Wild Turkey Creative Director McConaughey and Master Distiller Eddie Russell Unveil Small-Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Refined with Texas Mesquite
LAWRENCEBURG, KY (APRIL 10, 2018) –Today, Matthew McConaughey and the legendary Wild Turkey® Distillery are proud to announce the introduction of Wild Turkey Longbranch™, a collaboration between the iconic whiskey brand’s creative director and Master Distiller Eddie Russell. Inspired by McConaughey’s Kentucky and Texas roots, this rare small-batch Kentucky bourbon is refined with Texas Mesquite and oak charcoals – a unique method that deepens the flavor and complexity of the whiskey. This launch marks the first time Wild Turkey has unveiled a product that bears a signature of someone other than the Master Distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell. A video of the creation of Wild Turkey Longbranch with McConaughey can be found here
Wild Turkey Longbranch is the latest collaboration to come from the multi-year partnership with the Academy Award® winning actor. McConaughey, who has served as the brand’s creative director since 2016, has worked behind the camera and in front of it in television commercials to reintroduce the world to Wild Turkey, and this new bourbon is a natural evolution of the partnership. The name is inspired by the friends that form the longest branches of our family trees.
The connections that McConaughey and the Russells have to both the great states of Kentucky and Texas were a major inspiration for this collaboration. McConaughey’s parents met at the University of Kentucky, a mere 15 miles from the Wild Turkey Distillery, while Eddie Russell’s youngest son, Bruce, now lives in McConaughey’s hometown of Austin, Texas.
“Longbranch, in its simplest form, is an extended hand, inviting a friend into your family,” McConaughey says. “So the branch that was extended to me from the Russells was a long one, one that reached from Kentucky to Texas and back again. I offered the Mesquite from my great state to add to their legendary Kentucky whiskey and together we made Longbranch.”
To create Longbranch’s signature flavor, McConaughey and Russell spent countless hours sharing notes, then, after two years of testing, perfected a proprietary process that combines two separate charcoal filtration methods to give Longbranch a smooth and full finish. The first of the filtration process uses charcoal made from American White Oak and the second uses charcoal made from Texas Mesquite wood, giving the bourbon notes of smoky sweetness.
Made with eight-year-old Wild Turkey Bourbon, Wild Turkey Longbranch is an exceptional bourbon with a bright gold color and aroma that is a balanced blend of vanilla and spices. Flavors of caramel, pear, and hints of citrus round out the palate. The subtle, smoky finish is buttery smooth, with notes of gentle pepper and toasted oak. “When we were creating Wild Turkey Longbranch, we talked at length about how to make a product that represents elements of both Texas and Kentucky,” said Wild Turkey Master Distiller Eddie Russell. “Our goal was to make a straight bourbon whiskey with a soft sweetness that was still unmistakably Wild Turkey. The result was a bourbon that we both truly enjoy drinking neat, and look forward to sharing with others.”
“Matthew McConaughey has been ingrained in the Wild Turkey brand as creative director for several years now,” said Bob Kunze-Concewitz, CEO at Campari Group, owner of Wild Turkey. “As a lover of bourbon, and an integral part of the team, it was a natural next step for Matthew to partner with Eddie to create a new product for Wild Turkey. We are proud of the work they’ve done and have great expectations for this amazing new whiskey.”
Wild Turkey Longbranch will be available on shelves across the US in May for a suggested retail price of $39.99 and will roll-out to additional markets around the world later this year.