Russell’s Reserve 15-Year-Old Bourbon Release
Every so often, you will sample a bottle of bourbon that is an outlier, a whiskey with a beautiful palate that is so enjoyable to drink that you cannot wait to test it again. That is my experience with the Russell’s Reserve 15-year-old bourbon release.
Russell’s Reserve Origins
Russell’s Reserve was created in 1998 to celebrate Jimmy Russell’s forty-five years of service to Wild Turkey. Jimmy was the long-time master distiller for Wild Turkey and helped make the modern-day bourbon boom by being an ambassador for the people. His honest, down-home approach to teaching people about bourbon is appreciated by anyone who ever spent time with him. Even after he passed the master distiller torch to his son, Eddie Russell, Jimmy continued to be an ambassador for the brand and for the distillery. Often, he would hold court in the distillery gift shop and happily sign bottles for visitors. He is the Master Distiller’s Master Distiller. For more information on Jimmy Russell, please see my previous post HERE.
The Wild Turkey Mashbill
Wild Turkey uses two different mashbills. One for their bourbon and one for their rye whiskey. Their bourbon mash bill is 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. This standard recipe is used for all their bourbon releases. What makes each release unique is the aging and barrel selection.
Russell’s Reserve 15-Year-Old Bourbon
Master Distiller Eddie Russell guided this release, another significant part of his distilling prowess. Non-chill-filtered and bottled at 117.2 proof, it is a wonderful example of complex flavors. It is a wonderful bourbon to drink neat, and one of the best Wild Turkey releases I have sampled. This full-bodied bourbon is substantially better than their previous 13-year-old release of Russell’s Reserve. My tasting notes include cherry, molasses, nutmeg, and coffee notes. On the nose, I enjoy the clove, dried fruit, and oak undertones. Russell’s Reserve 15-year-old bourbon release is truly outstanding. I highly recommend sampling it if you can find it. Recently, on a trip through Kentucky, I located two restaurants that had it on the menu. However, their prices per pour at $90 and $70 were slightly out of hand. A fair price would be in the 35-dollar range for a pour.
Russell’s Reserve 15-year-old bourbon release video
For additional information on this bottle of whiskey, please see our full video review HERE.