Russell's Reserve Single Barrel "#19-1108" (Rickhouse CN A, Floor 4) K&L Exclusive Kentucky Straight Bourbon (750ml)

$64.99

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K&L Buyer

It's always interesting to taste two casks that were distilled on the same day and lived in the same warehouse, but some how taste wildly different. Where as the 18-439 seems to have moved into what might be described as a bit of an outlier profile, this is right where I imagine a great barrel of WT at Camp Nelson for 10 years would be. The nose is that great contrast between the sweet cola, singing citrus peel and the dark earthy spice that we know and love from turkey. The palate is rich and textured with less cinnamon than its sister and more roasted spices, sweet bark and earthy pepper. The palate is driven and long with the dark green herbs and menthol taking over. A really serious bottle best for an expert palate.

Staff Reviews

Will Blakely

I was first struck by the sweet and sticky nose, which caused me initially to interpret this bottle as the brown sugar beast among the lot. Upon further investigation, though, it unveils an impressive and nuanced array of flavors. The dark syrup is merely an adornment for apricot, sultana, orange zest and crunchy graham cracker. And atop all that, somehow, white pepper and rosemary float effortlessly, providing a compelling counterpoint without creating strife. With exceptional balance and a fascinating finish, it keeps me coming back for more.

Notes

We picked another set of excellent Russell's Reserve barrels with the wonderful Bruce Russell back in April of 2019. Of the 20 casks we tasted that day, we selected three barrels that stood out as being some of the finest we'd ever experienced from the venerable distillery in Tyrone, KY. That's saying a lot considering the incredible casks we've previously sold, but the bourbon world is starting to wake up to WT and especially these old casks which were distilled at the old demolished distillery down the hill from the current facility. Barrel #19-1108 was distilled on the exact same day as the excellent cask 18-439. It was filled into the same Camp Nelson rickhouse A and the same floor as its sister cask. The only difference in their maturation is cask #18-439 was pulled to Tyrone a year earlier and left there after being selected by someone else, but never bottled. We snatched that up the second we got a snort, but bought this barrel because of its obvious merits as well. It was only after that we realized they've been distilled on the very same day and aged in similar places. This cask is probably what most traditional Wild Turkey drinkers are looking for. An immediate rush of cola, big clove, dark vanilla bean, burnt citrus peel, hints of licorice, maple syrup, dried herbs and leaves. The palate is surprisingly supple with classic Red Hots, roasting coffee beans, citrus oil and a sweet caramelized oak. Big, bold and spicy—this is why they call her the Kickin' Chicken.

Details

Origin	Kentucky, United States
Type/Varietal	Bourbon
Alcohol Content	55%
SKU	1439020