Wild Turkey Masters Keep Voyage Review
“Jamaican Rum Cask Finished”
Master’s Keep Voyage is the 10th release in the Master’s Keep series, with the first one being the Master’s Keep 17 released back in 2015. Voyage is the third expression of the Master’s Keep line to use finishing barrels to impart additional complexity and flavor to their bourbon. The first was Master’s Keep Revival (2018 release) finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks. The second, Master’s Keep One (2021) finished in toasted barrels. And now, Master’s Keep Voyage finished in Jamaican Rum casks. If you have a bottle (or sample), grab yourself a pour as we work through this Wild Turkey Masters Keep Voyage review.
Master’s Keep Voyage is a collaboration of two Campari (Wild Turkey’s parent company) legends: Wild Turkey’s Master Distiller Eddie Russell and Appleton Estate’s Master Blender Joy Spence. The rum casks used for Master’s Keep Voyage are Appleton Estate casks that had held 14 year matured rum. Wild Turkey 10 year Kentucky Straight Bourbon was added to these barrels and aged for just 5 weeks, which was plenty of time to add a noticeable rum fingerprint to the bourbon without decimating (in my opinion) the natural flavors of the bourbon. The rum flavors are definitely up front, but the bourbon flavors are still apparent.
Apparently Jamaican rum can be a love/hate experience due to a common “funky” note that is often found in Jamaican rums. But Appleton Estate Jamaican rum has the reputation of being more consistent in their production and minimizing the funkiness. Perhaps rum lovers appreciate and seek out this funkiness? I’m not a rum guy, so leave a comment if you have insights on this.
The Bourbon Culture website gives a great explanation as to part of the reason more companies are collaborating and experimenting with finishing casks. Check out their interesting perspective.
Series: Master’s Keep annual release
Classification: Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Finished in: Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum Casks
Age: 10 years
Proof: 106
Proof Designation: na
Filtered Status: Non-Chill Filtered
Mash bill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Barrel Char Level: 4
Barrel Entry Proof: 114
Distillery: Wild Turkey Distilling Co.
Company: Campari Group
Bottled By: Wild Turkey
Distilled/Aging Location: Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Release Date: July 2023
Master Distiller: Wild Turkey’s Eddie Russel & Appleton Estate’s Master Blender Joy Spence
MSRP: $280 (2023)
Availability: Low/Rare
Wild Turkey Masters Keep Voyage Review
My tasting reviews are unique in that I include the notes of several well-known whiskey critics. The hope is that this format will help me and others to explore and expand their tasting experience. After you have taken your own tasting notes, read the reviews and see if there is a flavor note that others discerned that now you can detect as well.
For this tasting: Opened Bottle (about 3 weeks), Glencairn Glass, Neat, Room Temp, Breathe: 5 minutes
Legs
The legs took about 8 seconds to form beads on the crown, 34 seconds for the tears (legs) to start falling, and about 60 seconds for several legs to reach the bowl of the pour.
Nose
Mildly sweet nose with nice balance of barrel char, grilled pineapple, caramel, toffee, vanilla, crème brûlée, rum, a hint of toasted marshmallow and dark fruits.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Rare Bird 101: (dense, sweet) molasses, blood orange, tropical trail mix, grilled pineapple, fruitcake, hints of lemon & honey.
Amongst the Whiskey: Cornbread jumps out of the glass first before honeydew melon and lemon yogurt parfait swing in elegantly. The nose-feel is cream-forward with hints of citrus tones trickled in all throughout. Nosing deeper reveals some of the rum influence such as pineapple and a bit of that hallmark funk. Raspberry and chocolate tones proliferate in the glass as the liquid warms in my Glencairn. Deeper tones of peanut shells start to build as the glass opens up.
Coming back from a sip I find plenty of barrel influence coming out. Leather and black pepper, classic bourbon caramel and creamy cinnamon roll aromas swing in.
The Bourbon Culture: The nose seems to bypass the fact that this is a bourbon underneath the finish. There are tropical fruits everywhere. Banana, mango, pineapple and citrus flesh. There is an oak note, but it comes off as old. I’m also picking up on a lot of sweet banana bread (with nuts) scents.
Palate
Caramel, sweet toasted oak, rum, pineapple upside down cake, toffee, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg, maple syrup, orange, dark cherry. A nice balance of sweet, spicy, and savory-dry or oak dryness.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Rare Bird 101: (silky, syrupy) chewy caramel, dried fruit, brown sugar, sweet charred oak, singed orange peel, waves of spice.
Amongst the Whiskey: My first sip is dangerously delicious with honey, rum-soaked raisin, and creamy layers of tiramisu jumping out of the glass. Floral funk swirls atop a platter of chocolate, almonds and coffee cake. Another sip produces a creamy wave of vanilla, white lily and butter pecan.
A longer swish in the mouth produces calm layers of molasses, brown sugar and juicy squeezed orange. It’s quite oily on the mouthfeel as creamy caramel drizzles coat the tongue. Overall the glass feels quite akin to a sweet bowl of praline ice cream. Traces of graham cracker jump out between the sweeter tones. This is proving quite crushable for 106 proof. As I sip near the bottom of the glass I find everything to be incredibly agreeable as hints of cornbread round the glass out. My last sip is oily with caramel, candied almond and peanut brittle.
The Bourbon Culture: Each sip delivers plenty of sweet, fruity flavors. Baking spices come by way of cinnamon spice and allspice. Sweetness sidesteps the typical Turkey caramel and becomes more of a molasses instead. The baked nut bread note from the nose can be found on the tongue. The fruits are varied and delicious. Rhubarb jam, baked apples, citrus and pineapple. All have the vibrancy – almost artificially I’d say – of a Jolly Rancher candy. The funk of the rum can be found if you concentrate hard enough, but it’s hardly what I’d call polarizing. It’s just nice to find.
Finish
Medium-long. Toffee, rum, brown sugar, mild baking spice, sweet leather.
Other Reviewer’s Perceptions
Rare Bird 101: Medium-long w/ vanilla spice, toasted sugar, rum & cola, dark citrus, sweet sassafras, white pepper.
Amongst the Whiskey: The linger is tingly like dulce de leche with nutmeg.
The Bourbon Culture: Baking spices remain at the forefront of flavors when the sip is complete. Banana bread flavors complete the trifecta – I’ve noticed them on the nose, palate and finish. The nuts evolved into more of a pecan style rather than peanut and the fruit flavors turn from tropical to tart with raspberries becoming dominant. I don’t know where they were before, but they’re here now.
Mouthfeel
Master’s Keep Voyage has a very pleasant creamy, viscous mouthfeel the coats the tongue.
The Burn
4 out of 5. This means that the burn from the alcohol is a bit lower (5% to 9%) than what I would expect it to be. I would guess this to be around 100 proof, not 106 proof.
Master’s Keep Voyage Tasting Summary
The Wild Turkey Masters Keep Voyage is an excellent pour, well balanced on the nose and the palate with a nice mix of sweet to oak to dryness and savory qualities. The price is a bit steep so I’d recommend trying it at a bar before splurging on the purchase.
Rating
The higher the score the better the whiskey is in my opinion. For reference, my best rated bottle so far is the George T. Stagg 2022 (138.7p) with a score of 9.7.
| Score Type | Score | Examples |
| Likability Score | 8.5 | 1.0 – 10.0 |
| Availability Score | 2 | 1-Rare, 2-Hard to Find, 3-A Little Hunting, 4-Easy to Find |
My Tasting Notes
A blank version of this tasting notes wheel is available in both a color and a black & white version in the member’s area.
If you found this Wild Turkey Masters Keep Voyage review helpful, forward it to a friend!
