I was really looking forward to getting this bottle. Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel is one of my all time favorites. This is a 13 year old version of that bourbon, weighing in at 114.8 proof. This is non-chill filtered and I have told many a person that if I ever became rich enough to buy the Wild Turkey distillery I would take a Louisville Slugger baseball bat to the chill filtering machine. Wild Turkey’s bourbon is so very delicious and chill filtering really damages the flavor in my opinion. I bought this for $100.

The color on this is a nice solid amber with some mahogany flecks in it. Rather than legs on the swirl, the copita is coated in a rich oily film that take a while before rich legs form. On the nose is vanilla, caramel, hints of dark fruits, and rich oak. Really nice. On the palate the vanilla is really present and the caramel takes a back seat, but there are cherry and grapefuit notes along with rich cinnamon. The mouthfeel on this bourbon is extremely rich. On the finish is tons of cinnamon and oak that really lingers.

This thirteen year old barrel proof release of Russell’s Reserve bourbon is really on par with some of Wild Turkey’s Master’s Keep releases. The flavors and the richness of the mouthfeel are truly outstanding and are representative of how truly great Wild Turkey bourbon can be.