Russell's Reserve 13 Year Bourbon (2022 Release)

I've pretty much abandoned the chase for rare and overpriced bourbon, but I managed to snag this bottle of Russell's Reserve 13 year in the state lottery. Im a Wild Turkey fan, so I was eager to try this bottle. Its got the classic Wild Turkey funk and a nice balance of sweetness, spice, and oak. Nothing about it blew me away, although it's very good. It's just not head and shoulders above other WT offerings. I haven't had Wild Breed in a while, but I don't think that the barrel proof RR 13 is significantly better. Would like to do a blind side by side. This was just my first pour, so maybe I'll be more impressed with subsequent sips. Bottom line, at its current price point $149 its overpriced, even more so at secondary around $300.

I guess I'll review it under this. Given there are sometimes 2 batches a year this method being used here isn't gonna work well. 2022/5/25 Nose - stately and yet youthful and off. A combination of aspartame, vanilla, caramel, and a strangely high oak and yet...funk note. This is classic wild turkey! Turned up to 13? I get red fruits, cinnamon, hazelnut, and it's lovely. Taste - While the nose, I may have focused on funk too much, the taste is WAY more on the funk. Old whisky notes with over the top oak and rich funky again aspartame and more custardy funk. I love this stuff. It's a wonderfully old and yet not old and stately whiskey! Turkey has found a way to do old without refinement but with some real power and force. I just compared this to knob 12 CS and the ECBP C923, it doesn't really hold up. But as it's own thing, I love it. 2.75. Great CS fun stuff, but nothing exceptional.

Nose: Sweet oak, barrel notes Taste: Smokey, simple elegance Finish: Cool, smooth runnings