Russell's Reserve 13 Year Bourbon (2021 Release)

Neat. Sample. Been excited to dive into this sample. The hype on this bottle is dumb. It’s selling more on secondary than Master Keep, makes no sense. With that said, I get to enjoy this sample thanks to good whiskey friends who spoil me. I won’t own this myself without a lot of luck regardless what I think. On the nose, the oak comes across closer to 15 years honestly. It’s deep and musty. Wow, this is definitely coming across as a higher proof younger brother than the MK BTB 17. Deep cherry, little rye slap across the face. Lemon zest. Cinnamon and clove. Maple syrup. It’s very delightful. The cherry is the stand out aspect on the nose. Very viscous, syrupy grit even on the mouthfeel. Immediate, immense and intense flavors on impact. Cinnamon and sugar mixture, hint of chocolate. Clove again. Mid palate that cherry note is perfect. God. It’s a dark cherry and it’s juicy and over the top. The oak rides along next to it and takes over by the finish. The finish is a blend of oak, pepper and rye with an underlying sweetness left over from the cherry. Getting lots of orange on subsequent sips too. Damn it, I am never getting a bottle of this. This is over the top too good and the hype on this will only get worse. I like this more than I was expecting. The balance of oak, sweetness, fruit and spice is just near perfect. One of the best Turkey products I have had.

The nose starts with a mix of dusty old leather bound books, cream cheese frosting and orange zest then a sweet powdered sugar dusted chocolate torte and toasted walnuts followed by cinnamon spiced apple streusel and baked cherry pie that transitions to spearmint, cloves and polished antique furniture with high ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with a mix of dusty old leather bound books, cream cheese frosting and orange zest then a spicy mocha and almond croissant followed by cinnamon spiced apple streusel and baked cherry pie that transitions to spearmint, cloves and slightly bitter oak spice with high ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with red hot candy, sautéed caramel apples, cloves, spearmint, dusty leather bound books and polished mahogany. This manages to bring in those traditional bourbon notes with old oak and a high rye spice that is well balanced but leans towards a mild bitter oak and higher spice than I'd prefer. It's still an incredible bourbon that I'd be happy to drink any day and was a great VFM bottle at $70, but sadly all the flippers have grabbed these up and are pricing it at $600+ today. Thankfully @soonershrink was kind enough to provide me with a sample to try this one as I'm not trying to feed the flippers anytime soon.

Nose is intoxicating red fruit, sweet caramel, and oak.  Unlike most Turkey, there is very little funk which I do miss, but after 13 yrs in the barrel the mellowing blows me away.  It is vibrant and delicious. Palate is caramel and vanilla, like bullseye candy.  Layers of ripe red apple and a nuttiness.  There is some back end spice that makes it ao balanced. Really enjoyable. Finish-  Oaky and rich with an even tempered warming and leaves you on a delightful taffy apple aftertaste. Overall- I am partial to Wild Turkey products in general. I sample and buy every Master's Keep, collect Russell's limited releases, and I am a sucker for their single barrel picks. My favorite drinkers are Rare Breed and 101. This though may well be the single best bourbon they have produced in a very long time. It lacks the signature funkiness you will get in 17 yr. BiB, and it does not have the crafty finish of WTMK Revival. It is not as spicy as Russell's 2002 edition. What it does have is waves of delicious fruit, caramel, vanilla, and oak. At the 69.99 pricetag (if you can get it for that) this bottle is a winner! Think WTMK goodness without paying for the fancy box.

Nose is certainly enticing. Powerful and rich aromas of red orchard fruits, leather, pipe tobacco, oak, all-spice, pepper, and a ton of char with minimal ethanol. Palate hits big and bold with baking spices (nutmeg, clove), cherry, vanilla, burnt sugars, cocoa powder, and hazelnut, with an undefined citrus note floating underneath (blood orange?) that is just perfect. Flavors exert themselves with authority. Finish is extremely long with charcoal, maple, leather, cinnamon, and smooth and refined oak. Lots of spice but less than many RR single barrels I have sampled. Mouthfeel is medium bodied but the oiliest I have ever sampled, which works wonders to deliver the different elements of the finish to all of your taste buds. What’s really impressive here is the balance; not too sweet, not too tannic, not too fruity, but just right. This is actually the first RR expression I have really liked and boy is it a doozy. Not sure what they did here that’s so different from the 10 year versions other than three more years but whatever it is, it’s magic. At $70 retail it’s not just a buy; it’s a clear the shelf. Just a delight.

This is the best WT product Ive ever had. Nose is grilled orange sprinkled with pepper, oiled saddle and waves of sweet charred oak. Deep and easy to pull in without ethanol fumes. I know with more time and pours this would provide a wealth of notes to devour. Palate is bursting with flavor. Buttery oak envelopes caramel apple, chocolate orange and toasted salted nuts. Powerful but refined. Again exploring a bottle will uncover much more. Finish is forever butterscotch and leather with fading barrel char/toasted oak. There is also a sort of aged dusty attic converted to an office vibe throughout. Magnificent bourbon in every way too bad its unattainable now. At standard pricing this is pass out on the floor value. Comparing to Cowboy this is a different approach. Cowboy is a chain saw this is a scalpel. Both are super elite bourbons imho.....95/100 ......thanks to sooner for the wonderful sample

NOSE: Leathery dried dark fruit, oak, cocoa, hazelnuts, cinnamon, caramel icing, vanilla taffy and a touch of citrus. Warm and inviting aroma that's nuanced and complex with a balanced line between sweet and rustic. It's something I want to just keep smelling. PALATE: Oak, spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, anise, cocoa, hazelnuts, caramel and vanilla with hints of banana and citrus. This is a little different compared to what we've come to expect from Wild Turkey. The Russell's Reserve 13 Years is, oddly, a tad fruity but in a way that's complimentary to the darker spicer notes. FINISH: Med-long -> Oak, spice, dark sweets and leather draw out to a dusty cocoa and creamsicle note.