LouisianaLonghorn
Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
July 31, 2020 (edited July 22, 2022)
Before moving to Texas, I lived in Colorado for 25 years. Every spring break, I’d drive out to the western part of the state to hike in the desert and visit the national parks in eastern Utah. On my way home, I’d always stop at a small local candy shop in Grand Junction that made the best toffee available on God’s green earth. This bourbon has managed to capture that in a glass. Well done Russells!
This one takes a bit to open up in the glass. The nose, while initially muted, opens up into an amazing bouquet of caramel, brown sugar, vanillas, allspice, cinnamon, and the longer it sits, that amazing toffee note. No hint of the proof, which sets this one apart from Rare Breed.
Many of the reviews here describe this as balanced, and I’m inclined to agree. All the bourbon flavors are there in consort, with the toffee note leading the charge. I love the nutty, buttery, caramel, almost milk chocolate notes from well aged turkey. I didn’t get this from 101 or the RR 10 Year (though that one DID have a lovely maple syrup note), and it really helps this bottle stand out as the top of the standard Wild Turkey expressions IMO. The high proof and no chill filtration really help. It’s just packed full of flavor, with no trace of the proof. A rare achievement for a high proof bourbon.
I’m going 4.75 here. This is just outstanding. At $50, it’s probably one of the best values for quality in bourbon. This was not a store pick, just the standard single barrel offering. You can bet I’ll seek out a store pick when this one’s done! Cheers!
52.0
USD
per
Bottle
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My only real problem with Russels SiB is that Wild Turkey Rare Breed beats it hands down, and will typically price out 5 to 10 bucks lower.
@WhiskeyLonghorn challenge accepted
@bigwhitemike I’m sipping on some 101 right now and I definitely feel the brash, unapologetic youth on it relative to RR SiB. Still good, especially on ice. Love 101 on the rocks. Brings out the butterscotch.
@WhiskeyLonghorn good review and appreciate the supplemental info. I really like 101 but find Rare Breed to be only alright... i think it may be exactly what you describe, which makes me excited for the RRSiB. Need to crack open my bottle and finally try a pour!
I’ve had some inquiries about how this compares to Rare Breed. They’re similar in price and proof, so why does WT have both products. Think of them as cousins; one is thoughtful and refined (RR SiB), and the other is impulsive and brash (RB). The profiles are similar, but I get more toffee and complexity from the RR SiB, and RB is nuttier and drier. Both excellent pours, and you can’t go wrong either way. I prefer the SiB, but drink what you like. There’s no bad Turkey in my book.
One of my favorites
@WhiskeyLonghorn It's a store pick. They seem to have stopped stocking the regular at my local Total Wine, but a year ago regular was $60 and store pick was $65, so presumably it would still be $70 if they brought it back :(
@ContemplativeFox that’s a criminal markup. Is that for the regular single barrel or a store pick?
Would definitely get another bottle of this if it were $50-55 here. Sadly, it's up to $75 and I just can't justify that when WT Rare Breed is $40 :(
@Ctrexman it certainly is. It might be my new favorite bourbon for sipping.
@WhiskeyLonghorn Great tip! Thx!
@Anthology this is true, but from what I read on the Rare Bird 101 blog, the RR store picks are like Ardbeg; there’s good ones and great ones. The ones from the Camp Nelson warehouse are the honey barrels, particularly warehouse F.
I enjoyed their 10Yr bourbon. Good to see the single barrel sounds even better...which is exciting cos I have a store pick waiting on the wings. Only thing is, SiBs can occasionally be a coin flip from barrel to barrel.
Sounds delicious, will go right to my wish list