Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon

Nose: Butter, Toffee, Cinnamon Spice Taste: Toasted Coconut, Cinnamon, Proof brings some spice Finish: Long, oak, coconut

This is wonderful. On the sweet side, but has some complexity unlike a lot of bourbon I’ve tried. If the price was right, I would buy this. Got to try from Philip.

Addendum: The single batch nature of this bourbon is shown clearly in a new bottled purchased only a couple months since the last one…and this one has a lot of rye on the nose which simply wasn’t there with the bottle I reviewed late last year…under the rye is orange peel, pine needles and vanilla. Interesting and very different. Taste is intense burnt orange and light vanilla and tannin spice. Though I get a lot of tannin I don’t taste the oak like I did with the original bottle. Also unlike the last bottle I could drink straight despite the 55% alcohol this new bottle really needs water due to the high alcohol and spice. Once watered down you get a nice rye character, orange, dark chocolate and ginger spice. Its nice stuff in many ways but I have to say it is simply not in the same class as the original bottle I reviewed which was a titanic bourbon. Although I’m guessing this new one would make a better Old Fashioned and is great on the rocks. I originally gave this 5 stars and this bottle in front of me is really only up for 3 ½ stars so I’m adjusting my overall rating down to 4 stars to reflect the nature of this bourbon. Original Review - This is like a single malt in many ways but the nose tells you this a Bourbon - a really good one! The nose has all those notes - big sweet vanilla and oak and yes the burnt sugar and spice. But then there is an almost floral note before the leather and cigar come through. This is clearly from the same family tree as their 10 Year old expression but its more refined and yes more alcohol 55%. You notice the alcohol but it can be drank neat very easily - may be too easily.... Orange peel, dark chocolate and marzipan are the first things you notice. Vanilla and oak are very much present but this is a multilayered whisky and one that impresses in every turn. It doesn't have the bone dry tannin finish of 10 year which is actually a good thing even though I liked that quality in a bourbon. Water as I often find makes for a game of winners and losers - part of this is me as I prefer to drink whisky neat in almost every case - hey I preferred to drink Bowmore Tempest neat which make me officially insane. Having said that water does bring a level of refinement and only slightly mutes some of those special flavours; the marzipan and burnt orange. Like the 10 year old you feel there are more layers to explore and peel back as you explore the bottle. Wow is the word. Again in Australia this is $76 and a total bargain and in the dram world its spiritual cousin is the A'bunadh and that's almost double the price. 4.5 stars or 95.