Review - Russell's Reserve 10 yr


Distillery: Wild Turkey
Owner: Campari
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
Age: 10 yrs
Proof/ABV: 90 / 45%


Nose: A pleasant explosion of summer fruits that quickly fades into notes of orange peel, lemon zest and hints of spice. The caramel and vanilla profile sit in the background. 
Nose Score: 4 pts

Palate: Medium bodied. Your palate is greeted by an explosion of caramel candied orange and baking spices. This sweetness is balanced by hints of oak with a slight bitterness in the background. The alcohol is noticeable but not overbearing. 
Palate Score: 4 pts


Finish: Medium length and feels disconnected. This is where the Bourbon falls apart for me. The oak and and spices fight for attention in the finish. The caramel, vanilla and orange notes disappear completely. It felt like a completely different whisky in the finish. 
Finish Score: 2 pts

Overall: The nose and the palate were fantastic. The standard Bourbon profile was present all through out both phases of the experience. The summer fruits and orange notes tied the nose and palate together making for a very pleasant experience. Unfortunately, the finish fell apart. The finish was just a completely different experience compared to the nose and palate and in a bad way. It was just oak and spices fighting for attention. 
Overall Score: 2.5 pts

Total Score: 12.5 pts

Rating: Buy and share. I really love the nose and palate from this bottle. The Bourbon profile is solid in both phases and was what tied the two together. The nose and palate complimented each other really well making the experience even more pleasant. The finish was a huge bummer. I would still buy and share this whisky with friends because of the nose and the palate. It is a great example of what harmony and complexity is in a whisky - if only I could say the same thing with the finish. 

P.S. This was a 2018 bottling. I will revisit this whisky with their newest bottling soon and update my post. 


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