Distillery: Wild Turkey Distilling Company
Region: Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Aging: No Age Statement
ABV: 52%
Proof: 104
Mash Bill: 51% Rye, 37% Corn, 12% Malted Barley
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
Price: $65
Appearance: Dark Honey
Russell’s Reserve Rye – Single Barrel Tasting Notes
Nose: Caramel, oak, vanilla, candied cherries and oranges, leather, pepper notes, cinnamon, anise, clove, chocolate tobacco – Interestingly enough, the nose of the empty glass reminds me of the exact smell of the chocolate tobacco I used to get in college with my freshman roommate.
Palate: Rich caramel, oak, candied fruits, pepper, buttery, leather, and chocolate Tobacco
Finish: Long finish with rich flavors – caramel, oak, and pepper really carry through – oily, buttery mouthfeel lingers with lasting pepper and spice
Is Russell’s Reserve Rye – Single Barrel an Approachable Whiskey?
Russell’s Reserve Rye Single Barrel packs a lot of punch into your glass. While this will be an enjoyable drink for an experienced whiskey drinker, I would imagine a beginner would likely get their taste buds blown out with this one.
Is Russell’s Reserve Rye – Single Barrel Complex?
Russell’s Reserve Rye – Single Barrel has a lot of complexity. Since it is a single barrel and is non-chill filtered, it has retained a lot of bold flavors.
To start, we get the caramel and oak flavors right away. As the whiskey moves toward the sides and back of your palate, we start to get some more flavors to unfold.
Next comes the candied fruit which for me is a combination of maybe candied cherry and candied orange. Regardless, it feels bright in your mouth and wakes up your taste buds.
Then you get hit with the pepper, spice, tobacco, and leather notes which really ground the flavors. They feel very rich on the finish and are topped off by the entire experience having an oily, buttery mouthfeel due to the non-chill filtering.
What are Russell’s Reserve Rye – Single Barrel’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Russell’s Reserve Rye – Single Barrel’s strongest attribute is its complexity. It has so many flavors packed into each pour that your taste buds will really get a nice jolt each time you take a sip.
Is Russell’s Reserve Rye – Single Barrel a go-to whiskey?
Price point aside, Russell’s Reserve Rye – Single Barrel would easily be a go-to whiskey for me. I could see this being a bottle that I would start expecting to have just a single pour and looking down an hour later to see a fifth of the bottle had disappeared.
However, with a price point of $65, I think I would have to recommend the regular Russell’s Reserve 6 Year as the go-to everyday sipper and save this one for nights when you’re looking for a special pour.
Is Russell’s Reserve Rye – Single Barrel priced accurately to its quality?
Russell’s Reserve Rye – Single Barrel is priced accurately and I’d probably even pay a little bit more for this bottle on special occasions. I’m very impressed with the flavors in this bottle and especially the finish and excellent mouthfeel. I’m a sucker for non-chill filtered whiskey so this one just hit right up my alley.
Conclusion for Russell’s Reserve Rye – Single Barrel
Russell’s Reserve Rye – Single Barrel is easily one of the best Rye whiskeys I have ever tried. I’m very glad I purchased this bottle and decided to review it for you all.
If you see this one on the shelf, I’d highly recommend picking up 2 bottles – one to drink quickly and one to save for your bar.
Let Us Know What You Think
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Thanks for reading and cheers!
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