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

Staff Reviews

WB

Will Blakely

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.