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Russell’s Reserve 15-Year-Old Bourbon Review

Russell’s Reserve 15-Year-Old Bourbon Review

In 2021, Wild Turkey shook up the bourbon community with the release of Russell’s Reserve 13-Year-Old Bourbon. This bottling was instantly hailed as a modern-day legend in many of the whiskey circles I run in. It later went on to finish #1 in my Top 10 Most Memorable Whiskies of 2021.

Since then, it was followed by four more releases. The only way to tell the differences between them is to look at the laser code since the labels and proof are identical. Russell’s 13 was never a blend of just 13-year-old barrels. Multiple sources across the internet have claimed that various batches contained anywhere from 15 to 20-year-old barrels blended in. It was even rumored that the youngest component of the third batch of Russell’s 13 (which was released in 2022) were 14-year-old barrels.

With such large amounts of highly-aged barrels available, I suppose it was only a matter of time before Wild Turkey decided they could create a new, more mature version of Russell’s Reserve.

Russell’s Reserve 15 Year

Of course enthusiasts went wild over the news that Wild Turkey was releasing a 15-year-old expression of Russell’s Reserve in late 2023. Of course there were strange sightings of RR15 bottles for sale on the secondary market before it was actually released to the public. And of course enthusiasts crashed the website to order a bottle of RR15 not once – but twice. Everything about the newest Russell’s bottling was pure pandemonium.

At the time of this writing, information is still trickling in about this release. First there were rumors that there were 50,000 bottles of this bourbon created. Then the math became even more refined and it was estimated that as many as 80,000 bottles were produced. The figures are reportedly that 900 barrels were selected for the inaugural batch with an average evaporation rate of 68%. If this all turns out to be true, then it’s a pretty massive release. For some perspective, that’s more bottles than all of the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batches released from a single year.

One piece of information that did come out recently was that the blend for this was 75% 15-year-old barrels and 25% 16-year-old barrels. They were all sourced from Camp Nelson. It also makes me wonder how the emptying out and demolition of Camp Nelson Warehouse C factored in to this release. Did a lot of barrels need to be dumped recently?

Is this what Jimmy Russell would have really wanted?

A final question that never seems to get any answer involves Jimmy Russell. His name shares half of the real estate on each bottle label of Russell’s Reserve and as such, we’d expect that he would have a say on the final product. Before I go any further, yes, I realize that Eddie was likely the main Russell that piloted this release.

But Jimmy has been on the record saying that (bourbon that’s) 6 or 7 years is good, 12 is the peak and anything older is usually too much. This makes me wonder how he truly feels about this new bourbon that bears his name.

I’d like to think that Jimmy’s opinion is based on the way that bourbon used to be made – back before the new distillery was built and new methods were implemented that systematically changed the character of Wild Turkey over time. If that’s the case, he was probably right. But nowadays it seems like Wild Turkey needs to be aged into the teenage years in order to become just as good as its predecessors.

Whatever your opinion of his opinion is, I think we can all agree that Russell’s Reserve 13 has been one of the best pure forms of Wild Turkey in recent years. Now that the 15 year version is out, it’s time to see if that remains true. Thanks to my friend Mike, I’m getting a chance to find out today. I am sampling this neat in a glencairn.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Scents of nutty toffee and melted pecan praline ice cream waft into my nostrils. There’s also some of the richest oak and tobacco notes I’ve smelled in a while – regardless of producer. Only Hardin’s Creek Kentucky Series: Frankfort rivals it. Fruit notes aren’t your typical bright ones found in younger Wild Turkey expressions. Instead, I get darker notes of mince pie and raisins. There’s also one more sweet note that pops up further into my session and its wildflower honey which also adds just a smidgen of floral.

Palate: The mouthfeel is incredibly oily, rich and decadent.  Based on the color of the bottle, if it was anything other than that, I’d be mad.  The amount of seasoned and antique oak flavors is off the charts.  There’s also flavors like just licking a cedar cigar box.  Fruit notes center around baked orchard fruit, figs, toasted orange peel and cherries.  There are even dried tea leaves too! 

Finish: Lingering flavors of hazelnuts, cocoa powder and glazed apple fritter remain long after the sip is done.  But those all play second fiddle to the complex leather and oak notes that also feature a hint of fortified wine.  There’s even a touch of licorice to let you know that there was some rye in the mash bill.  A classic chef’s kiss ending on an incredible bourbon.

Score: 9.4/10

This is an utterly delightful, flavor-packed bourbon that is among the best I’ve tasted all year. It was only when I was ready to give it a final score that I paused to recall any other a competitor that came close. Then it hit me, it’s probably Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year.

To be in such rare air with another legendary bottle speaks volumes about the care that was taken in the blend and also the quality of the barrels that were chosen. I’m sure the Russell’s or Campari could have just dumped random 15+ year-old barrels into a vat and sold out just as easily as this one has, but there seems to be no detail that’s been overlooked. This is a bottle that will be revered for generations to come and goes to show that – despite me saying otherwise a lot – bourbon isn’t dead.

Final Thoughts

Russell’s Reserve 15 Year is such an outstanding bourbon that I’m recommending to everyone reading this to go find their own bottle to enjoy.  Of course, hoarding and flipping tendencies have not died down even in 2024, so most of us will have to resort to the secondary market to get a bottle.  So, allow me to give you this one piece of advice: don’t buy this bottle from the secondary just yet.  Prices are still too high for something that they made 80,000 bottles of. 

Trust me when I say that the time to buy will be sometime in late December or January when the distributors have pushed out most of the bottles and the raffles are done.  The flippers who are trying to gouge honest drinkers like you and me will realize that they have holiday bills to pay and bottles that are slowly losing their value.  I expect the secondary value will settle down to at least $325 by then. 

Unfortunately, Russell’s 15 is too expensive (even at its retail price of $250) to make it onto my annual “Most Memorable List” I publish at the end of the year. But believe me when I say that if I removed the price cap on it, this would be near the top. But if you’re holding out for one big splurge this year, make sure that RR15 is on your list.

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