Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon

Aroma - Cinnamon Stick, Cherry, Honey, Vanilla Texture - Full and Hot Flavor - Baking Spices, Oak, Toffee, and Cinnamon Candies Finish - Long with more Oak, Vanilla, Cherry and subtle Almond and Chocolate

easy on the pallet, not too complex

Store pick. Mild rye spice, vanilla, grain, mild cherry. Has some proof, but smooth enough to drink lower than proof

Nose: Beautiful charred oak, vanilla, and buttered bread. Hits of nutmeg, cocoa, clove, cinnamon, and molasses. The rye in the mash bill is coming through beautifully, too, with rosemary, thyme, and maybe a touch of dill. Banana, strawberry, and cherries. For something at 110 proof, the nose is surprisingly gentle and approachable. Palate: Classic - oak, brown sugar, and vanilla. Baking spices from the nose come through, but presenting much more assertively. Hershey's process cocoa, camphor. Tannin is absolutely evident, both in taste and texture, but not overpowering. Mouthfeel is medium-light. Finish begins wish an excellent wash of mint, vanilla, black pepper, baking spices, chocolate, and rye spice. The tannin swells up and most of the flavors start to fade, though the mint transforms into an almost wintergreen character. A slightly creamy characteristic pokes in, and then everything slowly fades. Very slowly. There's some good oil content here, lending to a long finish. Other notes: I keep saying it, Wild Turkey is turning out some excellent examples in the different categories they deal in. Is this unusual or doing something different with the Bourbon template? No. But it does serve as a top-tier example of what the category is capable of when you refine and hone your distilling and maturation processes to a high degree. This has high rebuy potential for me.