Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon

Little rye forward for me

The matcha at bar leather apron

Tasting carmel. I do not care for it because of the 55ABV. Its a little too hot for me. I also taste a hint of leather.

Good nose and bourbon flavors that hit the palate like caramel.

This was a sample, so I don't know what it cost the person who gave it to me, but here in Albuquerque Total Wine lists it for $87.99. The mash bill is 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% barley. It's 110 proof, and in the glass the color is copper. If there's an age statement on the bottle I don't know it, of course, since it was a sample. NOSE: Butter! right off the bat, like I was actually smelling a stick of butter. Then came vanilla, roasting ears, birthday cake (I couldn't be more specific than that, though I tried to determine what flavor of cake and icing the note was indicating), and something else warm and sweet that I couldn't identify. Perhaps over time I could sort the nose out better. MOUTHFEEL: Thick and creamy. TASTE: Cinnamon, brown sugar, oak, red pepper, and a faint honey note. FINISH: Medium, beginning with oak and a little honey, just plain alcohol heat, and finally lingering oak. SUMMARY: This strikes me as being less complex than I expected, but it's definitely good bourbon. I'm not sure that it's better than some standard whiskies - that is, not single barrels or other special expressions - but it is good, and of course single barrels do vary, so another bottle might be better (or worse) than this. I will say that though I like it, I wouldn't pay nearly $90 for it, but at $50 I'd call it a good deal. RATING: On my hick scale, it's the fifth (counting from the bottom), which is Good. That translates to 3.125 stars, or 62.5/100, or 6.25/10, if you prefer those kinds of ratings.

Had part of a flight of 4 tastings. Great bourbon with tons of layers , good sweetness with balance