Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested for about 15 minutes.
Distillery: Wild Turkey Distilling Co.
Proof: 114.8.
Age: 13 years. Barrel proof, non-chill filtered.
Mash bill: 75% Corn/13% Rye/12% Malted Barley.
Retail Price: $150.00.
Appearance: Auburn.
Nose
This begins with a fantastic mix of dark chocolate and Luxardo cherry, caramelized brown sugar, root beer, and butterscotch. Alongside are vanilla beans with orange peel, herbaceous flavors of cloves, green tea with nutmeg, and a well-balanced layer of cinnamon spice and toasted oak underneath. This smells as good as it sounds.
Palate
With a very creamy mouthfeel, the nose moves to the palate with dark chocolate, root beer, butterscotch, dark brown sugar, cherries, cloves, green tea, and toasted oak as a nice punch of cinnamon spice enters the sip, covering the whole palate. The palate is more oak-forward than the nose, but it has plenty of herbaceous flavors to add balance and complexity, with a noticeable cherry note coming through. Like the nose, the profile becomes sweeter with more butterscotch and root beer as the session continues. This is an excellent, well-aged, and well-crafted bourbon that drinks well at its proof point.
Finish
Cinnamon spice continues to linger with dark chocolate, brown sugar, root beer, orange peel, subtle cherry, vanilla, and oak. Tannins of tobacco enter the finish, lingering with chocolate as this super-long oak-driven finish ends with no bitterness.
Conclusion
Here I am with another review of a divisive Russell’s Reserve release. I’ve read comments saying the 13-Year 2023 release is more oak-forward and less complex than previous 13-Year releases. I can’t speak to that since this is the only Russell’s Reserve 13 Year release I’ve had. I agree this release isn’t super complex, but I love its well-aged barrel character, which brings out dark chocolate, brown sugar, root beer, and butterscotch. There are also plenty of herbaceous flavors, with a moderate amount of cherries, vanilla, orange peel, and spice to balance out the oak. This is a Wild Turkey flavor profile that’s right up my alley. Especially after it’s had a couple of weeks to open up. I’m also impressed with how well Eddie Russell blended this release without a hint of being too tannic. Russell’s Reserve 13 Year 2023 may be a try-before-you-buy release for some folks, but if this profile sounds like it’s in your wheelhouse, I highly recommend it.
Rating: 8.5/10.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all-time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
