Review #: 48
Description: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel: Total Wine – Lexington, KY
Spirit: Bourbon
Background: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel is a brand from Wild Turkey. Allegedly, these barrels were the Russell’s favorites that they didn’t want to blend into other brands, RR has received praise for their quality as well as parties selecting highly off-profile barrels with great flavors hard to find elsewhere. This one was selected by Total Wine in Lexington, KY and comes from barrel #18-0327, rickhouse CN-A, and floor #43.
Distillery – Wild Turkey
Bottler – Wild Turkey
Brand – Russell’s Reserve
Selection – Total Wine – Lexington, KY
ABV – 55%
Age – NAS
Nose – Lots of sweet fruit: cherry, orange. Marshmallow comes in and some ethanol
Taste – Gooey marshmallow, sweet, thick and chewy, caramel
Finish – Almost like a tart lemon and orange with the amount of citrus, cinnamon red hots that linger
Score: 7
Would I buy a bottle? Yes
Thoughts: From the first crack of this bottle, I got such a distinct note of marshmallow. It was honestly the first time that I was able to clearly identify a non-traditional bourbon note. The whole experience was lovely and I think it shows what the Russell’s Reserve line can bring. I would love to try more and more of these selections.