After a “wildly successful” (see what I did there all you Wild Turkey fans?) initial release in 2021… Russell’s Reserve 13 year Kentucky straight bourbon is back for 2022.
The oldest expression of Wild Turkey’s core range ever released under the Russell’s Reserve name will continue to be released in small quantities as part of an annual release. Their 2021 offering was described as a “once in a lifetime bourbon” by esteemed whiskey reviewer Fred Minnick, and the 2021 RR13 was then ultimately named his number 1 whiskey of the year.
Eddie Russell, who first introduced the 114.8-proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon in June 2021 says that by maintaining the barrel proof and opting not to chill filter the 13-year-old whiskey, it retains all the natural character of the bourbon as he originally intended.
“Crafting Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Old turned out to be one of my most rewarding experiences as a distiller,” said Eddie Russell, who celebrated a remarkable 40 years of bourbon making at the Wild Turkey Distillery last year. “This release embodies our commitment to creating uniquely satisfying flavors, and hands down, it’s one of our most rare bourbons. I would happily join Fred (Minnick) in sipping from this bottle for the rest of my life as well.“
Here are my thoughts on the 2022:
Age: 13 Year
Proof: 114.8
Color: Dark Amber
Nose: If chocolate covered caramel with a cherry in the middle was a scent… that’s what you might be getting when sticking your nose up in this bottle’s business.
Palate: Tastes like you took that chocolate covered caramel with a cherry in the middle and made a s’mores sandwich out of it. I get some burnt sugar flavoring, mild chocolate and dried fruitiness between a couple graham crackers. Sit me down by a fire, give me a pour of this, and I’d be in heaven.
Finish: It’s warm, and it sticks with you for a few extra moments, reminding you of the flavor explosion that just happened in your mouth.
So, does the 2022 offering live up to the 2021 bottling? Well, I think it just might. If you’re lucky enough to have both bottles to do a side by side comparison… let us know your thoughts in the comments!
