Review #160 - Russell's Reserve 13 Year
Bottled at 57.4% ABV, or 114.8 proof, and with a minimum of 13 years of aging, this Russell's Reserve bourbon from the Wild Turkey distillery is shaping up to be quite a tasty pour. The comments in the community seem to back that up - it's received almost universal acclaim, with no small share of reviewers naming it as one of the best bourbons they've had a chance to try.
Availability is the issue here - this is made in relatively small amounts, though we do seem to be getting batches with somewhat consistent timing. This bourbon can command some seriously high prices on the secondary market, though if you can get it for MSRP around $150, it's a better value proposition, considering its age and proof.
The bottle we're looking at is Batch 2, from the end of 2021.
Russell's Reserve 13 Year
USA - Bourbon
Price at MSRP: USD 150 (2023)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 290 (2023)
Age Statement: 13 Years
Strength: 57.4% ABV
Details: Batch 2
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 1 month (from a sample bottle); bottle at 60% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Rich and deep dark sweetness, very richly oaked, with strong baking spices of cinnamon and brown sugar. Bits of toast and candied pecans come with time, and there's a whiff of barrel char or wood smoke; fruit isn't a dominant note, but we did get a hint of cherries. With more time to open up, we found savory barbecue, stronger vanilla, and raisins.
Palate: A thick mouthfeel, with strong dusty oak again, which contributes some sharper spices like anise and clove, black pepper, maybe licorice, or even a cherry-licorice candy. Mature notes of tobacco and leather arrive in time, and then sweeter spices like cardamom and chai spices appear. There's a nutty character - peanuts, or maybe raw almonds, and then the fruit aspect increases on the back end - orange and some medicinal cherry.
Finish: Medium-long, warm and oily and cozy, and that lingering oak is still the strongest flavor. Sweetness comes from syrupy brown sugar and semi-dry vanilla, but it's balanced by plenty of barrel spices like black pepper and tobacco smoke. There's an aftertaste of sweet red fruit.
Final Note: Wow, this is a great bourbon. The age of the barrels allows the oak to become fully integrated, but it's never overwhelming; there's a great balance between the sweeter notes and the spicier notes. The mouthfeel is coating, and the high strength allows the flavors to be delivered at their full potential - this is very well made. One of the best bourbons we've tried, surely, and if you can find it as the suggested retail price, value isn't bad, either, which is unusual for a $100+ whisky.
Our Average Rating: 8.2 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating (at MSRP): 6.21
Check out our other Russell’s Reserve reviews:
