Russell's Reserve 13 Year Old Barrel Proof
Russell's Reserve · Wild Turkey Distillery
This is Wild Turkey's patient side — a bourbon that earned its depth by sitting in Kentucky heat for over a decade. The 13-year age statement shows restraint and reward in equal measure, delivering complexity that barrel proof amplifies rather than obscures.
Nose
Dense waves of caramel, dark cherry, and seasoned leather rise from the glass. Beneath that, charred oak mingles with baking spices and a faint tobacco sweetness that lingers in the nostrils.
Palate
Full-bodied and commanding, with butterscotch coating the tongue before yielding to earthy pecan and rye spice. The barrel proof delivers heat without aggression, and the oak influence is long without going tannic.
Finish
Extended and layered, with maple syrup, charred oak, and a lingering tobacco note that fades slowly into warm vanilla.
- Mash Bill
- Approximately 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley
- Barrel Type
- New charred American oak
- Bottled in Bond
- No
- Single Barrel
- No
- Wheated
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
Timber Old Fashioned — 2 oz Russell's Reserve 13 Year · 0.25 oz demerara syrup · 3 dashes Angostura bitters · Stir over a large ice cube, express an orange peel and discard.
Food Pairing
The charred, caramelized bark on slow-smoked brisket burnt ends mirrors the bourbon's heavy char and butterscotch, while the meat's fat cuts through the barrel proof intensity.
Master Distiller Eddie Russell hand-selected aged barrels from the family's rickhouses perched high on the hill above the Kentucky River, where temperature swings push whiskey deep into wood and back again over thirteen unforgiving summers.
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