Review #305 - Russell's Reserve 11 Year Private Barrel Selection - Wiseguy Lounge Pick 'Recreational Cough Syrup'
The Russell's Reserve brand from Wild Turkey has a standardized single barrel product, but they also allow store pick selections, like this one. This pick was selected by the Wiseguy Lounge, a small chain of speakeasy-style bars in the Midwestern US.
After distillation in 2011, this bourbon sat for more than 11 years before it was bottled in November of 2022 at 55% ABV (110 proof), the standard bottling strength for the Russell's single barrel series. It's also not chill filtered, meaning we should get plenty of flavor and texture in the bottle.
Russell's Reserve 11 Year Private Barrel Selection - Wiseguy Lounge Pick 'Recreational Cough Syrup'
USA - Bourbon
Current Locally Available Price: USD 125 (2024)
Age Statement: 11 Years
Strength: 55% ABV
Details: Not chill filtered; distilled September 19, 2011, bottled November 1, 2022; warehouse E, floor 4
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 40% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Subtle and soft at first, but stronger oak slowly appears. Little hints of sweet cherry arrive in time, but the nose is quite muted for the strength.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick, with syrupy, almost creamy texture, lots of oils. Dark complexion, subtle at first - oak grows with time, more maturity arrives, and there are red fruit flavors of cherries and pomegranate juice. Hints of char and barbecue sit in the background.
Finish: The finish is long, with plenty of oak, not too dry - more soft and sweet and slightly dusty. A bit earthy, and we get charred berries, like raspberry and cherry; in the aftertaste, the cherry turns more medicinal, and there's also syrupy sweetness.
Final Note: Quite a reserved single barrel - this does eventually show its age with those oak notes in the palate, but it takes a long time to open up. The red fruit flavors were a treat, but in the end, the flavors are quite soft, not too punchy for the 55% ABV. It isn't totally muted, but it's not as flavorful as we had hoped.
This is a pricy single barrel selection, more than we generally see these Russell's Reserve picks go for, though it does come with an 11 year age statement. Because of that cost, the value is a little bit lower for this bottle.
Our Average Rating: 6.5 / 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: 5.20
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Russell’s Reserve reviews:
Review #262 - Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon
