Russell's Reserve 13 Year Bourbon (2022 Release)

The nose starts with a mix of dusty old leather bound books, carrot cake with rich cream cheese frosting and orange zest then sweet brown sugar coated cinnamon churros topped with dark chocolate ganache along with a mild smoke from freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by caramelized apples and cherries jubilee that transitions to spearmint, cloves and polished mahogany with high ethanol burn. The taste is a syrupy mouthfeel starting with a mix of dusty old leather bound books, carrot cake with rich cream cheese frosting and orange zest then a spicy mocha, freshly lit pipe tobacco and toasted almond croissant followed by caramelized apples and cherries jubilee over vanilla gelato that transitions to spearmint, ginger, cloves and polished mahogany with high ethanol burn. The finish is long, starting with sautéed caramel apples over vanilla gelato and spicy mocha that then fades to spices of cloves, ginger and spearmint along with pipe tobacco, dusty leather bound books and polished mahogany that lingers for minutes. This is a phenomenal bourbon that is evident from the first smell with a rich and decadent nose showcasing an old oak dominant backbone that is expertly balanced with creamy citrus, mild rye spices and confectionery sweets that carries over to the palate with a syrupy richness and the addition of a spicy mocha before a long finish starting sweet with light earthy flavors before fading to the background of rye, barrel spices and old dusty oak. I was fortunate enough to try a sample of the 2021 release thanks to @soonershrink and am lucky to taste this 2022 release due to the generosity of @skillerified as these tend to disappear from shelves and carry secondary prices of $400+. For me, the 2022 strikes a better balance than the 2021 which, based on my notes, had a lighter mouthfeel and higher tannic oak than I prefer and the 2022 has reconciled those flaws and really delivered something special. Both are fantastic though and certainly worthy of their retail costs, but I'd be reluctant to pay the secondary prices on these.

Took me a hot minute to open this bottle, but the up front TLDR - it was worth the wait... While I'd nipped this at a bar before, this is one to enjoy with plenty of time. The nose is instantly vibrant...and unmistakably Turkey, but in a good way. Plenty of caramel, wet oak, fruits (apple and berry), and a yeasty funk on the edges that rounds it out well, but this nose has some power, and while unnecessary, a couple of drops opens it up just a bit while not making any major changes. Flavor is also nice...a bold pour that like the nose, feels very 'Turkey' from start to finish. Plenty of sweet fruits, caramel, vanilla, and barrel up front that turns into a very dry oak before a roller coaster ensues...plenty of heat, bursts of sweet caramel, and an incredibly long, and enjoyable finish. If I'm nitpicky, this is a bit heavily oaked, and definitely feels like it has some age to it. It doesn't turn offensive or over-oaked, but I can see how this would be a bit much for some. I actually found this to be an excellent pour that is probably being bottled at the right point in its lifespan...and the nose and finish are the show... Worth the price? At MSRP, yes? Worth the chase - probably...this one kind of fell into my lap, and I'm quite happy it did...

I guess I'll review it under this. Given there are sometimes 2 batches a year this method being used here isn't gonna work well. 2022/5/25 Nose - stately and yet youthful and off. A combination of aspartame, vanilla, caramel, and a strangely high oak and yet...funk note. This is classic wild turkey! Turned up to 13? I get red fruits, cinnamon, hazelnut, and it's lovely. Taste - While the nose, I may have focused on funk too much, the taste is WAY more on the funk. Old whisky notes with over the top oak and rich funky again aspartame and more custardy funk. I love this stuff. It's a wonderfully old and yet not old and stately whiskey! Turkey has found a way to do old without refinement but with some real power and force. I just compared this to knob 12 CS and the ECBP C923, it doesn't really hold up. But as it's own thing, I love it. 2.75. Great CS fun stuff, but nothing exceptional.

Wow. Wow. And wow. I’ve had a few good bourbons ( Cowboy, ECBP, not any Pappy or BTAC yet), but this has to be my new favorite bourbon I’ve ever had. Unfortunately it was just an ounce pour. Nose is maple syrup and caramel apples. Fantastic aroma that just makes you want to nose it all day. Taste …really well balanced between fruit and oak. Intensity is dialed up to a 11, but it’s not intense the way Cowboy or ECBP is…this is much more elegant. It’s really is a masterclass on balance between fruit and oak. I’ve not had the RR10 or their single barrel, but I’m guessing it’s no where as good as this. This is superb cask management and selection, with the right rickhouse placement. Price is an issue…MSRP is a mere $100, but retailers have this marked 6-8x of that.

I've pretty much abandoned the chase for rare and overpriced bourbon, but I managed to snag this bottle of Russell's Reserve 13 year in the state lottery. Im a Wild Turkey fan, so I was eager to try this bottle. Its got the classic Wild Turkey funk and a nice balance of sweetness, spice, and oak. Nothing about it blew me away, although it's very good. It's just not head and shoulders above other WT offerings. I haven't had Wild Breed in a while, but I don't think that the barrel proof RR 13 is significantly better. Would like to do a blind side by side. This was just my first pour, so maybe I'll be more impressed with subsequent sips. Bottom line, at its current price point $149 its overpriced, even more so at secondary around $300.

Tasting- blind, neat, side by side with batch 1 Overall: 3x I picked batch 1. The profile is discernable and a matter of preference. B1 was fruity, vibrant, caramel, cherry, oak, pops of vanilla, and oak. A flavor explosion. B2 is very good BUT it is a bit more drying, and barrel funkier than B1. It is more traditional Wild Turkey whereas B1 to me was more special. Truthfully I have had more outstanding Russell's SiBs then what B2 offers. That said- this is outstanding, down home, Turkey funkalicious bottle! I am not sad I have it, it is just that B1 hit all the marks where B2 was a bit drying. Saving grace- hit a 2 oz. Sample with about 7 drops of water and the B2 is outstanding.