Russell's Reserve, 13 Year Old
Another high-profile, hard-to-get release from Russell's Reserve, the premium line from Wild Turkey named after father-and-son master distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell. This Kentucky Straight Bourbon uses the Wild Turkey mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. First released in 2021 and an annual fixture since 2022, the 13 Year Old returns each spring to high demand. Bottled at barrel proof, the ABV shifts between batches, but the acclaim holds firm.
Nose
Dark chocolate, antique oak, black cherry
Palate
Fudge, butterscotch, marzipan
Finish
Cinnamon, long finish, raspberry jam
This high-proof Kentucky straight wastes no time in winning you over. It emanates an alluring bouquet of black cherry, tanned leather, and dark chocolate as soon as it enters the snifter. The first sip reveals a near-supernatural degree of integration between oak and spirit: rounded vanilla spice from the former, marmalade and marzipan from the latter. This plays with more dessert in the sip: firm filaments of fudge, butterscotch, creme brûlée, and almond tart. There's a stunning resolve of fresh fruit marmalade, dusted in cinnamon and cocoa powder in the finish. Finally, we have tanned leather and tobacco as a lasting token of optimal bluegrass maturation.
