Russell's Reserve 13 Year Bourbon (2021 Release)

Nose: high fusels, nuttiness, slight citrus Taste: medium to low heat, sweet (slightly nutty), slight dry note

Fruit punch. Pecan pie. Slight peanut. Orange zest. Cherry cough syrup late in the finish. Warm for its proof.

Smells like an autumn morning, ripe with cinnamon notes and roasted clove. Hot on the tongue, but finished with a nice candied yam on the back end.

Nose is intoxicating red fruit, sweet caramel, and oak.  Unlike most Turkey, there is very little funk which I do miss, but after 13 yrs in the barrel the mellowing blows me away.  It is vibrant and delicious. Palate is caramel and vanilla, like bullseye candy.  Layers of ripe red apple and a nuttiness.  There is some back end spice that makes it ao balanced. Really enjoyable. Finish-  Oaky and rich with an even tempered warming and leaves you on a delightful taffy apple aftertaste. Overall- I am partial to Wild Turkey products in general. I sample and buy every Master's Keep, collect Russell's limited releases, and I am a sucker for their single barrel picks. My favorite drinkers are Rare Breed and 101. This though may well be the single best bourbon they have produced in a very long time. It lacks the signature funkiness you will get in 17 yr. BiB, and it does not have the crafty finish of WTMK Revival. It is not as spicy as Russell's 2002 edition. What it does have is waves of delicious fruit, caramel, vanilla, and oak. At the 69.99 pricetag (if you can get it for that) this bottle is a winner! Think WTMK goodness without paying for the fancy box.

Neat. Sample. Been excited to dive into this sample. The hype on this bottle is dumb. It’s selling more on secondary than Master Keep, makes no sense. With that said, I get to enjoy this sample thanks to good whiskey friends who spoil me. I won’t own this myself without a lot of luck regardless what I think. On the nose, the oak comes across closer to 15 years honestly. It’s deep and musty. Wow, this is definitely coming across as a higher proof younger brother than the MK BTB 17. Deep cherry, little rye slap across the face. Lemon zest. Cinnamon and clove. Maple syrup. It’s very delightful. The cherry is the stand out aspect on the nose. Very viscous, syrupy grit even on the mouthfeel. Immediate, immense and intense flavors on impact. Cinnamon and sugar mixture, hint of chocolate. Clove again. Mid palate that cherry note is perfect. God. It’s a dark cherry and it’s juicy and over the top. The oak rides along next to it and takes over by the finish. The finish is a blend of oak, pepper and rye with an underlying sweetness left over from the cherry. Getting lots of orange on subsequent sips too. Damn it, I am never getting a bottle of this. This is over the top too good and the hype on this will only get worse. I like this more than I was expecting. The balance of oak, sweetness, fruit and spice is just near perfect. One of the best Turkey products I have had.