MYTH
When it comes to whiskey making in the United States, Master Distillers Jimmy and son Eddie Russell are bourbon aristocracy. Jimmy started working at the Wild Turkey distillery at the age of nineteen – before man landed on the moon – and is the longest-tenured active master distiller anywhere in the world. Eddie followed in his father and grandfather’s footsteps achieving his own 40- year milestone in 2021. With over 100 years of mastery between them, these two ‘’Bourbon Hall of Fame’’ legends’ combined experience is unmatched.
With four decades of distilling experience under his belt, Master Distiller Eddie Russell may have finally met his legendary father’s exacting standards. A bourbon virtuoso in his own right, Eddie grew up learning the trade from the “Buddha of Bourbon” – Jimmy Russell – a man beloved for his charm, wry wit and trademark Southern hospitality.
The idea of marrying straight bourbon and rye whiskies was born over a decade ago when a crew member accidentally mixed a batch of young rye with a barrel of mature bourbon. Upon tasting the liquid, Eddie Russell realized he had something very special on his hands and the serendipitous mishap was quickly “Forgiven,” though never forgotten. Over a decade later, Eddie has leveraged his years of distillation experience to craft Master’s Keep Unforgotten, a high proof, extra-aged, non-chill filtered variation of the harmonious blend of straight bourbon and rye whiskies.