My phone has been blowing up all week. “Have you found one yet?” “Any leads?” “You gonna pay secondary?” If you know me, you know I’m a Wild Turkey guy, so it’s probably no surprise that those messages have all been about one bottle. The new Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil Edition.
I’ve been chasing bourbon for a long time, and over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to drink everything from modern limited releases to some of the greatest dusties ever bottled. Every now and then a release comes along that immediately gets my attention. That’s exactly how I felt when Wild Turkey announced the Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil Edition.
The original Wild Turkey Gold Foils from the 1980s and 1990s aren't just some of my favorite Wild Turkey releases. They’re some of the greatest bourbons I've ever had the privilege of drinking.
Since the announcement, I’ve been doing what a lot of bourbon nerds have been doing; texting friends around the country, watching store drops, and hoping one eventually finds its way home. The reason is simple. The original Wild Turkey Gold Foils from the 1980s and 1990s aren’t just some of my favorite Wild Turkey releases. They’re some of the greatest bourbons I’ve ever had the privilege of drinking. The original Wild Turkey Gold Foils have almost become mythical in the bourbon world, and for good reason. Around Wild Turkey circles, we usually just call them CGFs, short for Cheesy Gold Foils, a nickname that comes from the distinctive gold cardboard tubes they originally came packaged in. Produced during the Austin Nichols era, these bottles became especially popular in Japan at a time when bourbon wasn’t exactly thriving in the United States.
While American drinkers were moving away from whiskey in the 1980s, Japanese consumers had a real appreciation for mature, age stated bourbon, and many of these bottles found their way overseas. Fast forward a few decades, and collectors have spent years trying to bring them back. They’re now among the most sought after vintage Wild Turkey bottles anywhere in the world. The timing of those releases played a huge role in why they’re so special. Bourbon was in a slump, warehouses were full, and Jimmy Russell had access to mature whiskey that today would almost certainly be reserved for ultra premium expressions. Although the label simply said 12 Years Old, longtime Wild Turkey enthusiasts have believed for years that many of those batches contained whiskey significantly older than the minimum age statement.
Whether that’s actually true or not, one thing becomes obvious the moment you pour a glass, they have a depth and maturity that feels older than twelve years. One of the things I love most about those old CGFs is their profile. Many of them are absolute caramel candy bombs in the best possible way. Rich caramel, dark brown sugar, Luxardo cherries, orange peel, old leather, tobacco, seasoned oak, and that unmistakable Wild Turkey funk somehow all come together in perfect balance.
They're bold without being hot, mature without becoming over oaked, and to this day remain some of the finest bourbons I've ever tasted.
Unfortunately, that reputation has also made them one of the most heavily counterfeited bottles in American whiskey. Labels have been reproduced, capsules have been swapped, and empty bottles have been refilled often enough that buying one today requires almost as much confidence in the seller as it does excitement about the whiskey. Provenance matters. When you’re spending well into four figures on a bottle, knowing its history is almost as important as the liquid inside. That’s why I was so excited when Wild Turkey announced the Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil Edition. Bruce Russell could have launched his new Archives series with any concept he wanted, but choosing to pay tribute to one of the most legendary bottles in Wild Turkey history took confidence.
The new release is a 16 year old, non chill filtered bourbon bottled at 120 proof and distilled primarily from barrels aging at Camp Nelson.
That’s why I was so excited when Wild Turkey announced the Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil Edition. Bruce Russell could have launched his new Archives series with any concept he wanted, but choosing to pay tribute to one of the most legendary bottles in Wild Turkey history took confidence. The new release is a 16 year old, non chill filtered bourbon bottled at 120 proof and distilled primarily from barrels aging at Camp Nelson. It also marks the beginning of a brand new annual series replacing Master’s Keep, making it an important bottle in Wild Turkey history regardless of how it ultimately drinks. One thing I really appreciate is that Wild Turkey didn’t make this some impossible to find, 300 bottle publicity stunt. It’s certainly allocated, but it’s also a true nationwide release. Most major markets should see bottles through retailers and bourbon groups. Finding one at the $400 MSRP won’t be easy, but unlike many modern unicorns, regular bourbon drinkers actually have a legitimate chance to land one if they’re persistent.
Wild Turkey didn't make this some impossible to find, 300 bottle publicity stunt. It's certainly allocated, but it's also a true nationwide release.
Of course, the internet did exactly what everyone expected. As soon as bottles started landing, the secondary market exploded. Between the Gold Foil name, the 16 year age statement, 120 proof, and Wild Turkey’s incredibly loyal following, demand immediately outpaced supply. I saw bottles being listed for nearly $1,500 during the initial frenzy. As I’m writing this, I’ve already seen bottles changing hands for around $800. That’s still double the MSRP, but it’s a pretty good indication that the market is beginning to find its footing. I’m hopeful that trend continues because I’d love to own one, but I’m perfectly content waiting until the price makes sense or, better yet, until I get the chance to taste it first.
For me, this release carries another layer of meaning that has nothing to do with collectability. I grew up about fifteen minutes from Camp Nelson, so it’s a place I’ve known my entire life. Today, both of my grandparents are buried at Camp Nelson National Cemetery, just a short distance from the rickhouses where these barrels spent sixteen years maturing. Every time I visit them, those warehouses are part of the landscape. Knowing this whiskey spent its life aging overlooking a place that’s been woven into my family’s story for generations gives this bottle a connection that goes far beyond bourbon. It isn’t the reason I want one, but it certainly makes finally putting one on my shelf feel even more meaningful.
That said, I still haven’t tasted it, and I’m not willing to pay today’s secondary prices just to satisfy my curiosity. I’ve chased enough bottles over the years to know that hype doesn’t always equal greatness. I’m perfectly content waiting until one of two things happens: either prices continue to settle closer to reality, or I get the opportunity to taste it and decide for myself whether it’s worthy of joining the originals on the pedestal I’ve put them on.
Several years ago, I had the opportunity to make my first barrel selection at Wild Turkey alongside the South Carolina Bourbon Club. Spending time with Eddie Russell, walking the warehouses, talking bourbon, and eventually getting to meet Jimmy Russell is something every bourbon fan should experience if they’re lucky enough to do it. During that visit, I learned something I found fascinating. Eddie and Jimmy have distinctly different palates. Eddie had already made it known there was one barrel in our lineup that he absolutely loved. After we finished tasting and made our selection, I found out the barrel I had chosen was the one Jimmy had gravitated toward. As someone who was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, grew up just fifteen minutes from Camp Nelson, whose great grandparents worked in Kentucky distilleries, and who now spends his life making and blending whiskey, that was one of those rare full circle moments. Finding out my palate aligned with Jimmy Russell’s was an incredible honor and something I’ll never forget.
Finding out my palate aligned with Jimmy Russell's was an incredible honor and something I'll never forget.
Maybe that’s why these Gold Foils have always meant more to me than just another collectible bottle. They’re connected to one of the greatest periods in Wild Turkey’s history. They’re connected to Jimmy, Eddie, and now Bruce Russell carrying that legacy forward. They’re connected to Kentucky, to Camp Nelson, and in a very personal way, to my own family. Most importantly, they’re connected to some of the best bourbon I’ve ever had in my glass.
I genuinely hope Bruce Russell knocked this one out of the park. I hope thirty years from now bourbon nerds are talking about this release the same way we talk about the original Gold Foils today.
I’ll eventually get my hands on the new one. Whether that’s by finding a bottle at a price I can justify or finally getting a pour somewhere, I’ll let the whiskey decide if it deserves a place alongside the originals.
Until then, I’ll keep hunting.
Because every now and then, a bourbon comes along that’s worth the chase.
