Review #262 - Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon
Another single barrel option from the Wild Turkey distillery - this is Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon. This is the non-specific barrel version - a standardized single barrel product, as opposed to a private barrel selection. These are bottled at 55% ABV (110 proof), and there's no use of chill filtration, so we could get a nicer, more oily texture.
Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon
USA - Bourbon
Price Paid: USD 66 (2023)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 68 (2024)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 55% ABV
Details: Not chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 2 months; bottles at 100%, 90%, and 80% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Sweet, dark and mature. Molasses, brown sugar, some old dusty oak, as well as candied pecans or pralines. Soft medicinal cherry shows up later; there's a lighter sweet side, with sweet corn, icing sugar, and some vanilla, as well.
Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel; still some dark sweet flavors of cinnamon, cardamom, dark cherries, and brown sugar. Nice red fruit flavors, and while the oak isn't overwhelming, it does add a decent spice. With time, we get nuts, caramel turtles, and hints of cherry cola.
Finish: Medium length, with lots of warming oak and brown sugar. Still leaning a little sweet, and we get tart cherries, molasses, caramelized sugars, and more cherry cola.
Final Note: Very tasty, with a nice dark, rich, sweet profile. Decent maturity without becoming too tannic, and the red fruits flavors paired with the caramel and molasses were a treat.
This is very good value, as well - if you can find it under $70, it would be a purchase recommendation from us. We would probably stretch that price up to $80, if we had to.
Our Average Rating: 7.3 / 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: 7.23
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