Russell’s Reserve 10 Year is a bit enigmatic to me. It tends to sit on shelves way too long, in my opinion, when it ought to be gobbled up like it’s a Buffalo Trace Distillery bottle. I’m glad that it’s not, though, because selfishly, I want to be able to buy this on the regular.
It’s a product of Wild Turkey Distillery, an homage to the master distillers, the father-and-son double threat dynamic duo, Jimmy and Eddie Russell, who have a combined tenure of over 100 years. That’s a hell of a legacy, and this bottle is one that celebrates that perfectly.
This is made from Wild Turkey’s single bourbon mash bill (the same recipe as all Wild Turkey bourbons) and is a hand selected blend of barrels aged ten years or longer, which is what sets it apart. It’s 90 proof, and is made up of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley.
If you like Wild Turkey, this is unique in that it was the longest age of any of their products, yet is lower in proof than many of their other products. Some people equate it to Buffalo Trace’s Eagle Rare because of the value proposition (similar price point) and its 10 year age stamp, yet that’s where the comparisons end. They’re the products of two different distilleries and Eagle Rare tends to be smoother and sweeter due to a lower rye component in the mash bill.
But, ignore everything I’ve said. Russell’s Reserve is horrible. Don’t buy it. Leave it on the shelf (so I can grab it when I want it.)
🥃
Cheers!