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Wild_Turkey_101_New_Bourbon_bottle

It doesn’t seem like that long ago Wild Turkey adopted a different packaging. It was 2011 shortly after Gruppo Campari acquired the brand from Pernod Ricard in 2009. (See older labels and packaging at bottom of this article.)

At that time, “Austin Nichols” was removed from the label and the turkey became modernized with a sleek bottle.

Wild_Turkey_Rye_101_bottleFast forward to current day of 2015, and check out this new packaging above and to the left for Wild Turkey. Fortunately, Wild Turkey isn’t adding any price increases with the new packaging for the foreseeable future.

Wild Turkey tells BourbonBlog.com that the new packaging  will be seen on the following expressions: Wild Turkey Bourbon (formerly known as Wild Turkey 81), Wild Turkey 101, Wild Turkey Bourbon (formally known as Wild Turkey 86.8, for Australia only), Wild Turkey Rye, Wild Turkey 101 Rye, and Wild Turkey 101 8 Year Old (Japan only).

This change in name of Wild Turkey 81 also marks a more simplified shift to simply “Wild Turkey Bourbon.”

 

“Wild Turkey wanted to create packaging that better reflects the quality of the liquid inside each bottle,” says a Ben Palos, a spokesperson for Wild Turkey.  

The packaging refresh is the next evolution in a long-term strategy to leverage the growing popularity of American whiskey both domestically and abroad. Wild Turkey began this exercise in 2009 when Gruppo Campari acquired the brand  – immediately setting about revitalizing this gem within the whiskey world. It had been languishing for years under previous ownership, but with the new #Nevertamed campaign, a $100 million investment in upgrading the distillery facilities and now this packaging refresh, Wild Turkey is poised for further success.

Yes, the new package communicates “premiumness” in a more deliberate fashion, but Wild Turkey doesn’t want people to forget that they have something far more important and compelling: two of the foremost Master Distillers in the whiskey business.

If you spot a bottle of Wild Turkey with the new packaging, tweet it to us @BourbonBlog or share it on our facebook, we’ll be glad to see you sharing a virtual sip with us.

Looking at the New Packaging

Glass: Below the strip stamp on every bottle, a circular Wild Turkey marking is embossed in the glass. Near the bottom of every bottle, also embossed in the glass, are the words “BOLD. GENUINE. TRUE.” ·

Label: The true-to-life illustration of the turkey found on every bottle in the range. Professional wildlife artist Julie Rhodes was commissioned to draw the icon.

Working closely with the National Wild Turkey Federation, Julie took great care to make her work as realistic as possible, finishing a small section at a time before moving on to the next.

What resulted is a realistic depiction of a spirited bird (the original national symbol recommended by Benjamin Franklin) that is regal, bold and proud – a perfect icon for an exceptional bourbon.

 

 

 

 

Wild Turkey Packaging 2011 to 2015

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Wild Turkey Packaging Before 2011

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