Russell's Reserve 13 Year Bourbon (2021 Release)

NOSE: Leathery dried dark fruit, oak, cocoa, hazelnuts, cinnamon, caramel icing, vanilla taffy and a touch of citrus. Warm and inviting aroma that's nuanced and complex with a balanced line between sweet and rustic. It's something I want to just keep smelling. PALATE: Oak, spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, anise, cocoa, hazelnuts, caramel and vanilla with hints of banana and citrus. This is a little different compared to what we've come to expect from Wild Turkey. The Russell's Reserve 13 Years is, oddly, a tad fruity but in a way that's complimentary to the darker spicer notes. FINISH: Med-long -> Oak, spice, dark sweets and leather draw out to a dusty cocoa and creamsicle note.

This was everything I already loved about the Russell’s Reserve line, dialed up to 13 (years). Truly very special from start to lingering finish.

Great bourbon for a father's day gift #DAD

First impression: I think this is what you would expect from another 4-ish? years on the regular single barrel. There's naturally a lot of similarity - same flavors are there, with fruit, vanilla, toasted brown sugar, but richer, smoother, and definitely more oak than the regular single barrel. I really like it, although wonder if this may be pushing the limit for aging this whiskey before it becomes too oaked. Quite a bit less alcohol burn despite slightly higher proof. Seems worth the 15$ premium over the regular single barrel. I really like the SiB, but this is even better. Update: this is really delicious. After having a nip of this alongside the regular SiB, this is a more significant upgrade than I initially thought. Update 2: having tried quite a few barrel proof bourbons in the six months since opening this, including some greats in JDSBBP, Stagg Jr., and Garrison Cowboy and Balmo, I prefer this to all of them (although Cowboy is fairly close). The complexity, depth, and richness is superb. 5 star whiskey.