Russell's Reserve 6 Year Rye

Smooth smooth, slightly syrupy (in a good way) finish, sweet with a hint of anise/almond. One of the best ryes I’ve had in a long time.

Wow, that's some seriously intense caramel on the nose, especially for only 6 years, but I guess that's likely those intense "alligator" barrels. This honestly may be tough to distinguish between a rye whiskey and a bourbon if this were a blind tasting. Having said that, the rye can be detected as a smooth, clean fresh grain scent, which, again, is odd considering being aged for some time. I expected caramel on the taste (even though that doesn't make sense for a rye whiskey), but instead found some burnt sugar and yet a bit of raw oak at the same time. The rye is not as strong as I was hoping for, but then again, I'm not sure what percentage of the mash truly is rye for this one. It definitely is clean, with typical rye notes like grass, cinnamon, and broken bread, but they all ride on a very weak body. I decided to get this over the single barrel rye to save money and try to find another rye whiskey I was craving, and I can tell the prospects and ideas were good, but the execution doesn't quite land where it should. This is somewhat shocking, given how much strong rye flavor comes through on all of Wild Turkey's products. The proof is probably one of the biggest losses, as I'm sure the rye would come through better with a higher proof blend. I'm almost positive that the single barrel is a higher proof, but this batch isn't enough to get me curious into trying the single barrel for the price point.

Nose: Straightforward flavor profile - classic nutmeg, star anise, dill, thyme, rosemary, with some black pepper. Oak comes through nicely, with barrel char punching through just enough to be interesting. Lovely stone fruits, maraschino cherries, and whipped cream. Palate: The herbs and spices on the nose come through mostly as you'd expect. The oak presents with some great tannin character, while the black pepper sits back a little. Fruity character is more banana than apricot, with some blueberry, as well. Milk chocolate, Hershey's style. Medium-light body. Finish starts off with a great pop of black pepper and tannin (both flavor and texture)/oak, with strawberry and banana. Finish slowly fades, giving way to a really nice mint/wintergreen and vanilla bean. Things stay consistent from there on out. Medium long finish. Other notes: This is definitely classic rye but with some excellent depth and complexity. It doesn't get into super funky territory (Spirit Works Single Barrel, for instance), but still offers exactly what I want. The age is evident and supports my theory that most rye would be more widely appreciated with just a little more time in the barrel. If you're into rye (or want to like it), this might just fit the bill. Solid rebuy potential.