapter in its impressive history of innovation for drinkers and make the bold leap into the wild world of whiskey.

Forever changing the Bourbon category, the legendary brand introduces Wild Turkey Spiced(TM), the first-ever spiced Bourbon from the “Island of Kentucky.” Featuring world-famous Kentucky Straight Bourbon with exotic spice, Wild Turkey Spiced is the consummate choice for drinkers curious about Bourbon and looking to trade-up from Spiced Rum.

Since its introduction, Wild Turkey has maintained a distinctive distillation and ageing process that gives it a smooth taste and a lingering flavor. Wild Turkey uses a differentiated process whereby the bourbon is distilled at a low proof to seal in its flavors. Very little water is added to Wild Turkey, resulting in a full-flavored authentic bourbon taste similar to what one would get straight out of the barrel. Wild Turkey is a genuine drink with a sought after “burn” that comes from its high proof, an attribute fundamental to the brand and critical in maintaining its authentic bourbon characteristics.

Wild Turkey has over 150 years of spirits heritage. Austin Nichols began operations in 1855 as a wholesale grocer specializing in the sale of teas, coffees and spirits. In 1869, the Ripy family founded a distillery on what is now known as Wild Turkey Hill in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky; Austin Nichols purchased the distillery in 1971. Wild Turkey got its name in the 1940s after a distillery executive brought a private supply of 101 proof bourbon along with him for a wild turkey hunting trip with friends. They liked it so much that the next year they asked him to bring along some of that same “Wild Turkey” bourbon. He honored his friends’ good taste by turning their nickname into a legendary brand.

At 86 proof, Wild Turkey Spiced is a truly unique Bourbon experience that maintains the brand’s signature bold flavor while highlighting spiced cues previously found only in island spirits. Wild Turkey Associate Master Distiller and Bourbon Hall of Famer Eddie Russell created an eminently mixable, yet sip-able spirit with a sweet and spicy taste profile that can be enjoyed on its own, but really shines when mixed with cola.

The release of Wild Turkey Spiced continues a nearly 40-year tradition of innovation dating back to 1976 when Wild Turkey took the category in a completely different direction with the original honey flavored Bourbon, better known today as American Honey®. Like all Wild Turkey Bourbons, Spiced is born from a natural aging process
using American oak barrels with the deepest number 4 or “alligator” char that is used to age every Wild Turkey Bourbon variant.  Wild Turkey Spiced joins a growing product line-up that features flagship Wild Turkey Bourbon 81 and 101, Wild Turkey Rye, Wild Turkey Forgiven(TM), Rare Breed®, Kentucky Spirit®, American Honey® and Russell’s Reserve®.

“I wanted to develop a liquid that brought to life the best of our robust Bourbon, while borrowing cues that have made island spirits so appealing,” said Russell.  “As the category continues to grow, many people, especially rum drinkers, are becoming curious about Bourbon and its sophisticated, more pronounced taste profile. We believe Wild Turkey Spiced is the perfect drink to bring them into the category.”

With 27 years of experience, Edward “Eddie” Freeman Russell knows a thing or two about  bourbon. As the son of renowned master distiller, Jimmy Russell, and the fourth generation Russell to work at the Austin Nichols distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky,  Eddie Russell is of an unmatched pedigree in the bourbon industry. Russell began his career at the distillery as a relief operator, eventually becoming a  supervisor of new production and then a warehouse supervisor. After two decades in  the business, he assumed the position of Manager of Barrel Maturation and  Warehousing. In this role, he collaborated with his father to create “Russell’s  Reserve,” the award-winning, 10-year old small-batch bourbon that serves as  testimony to the family’s heritage of distilling craftsmanship and tradition. Eddie Russell was recently promoted to Associate Distiller, where he will work even closer with Jimmy to ensure the continuation of the quality, taste and genuine spirit of  Wild Turkey® Bourbon.

With the combination of island spices and Wild Turkey Bourbon heritage, Wild Turkey Spiced mixes the best of Kentucky and the Islands like no one has ever done before. Supported by a unique, tongue-in-cheek digital campaign that conveys what life is like on the “Island of Kentucky,” the marketing will take aim at the notion of graduating from Spiced Rum to the classic, all-American spirit – Bourbon.

Boasting taglines like “Bourbon with a nautical twist – whatever nautical means” and “We considered putting a pirate on the label, until we realized pirates wear tights,” the “Island of Kentucky” embodies a macho mindset that transports nascent Bourbon drinkers to a fictional landscape where they can turn in their boring Spiced Rum credentials for something that invokes chest thumping, fist bumping and tremendous feats of strength – Wild Turkey Spiced. The campaign was developed by Wild Turkey creative agency of record VITRO of San Diego.

“One of the pillars for the Wild Turkey Bourbon brand has always been innovation and experimentation, while maintaining our commitment to quality and heritage,” said Andrew Floor, Group Brand Director, Wild Turkey.  “In our Associate Master Distiller Eddie Russell, we have one of the most inventive Bourbon minds in the industry; someone who can bring innovation and tradition together to create signature products that drive the Bourbon category to new heights.”

Wild Turkey ® Spiced Signature Cocktails

Created by Alex Kulesh & TJ Gargan; Brooklyn Surf Bar; Williamsburg, NY

The Jockey

• 2 oz. Wild Turkey Spiced
• Grapes, Oranges and Six (6) Muddled Mint Leaves

Top with Club Soda

Frozen Horse

• 3 oz. Wild Turkey Spiced
• 3 ½ oz. Apple Cider
• Splash of Lime Juice
• 2 Tsps. of Sugar
• Blend with Ice

Garnish with a Swirl of BBQ Sauce

Wild Turkey Spiced will be available nationwide beginning in the fall of 2013 with a suggested retail price of $22.99 per 750 ml bottle. Enjoy Wild Turkey Spiced on its own, mixed with cola or in a delicious cocktail like the ones showcased below.  Visit www.IslandofKentucky.com for additional information.