The arrival of Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Old was a massive moment for bourbon drinkers and fans of the brand. This cask-strength, well-aged bourbon entered all of our hearts not only because of the huge demand surrounding it, but because of its gargantuan flavour profile. It has rocked almost everyone lucky enough to try it.
Russell’s Reserve is crafted by the team behind Wild Turkey. The Russell Family is, without doubt, one of the preeminent bourbon families in the United States, with decades of experience and a loyal fanbase.
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However, I think it would be fair to say that Wild Turkey does not get the respect it deserves, often dismissed as a bottom-shelf, low-quality bourbon, thanks in part to its affordability. Well, I am a huge proponent of Wild Turkey and, believe it or not, taking a closer look at the Russell’s Reserve 13 demonstrates exactly why I believe Wild Turkey deserves more love.
How Does Russell’s Reserve 13 Taste?
Once your nose adjusts to the 61.9% ABV, this thing opens up into a sweet, earthy, and rich profile, just like so many Wild Turkey products. There is mocha coffee, roasted coffee beans, swirls of milk chocolate, and roasted stone fruits, especially apricots and plums. The richness and creaminess of the aroma is insane. There is more creamy coffee, caramel cream, custard, rolling tobacco, lemon zest, Caramac chocolate bars, and empty coffee cups.
The arrival on the palate is amazing. It maintains that fullness and continues with chocolate, espresso, and juicy fruits. The wood and ABV are not as over the top as they might look on paper. The earthy notes Wild Turkey is famous for start to come out towards the end of the taste. It is all old leather, polished furniture, and old leather car seats. However, there are also some very prominent fruit notes, with lemon, green apples, and classic cherries.
The thickness and sweetness begin to fade as we move into the finish. Here, it is more about black coffee, unsweetened espresso, liquorice, lemon rind, caramelised white chocolate, and Maraschino cherries in their own syrup.
This is a truly wonderful bottle, where the ABV does not seem to get in the way of the flavour complexity. There are notes of black pepper and some barrel dryness, but I would never describe this as a spicy bottle. It is quite tame when it comes to extremes.
The extra aging, when compared to the standard Russell’s Reserve 10 Year Old, is a welcome development in the complexity of the nose. It is less about the fruity notes of the 10 Year Old and far more dominated by richer, darker, more luxurious flavours and aromas.
Wild Turkey Overall
A brand like Wild Turkey still has all the acclaim it needs without having to do what a lot of other distilleries resort to in order to move stock. This is not a dig at any other distillery, but Wild Turkey does not really play the scarcity card while still producing a huge amount of liquid.
Wild Turkey’s approach in the bourbon and wider whiskey landscape still has a working, blue-collar feel. Despite the brand being owned by a huge company like Campari, it somehow still feels like it is being made by your neighbours, the Russells.
I truly think this has been achieved by not overcharging for what they make. There are many other factors involved, of course: the mashbill, the sourcing of great oak, the fermentation process, and lots of other things. But when it comes to the final product on the shelf, Wild Turkey has never felt like a brand that needs marketing to help sell a bottle.
Wild Turkey 101
A bottle like Wild Turkey 101 is such a ubiquitous and well-rounded bottle of whiskey that it deserves to be in every household. Bottled at a generous 50.5% ABV and typically available for about £30 in the UK, around $25 in the US, and at similarly remarkable prices around the world, it just does everything you want it to.
It is sweet, potent, and drinks so well neat or in cocktails. It has had a recent rebrand, but it was a subtle clean-up rather than an overhaul, which has been the downfall of many other global whiskey brands. It has a steadfast and warm presence on shelves everywhere, from local supermarkets all the way up to some of the most well-known specialist retailers on the planet.
Wild Turkey 101 is the definition of: if it is not broken, do not fix it.
Wild Turkey Rare Breed
Then we move on to the cask-strength, mixed-age release: Rare Breed. It has a unique bottle shape when compared to the rest of the line-up, and rightly so. The punch and ability of this bottle of bourbon is almost unparalleled.
In my opinion, only a handful of those unicorn bottles just about beat this in a battle of pure flavour. Rare Breed delivers such a distinct aroma of sandalwood, chewy caramel sweets, earthy spices, and a slap around the face of barrel-proof spice and Russell family style.
You can still find this bottle for below £60 in the UK. I am unsure of current US pricing, but when compared to some of the bigger labels from larger distilleries, Rare Breed can absolutely hold its own and go toe-to-toe with whoever it wants to call up next.
It does not shout about its ability. It just quietly sits there and delivers for the people who know how brilliant it is.
Russell’s Reserve Range
Then we have the whiskey with the family name on it. Russell’s was originally launched as a celebration of the family, but it has become one of the most in-demand styles of bourbon produced in Kentucky.
This is Wild Turkey distillate aged for a little longer, making use of the influence of a higher-rye mashbill and the warmth of Kentucky on the final outcome of the liquid in those casks.
The 10 Year Old is such a brilliant, welcoming, and approachable style of well-aged bourbon. It functions a little differently from classic Wild Turkey. It is more fruit-driven and always reminds me of blackberries and mint. It does have spiciness, but it is not as earthy as classic Wild Turkey can be.
It is great if you can find it, but it comes in around the £60 mark in the UK.
Is Russell’s Reserve 13 Worth The Hunt?
Is Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Old worth the hunt? Yes, I would say so.
When you are looking to spend $200 on a bottle of bourbon, your choices are not exactly limited, but a large number of them are either unattainable or bottles you may never have heard of before.
As much as I love all kinds of whiskey, if I am dropping that kind of cash, I want to be aware of the distillery’s reputation, or at least be able to try the liquid first. I do not think Wild Turkey or Russell’s reputation is in jeopardy in any way at all.
Read the full article at Why Wild Turkey Deserves More Respect — And Russell’s Reserve 13 Proves It
