Russell's Reserve 13 Year Bourbon (2021 Release)

Rich, dark amber color. Really grabs the glass, showing just a few slow-moving legs. Nose packs a whallop: cinnamon, leather, vanilla, dark caramel and a hint of mint or eucalyptus all tied in with an intense oak backbone. Notable rye contribution, but the barrel seems to own the show. Really warms the throat and chest, leaving behind a wonderfully long roll out of flavor. Front is rich with spices, and citrus notes, followed by a mid palate that shows some sweetness. Finishes is really long and drawn out with oak being the big player... Some spice and burnt caramel linger with tart berry and citrus notes in there, too. This is an outstanding bourbon, without a doubt. A few drops of water open it up some and brings out layers of sweetness in each phase. Undoubtedly going to be looking for another bottle of this to stash.

Got lucky with an early bottle. Compared it to opened Russell's 10 year and Russell's Single Barrel that I already had on my shelf. Neat or on the rocks, it destroyed both of them. Fantastic bourbon.