Distillery: Wild Turkey
Proof: 110
Age: 8-10 years
Mashbill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Price: $60
Company
Wild Turkey, based in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, is one of the most well-known brands in the bourbon world (and 101 is their most popular offering).
Master Distiller, Jimmy Russell, has 60 years of experience and is often referred to as the “Buddha of Bourbon”. You can pretty much guarantee that any bourbon made by Wild Turkey will be worth buying.
Production
According to their site, Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel is matured in the deepest No. 4 alligator char barrels, individually bottled at 110 proof, and non-chill filtered to guarantee maximum flavor.
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Review
Nose – 4.125/5
Rye, vanilla, toffee, caramel, and just a hint of smoke. A familiar Wild Turkey nose with a bit more character.
| Inspector’s Score | Insider’s Score | Average Score |
|---|---|---|
| 4.25/5 | 4/5 | 4.125/5 |
Palate – 4.125/5
Great balance of spicy and sweet. Caramel with rye spice. Hints of cereal grain, toffee, and a touch of dark fruit. Pretty consistent with the nose. Does a much better job at maintaining balance than Wild Turkey 101 does, in my opinion.
| Inspector’s Score | Insider’s Score | Average Score |
|---|---|---|
| 4.25/5 | 4/5 | 4.125/5 |
Finish – 4/5
Long finish with rye spice, leather, oak, and black pepper. It fades over time into sweeter flavors like caramel.
| Inspector’s Score | Insider’s Score | Average Score |
|---|---|---|
| 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
Value – 4/5
At $60-$70, this is a really solid value. It provides a well-aged, dynamic bourbon that finds a great balance of sweetness and spice.
This isn’t a great bourbon for beginners who can’t handle the initial punch, but even for someone like me who tends to like rye-heavy bourbon less, this is a really good bottle. I will gladly purchase another.
| Inspector’s Score | Insider’s Score | Average Score |
|---|---|---|
| 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Review: The Verdict
4.06/5
We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.
Scoring System:
- Platinum – 4.25 – 5
- Gold – 3.25 – 4.24
- Silver – 2.75 – 3.24
- Bronze – <2.75
Hunter Branch is the Founder and Director of Editorial for Bourbon Inspector. He has been writing about and professionally reviewing bourbon since 2020 (and has been drinking it for much longer). He’s been able to interview big names in the bourbon industry like Trey Zoeller from Jefferson’s Bourbon and his work has been featured in publications like TastingTable, Mashed, and more.