Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Rye

Spicy, woody, good burn

Pretty faint nose with the predominant note being a grassy rye grain; like someone grabbed a fresh stalk and ran it through a grain mill. Digging deeper there is some citrus zest, vanilla, and ginger. This is a decent nose, but quite frankly I want a lot more of it. Palate pops more than the nose, opening with some caramel, vanilla, and lemon peel, transitioning in the mid-palate to candied baking spices in the form of ginger, nutmeg, and a little clove. Not a lot of herbs with this one, just kind of an underlying alfalfa note which brings a welcome earthiness. Just when you’re thinking “is this going to just taste like a high rye bourbon?”, in comes a really long finish of orange peel, oak, and a blast of black peppery rye spice that definitively answers that question. A delicious hint of flan when the pepper fades. The mix between sweet and spice is nearly perfect. Mouthfeel is silky and creamy. I really enjoyed this, primarily for the balanced profile as it is neither a sugary 51% barely rye or a herbaceous mint bomb, but right in between. I picked this up on clearance for $52, and at that price it would literally be a staple in my cabinet. When not on clearance we are looking at $74 and there I feel a strong “meh” on the rebuy prospects. To be fair, my rating will reflect the price I paid. Oh and for those who are wondering how it compares on an A/B test with Rare Breed rye, I got you. As expected, the flavor profiles are very similar. Rare Breed loses the creamy mouthfeel, as it’s much grainier. Russell’s is more balanced and integrated, while RB is spicer and punchier. Which I prefer would probably depend on my mood. Do I want the smooth ride of a Ferris Wheel or the thrill of the Tilt-A-Whirl? I do see myself buying the Rare Breed more often to get this profile as for some reason Rare Breed goes for about $55 in my area, making the price for RR just...dumb.

Caramel, tobacco, and butterscotch in the nose. Some cinnamon spice mixed in with the initial heat in the taste. Some butterscotch sweetness being that finishing up with some lingering tobacco/leather. @aboutbeverages

Nose: Tobacco and Vanilla Taste: Very peppery but not super hot with tobacco and a bit of vanilla. Long taste

Nose is fruitcake, spruce and mint. The longer it sits, the sweeter it noses and smells like Christmas! The palate is spicy pepper, Wild Turkey Dust/Must, sour apple and mint. Finish is pretty good with more Turkey Dust, tobacco, pine and mint. Darn good rye for the money!