Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)

"...a tremendous value for those seeking a higher-aged and lower-proof bourbon from one of the nation's best distilleries." - breakingbourbon.com

Bourbon is a family tradition at Wild Turkey, with Master Distiller Jimmy Russell following his father and grandfather before him, more recently joined by his son, Eddie. Both men believe ten years is a wonderful stage of maturity for a bourbon. In fact, it was Eddie who suggested to Jimmy that they offer a special bottling to demonstrate just that. Jimmy agreed, and in honour of their joint effort, he put their name on it. Since launching around 2008, we've had several opportunities to taste this whiskey, and in our opinion, it remains one of Kentucky's top values. Given enough air time to settle into its groove, you get a robust bourbon sniff that evokes spicy toffee apple, sweet cereals, vanilla, dark chocolate and dried fruits, pancake and maple syrup. The palate exhibits a mouthwatering sweet / dry balance with bold, crisp, crunchy grains (plenty for rye lovers here) followed by beautifully integrated spices, finishing with hints of cool mint freshness and impressive staying power. In the core range, this has the oldest age statement but one of the lowest proofs, a combination which some tasters think allows the nuances of well-aged Wild Turkey to be showcased in a more delicate way. The mash bill remains consistent with other expressions, being 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley. 45% alc./vol.

Other reviews... Russell's Reserve 10 Year may not be the most talked about Wild Turkey bourbon, but it offers a tremendous value for those seeking a higher-aged and lower-proof bourbon from one of the nation's best distilleries. Wild Turkey offers less in the range of bourbons than other big Kentucky distilleries, largely because they use only one bourbon mashbill and their distillate enters the barrel well under the maximum 125 proof required by law. However, each of their products offers something unique, and Russell's Reserve 10 Year is no exception. Just as importantly, it's readily-available and typically found within range of its MSRP. While it’s not often cited as people's favorite Wild Turkey product, it's a must-have for anyone seeking a traditional higher-aged, lower-proof sipping bourbon. - breakingbourbon.com

...Nose: Fascinating layering of diverse aromas ; something almost smoky to this one, perhaps from extracting a peculiar, heavy-ish character from the oak; thinned by a delicate gooseberry note (yes, really!) - as opposed to the usual citrus - which itself is sandwiched between subtle Demerera sugar and vanilla; the rye also makes itself heard; Taste:  the body flexes muscles enough to compound the rich brown sugar/liquorice background and intense rye fruitiness. Serious chewing required; Flavour: excellent depth, with the oaks now offering impressive soft bitter balance; remains long and consistent as the spices amplify; Body: unquestionably an upgrade on the last bottling i examined and shows complexity of this world great distillery. But i still cannot even begin to get my head around that a whiskey named after bourbon legend Jimmy Russell is bottled at 90 proof and not his own preferred 101. One of the true wonders of the whiskey world, that... 94 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2010

Nose: Stunning rye-citrus combo...Taste: seriously mega for its age, not so much in the firm cocoa oak, but the utter enormity of the small grain depth...Finish: gentle, minty spices cool the mouth... Entirely flawless whiskey. 96 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2006