Russell's Reserve Binny's Private Barrel Selection 10-Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $75

- 110 Proof

- 10 Years

- Barrel #: 24-0375

- Kentucky

While in recent years there seems to have been a flood of store picks and private selections, particularly at the big box stores like Binny's, there are certain ones that I will still pick up nearly every time I find them. Russell's Reserve is one of those. While the demand for these picks isn't what it once was, the quality continues to be there, and I keep finding myself impressed with every one I try.

This bottle was no different for me.  Many of these are hovering around 9 years, even 8 years old.  So, I was pretty excited to grab a 10-year bottling (with an extra month thrown in for good measure).  Not that the age really matters, and I would have purchased the bottle regardless, but I'm still pulled in by those double digit age statements.

Right away the nose told me this was going to be good.  I got notes of cherry and caramel, and even a bit of cinnamon spice. It definitely had a cherry cola note, but with a little something extra to tingle my nostrils.  There was a light oakiness as well, along with some chocolate notes, but that cherry cola note really took hold.

And, much to my delight, the flavor carried those notes forward. Right up front were the cherry and caramel notes, even bordering on rich molasses. But, together they gave this distinct cherry cola note, almost like a concentrated version, that was rich and delicious.

It never go to be cloying, though. That's thanks to the cinnamon and even at times peppery spice that not only hit the tip of my tongue right up front but lasted throughout the finish. The light oak I got from the nose was also present, and that also helped keep this from becoming too sweet.  

I don't comment much on viscosity, but this bourbon was just oily and absolutely coated my mouth, lending to an extremely long finish that filled my mouth with cherry cola and chocolate notes, as well as the aforementioned (lawyer talk) cinnamon spice.  

This was one of those whiskeys that just checked every box for me. I know I love Russell's Reserve picks, and that I have a certain predisposition. But I was even shocked at just how much I loved this bottle.  Once it was opened it was gone within days, because I just found myself not wanting anything else until it was all gone.

Grade: A+

Russell's Reserve Binny's Private Selection Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $60

- 110 Proof

- 9 1/2 Years

- Barrel #22-0917; Warehouse B

- Kentucky

I've said it before, many times, but it's worth repeating.  When you find a Russell's Reserve pick on a shelf, grab it! They are just so consistently delicious!  Any time I'm traveling out of state and happen into a liquor store (yes, sometimes I just "happen" to go into one), I make it a point to see what store picks they might have available.  And, if I'm at a larger store where I have options, I then look for my go-to store picks, starting with Russell's Reserve single barrels.

While this wasn't one of those on-the-road finds, it was nonetheless an immediate purchase. On any given day Binny's will have dozens of available store picks to choose from. In fact, they have so many that it can at times result in paralysis by analysis, just trying to pick one to bring home. When they get them, the Russell's picks, however, are not going to be just "sitting there," at least not for long. So I was grateful to get my hands on this bottle. 

On the nose, I immediately got a rich and sweet combination of cinnamon, toffee and cherry notes. It was like some great combination of two of the better selections from an assorted chocolate tin!  The cherry took on kind of a Maraschino note which only added to the richness. I also got notes of wood, but not strong and lacking in any bitterness.

From first sip and throughout, the flavor consistently reminded me of cherry pie. It had the notes of rich, baked cherry, including that Maraschino note I got from the nose. There was certainly a baked goods quality to it as well, lending to the pie crust note that accompanied that cherry. There was even a rich, sweet syrup quality to it that seemingly rounded out that flavor. I couldn't get enough!

Behind that there was a certain cereal flavor to it as well. It mad me think of toasted Cheerios, which is a staple movie-watching snack in my household (and, therefore, may not be very relatable).  There was also a sort of dustiness, perhaps what others think of as the Wild Turkey funk. It's a funk that I've always loved, though, so to me it was welcome, even if only to counter some of the sweetness.

The finish provided some of that cinnamon spice that I was getting on the nose, but most prevalent was that baked cherry note that was consistent throughout. The pie crust note I was getting earlier took on a bit more of a graham cracker note, but it was still pretty delicious.

I have numerous bottles on my shelf that have been open for quite some time, years even. This, however, was not one of those bottles. This bottle lasted less than a week after opening it. I just couldn't help but keep going back to it.

Grade: A-

Russell's Reserve Binny's Private Barrel Select Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $60

- 110 Proof

- 9 Years, 7 Mos.

- Barrel #21-0824

- Kentucky

I think pretty much anything I can say about Russell's Reserve private picks really doesn't need saying. It's simple.  Whenever you see one, buy it. I don't care if I'm in Kentucky hunting things that I can't get in Illinois, or if I'm in some small unknown liquor store in the middle of nowhere. If I see a Russell's Reserve private pick on the shelf, it's coming home with me.

Of course, some are better than others. But, of the handful I've had, all have been excellent bourbons and more than worth the price.  Amazingly, we haven't yet seen the price jump on these that we have on other private picks (looking at you, Four Roses!).  I emphasize the "yet," though, as I feel it's only a matter of time.

As to this particular bottle, on the nose the first note I jotted down was cherry. This was unquestionably cherry forward, but more of a fresh, dark cherry note as opposed to that fake cherry flavor. Behind that was a sweet cola note as well as a bit of cinnamon spice. I also got a light oaky note as well, but this was certainly cherries first and foremost.

Not surprisingly, the cherry note was front and center on the palate. Quite frankly, given how prominent it was on the nose, I don't know how it couldn't be. However, it seemed to be paired well with rich caramel and cinnamon notes, giving it a bit of a dessert or pastry like note. Rich and sweet to be sure, but just a touch of spice.

It had a great viscosity as well, the kind you'd associate with a higher proof bourbon. With that viscosity came a long and flavorful finish full of cloves and sweet tobacco. I even got some rich anise notes and, of course, cherry. There was a nice cinnamon spice that lingered as well, making me salivate for that next sip.

This bourbon was complex, rich, sweet and spicy, and it really hit all the marks for me. I think this was one of the best Russell's Reserve picks I've had, so much so I may have to try to track down another.

Grade: A

Russell's Reserve 13 Year Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $75

- 114.8 Proof

- 13 Years

- Kentucky

What can I say about this release? When it was announced, I was very excited at the notion of one of my favorite distilleries putting out a limited release of one of my favorite brands aged for 13 years and bottled at cask strength!  What's not to love about that?  This was one of those few times where I got genuinely excited for a release and I certainly wanted to make sure to get my hands on a bottle.

And yet, I wasn't even aware that it had started hitting shelves in Illinois until my local store manager asked me if I wanted a bottle.  Seemed at the time to be a bit of a silly question, and I'm sure she knew the answer before I asked it. But, I was caught off guard, of course said yes, and excitedly brought the bottle home with me. Somehow, though, I managed enough restraint to not open it that night, but rather to wait a day until I could enjoy it with others.

When I took my first whiff of my glass, I knew I had something good here. I got a decent amount of oak, but certainly nothing overpowering. For me it was the right amount. Along with that I got sweeter notes of caramel and brown sugar, and it was very cookie-like. I also got a slight coffee note, and it came across almost like a mocha.

While the nose was very good, the flavor was even better.  I immediately noticed rich dark cherry notes that seemed to complement the oak that was certainly prevalent (but again, not overbearing by any stretch). I also got sweet vanilla and caramel notes that really worked well with the cherry and oak, and at times I got a burnt sugar note which added just a touch of smokiness to the mix.

On later pours I picked up some other notes, including orange peel, which gave it a bit of an Old Fashioned flavor. I also got notes of pie crust that really made the cherry notes come across as cherry pie filling. The wood notes I was getting earlier somehow seemed to temper what little bitterness they provided and even sweetened up a bit.

This had a great, long finish with a nice oily texture that coated the mouth in flavor for a long time. On the finish I got cherry cola, and later on it seemed more like a Dr. Pepper. There was a bit of black pepper spice, as well as a lingering anise note. 

I really loved everything about this bourbon. It hit on all cylinders for me, providing more wood influence, but only enough to be one of the notes in the mix, rather than the stand-out flavor. Every single flavor seemed to complement the others perfectly.  I really hope that Wild Turkey continues to put out these releases. I will grab any that I can get my hands on.

Grade: A

Russell's Reserve Liquor Barn "Quarantine Select #6" Private Selection Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $55

- 110 Proof

- 9 years

- Warehouse S

- Kentucky

Recently we took a Spring Break trip with the kids down to Louisville. My wife and I have been there a couple times, and, since we had no other Spring Break plans, we decided to do an impromptu family vacation to Louisville. What didn't occur to us, however, is that there's not a whole lot for kids to do in Louisville, and even less for them to do when everything is shut down by a pandemic.

While we struggled to provide entertainment for our kids, I still managed to sneak away one afternoon to get to Liquor Barn and peruse their offerings. After scanning the shelves of their various store picks my eyes landed on a Russell's Reserve pick. I haven't seen any of these around me recently, so without hesitation I made my choice. These are always solid and at a very reasonable price, and even as I was walking to the register one of the clerks gave his unsolicited approval of my choice. So, of the bottles that I brought home with me from that trip, this was the first one I opened.

On the nose I got a lot of cinnamon, more than I can recall ever experiencing from Russell's Reserve. It was almost a fake cinnamon, like Big Red gum. It seemed to mix with a pecan pie, as I was getting the corn syrup, pecans and even pie crust. Between the pie crust and the Big Red, it was really kind of an odd mix.

The flavor, however, didn't strike me as odd at all. In fact, it was quite good! The first thing I noticed was a smooth salted caramel note, and even a butterscotch note, like a Werther's candy.  The cinnamon was there, but it came across a bit like a cinnamon liqueur. I also got a sort of cherry flavor, and I noted that it was like cinnamon candied cherries (not that I've ever had such a thing, but if I did, I'd imagine this is what they'd taste like).

On the finish I got a lot of almond, and with that liqueur note, it came across a lot like amaretto. Interestingly, it was on the finish where the pie notes really started coming through as well. The graham cracker crust note was the flavor that seemed to linger the longest, even after the cinnamon spice had gone away. 

All in all this bourbon just had a bunch of delicious, almost comforting notes. Like a warm pastry topped with a creamy caramel icing and just a touch of cinnamon baked in. Whenever I'd go into my basement to stare at my whiskey shelves for a while trying to decide what to drink that particular night, I found it very hard to pick something else while this bottle was sitting there.  It was yet another excellent Russell's Reserve pick, and I hope to start seeing them more often by me again soon.

Grade: B+

Russell's Reserve Binny's Private Barrel Selection Kentucky Straight Bourbon - Barrel #20-0015

VITALS:

- $55

- 110 Proof

- NAS

- Barrel #20-0015

- Kentucky

It feels like it's been a while since Binny's, or any liquor store near me for that matter, got in any Russel's Reserve private picks. I've always had a tendency to gravitate towards them, and I've come across some absolutely stellar bottles. But it seems like for the past year or so we've been in a Russel's picks drought. Luckily for me, though, a couple weeks ago Binny's got in a nice haul of a few different Russel's Reserve barrels as well as some Kentucky Spirit barrels.

A buddy and I each grabbed a different barrel (if only I could have gotten one of each), and he got around to opening his before I could get to mine. His impression was essentially that it was just fine. It was a good whiskey, but not great, nothing to write home to mom about. That was a bit disappointing, and unfortunately I don't know what barrel he had. That being said, that's the best part of single barrels--each one is different. So his initial impressions motivated me to go ahead and crack mine open.

The nose on this was absolutely delicious. Right away I got rich notes of chocolate and cherry. That was balanced by a spicy cinnamon note, kind of like cinnamon sticks. There was also a layer of aroma that smelled a lot like chocolate chip cookies. These flavors all worked so well together, like some new type of amazing Christmas cookie that my wife needs to learn how to make.

The flavor didn't come across quite as bold. In fact, it didn't seem to drink up to its proof, if that makes sense. It wasn't as strong in flavor as I expected it to be given that it was 110 proof. That being said, the flavors were nonetheless delicious, and it had a sweet complexity to it that I really enjoyed.

I got a bunch of the traditional notes of brown sugar and caramel. Neither one was really dominant enough to be bomb-worthy (i.e. a "caramel bomb" as the kids on the internet would say). It actually had a really good balance of both flavors. 

What was missing, though, was the spice. I've become used to a certain level of spice in my Turkey products, at least in their bourbons certainly. Here, however, while there was a slight cinnamon flavor and spicy tingle, it just wasn't very strong. This came across as more of a sweeter bourbon, a profile which I would liken to a wheated bourbon, with any heat coming solely on the finish.

This was certainly a sweeter, dessert-like bourbon. It had this buttery quality to it, not in texture but in flavor, that was a lot like buttercream frosting. There was a healthy-enough dose of vanilla to make this work really well, and with the brown sugar seemed to come across like a frosted chocolate chip cookie (like those giant cookies you used to walk past at the mall).

This bottle was interesting. I expected a certain profile going in, and found that it wasn't at all what I expected. However, it proved to be a very tasty bourbon, and one certainly on the sweeter end. While I tend to lean more towards a spicier bourbon, this one was still really good, and I found myself working my way through the bottle at a pretty rapid rate. It certainly keeps me interested in finding more Russel's private picks.

Grade: B+

Russell's Reserve 6 Year Kentucky Straight Rye

VITALS:
- $45
- 90 Proof
- 6 years
- Kentucky

There are still so many staples or regularly available bottles on the shelf that I, for one reason or another, just haven't gotten around to trying. I've made it a point lately to pick up some of those bottles to supplement the ever-growing supply of store picks that I feel like I'm seeing everywhere now. This is one of those bottles.

I actually love Wild Turkey rye. I know this, and yet just now got around to grabbing this bottle. In all fairness, I've tried the entire lineup, but just hadn't purchased a bottle of this (nor the single barrel). That's a mistake that is not likely to be repeated, because, as I may have mentioned, I love Wild Turkey rye.

The nose is very cinnamon forward, with some light oak tones. Interestingly, I noticed some red wine notes as well, which was a bit unexpected. I got light, bitter tanins along with dark fruits, like plum or blackberry. This rye smelled very rich, particularly for a 90 proof whiskey.

The flavor was not nearly as strong or rich as the nose came across. Rather, the flavor came across softly and delicately. It seemed a lot more grain forward, as I got a little bit of a cornbread note. It also had some bready qualities, adding in some wheat and yeast flavors. This was all sweetened up by a dark honey flavor.

The rye spice was certainly there, though, even if a bit more subtle than I'd prefer. The cinnamon spice comes through well from front to back, and manages to linger pretty well on the finish. I also got that somewhat traditional dill note from the rye as well, and all this seemed to sit on top of a thin layer of caramel. The flavors were all somewhat fleeting, however.

The wine notes that I got on the nose did not make their way into the flavor. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. What was here, though was a classic, albeit sweeter rye flavor profile. It had a nice balance of sweet and heat, along with a bit more cereal-forward flavor than I usually get in a rye. There was nothing here that blew my mind or anything, but it's an absolutely solid, regularly available, everyday rye whiskey.

Grade: B+

Russell's Reserve Binny's Private Selecting Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon - Barrel #19-0035

VITALS:
- $54
- 110 Proof
- NAS
- Barrel #19-0035
- Kentucky

I do love Russel's Reserve bourbon, and lately I've managed to get some fantastic private picks, including a couple recent picks by Warehouse Liquors in Chicago and one from the last go-round at Binny's. This time around Binny's managed to get a bunch in, and I, once again, felt compelled to at least try one of them.

I got a few recommendations, and I read through the tasting notes on the approximately eight or so different barrels, that seemed to offer everything from woody to robust to sweet to spicy to fruity. It was nearly impossible to choose, so I just picked one in the middle, and Barrel #19-0035, heralding from the fourth floor of Rickhouse CN A, is what I got.

The nose was delicious and traditional. It gave off warm aromas of cinnamon and caramel, as well as a light chocolate flavor. It had a lot of wood on the nose, and even a bit of tobacco leaf, something I find more in Irish whiskeys than American whiskeys.  Also noticeable, however, was the health dose of alcohol on the nose. Frequently that will dissipate after the first pour or two, but with this one it remained pretty consistent through to the bottom of the bottle.

As to flavor, the very first thing that I noticed on the tip of my tongue was this great, salty-sweet combination that was like salted caramel. In fact, that salted caramel flavor seemed to dominate throughout this bottle.  All other flavors were really only playing second fiddle.

I never got the wood from the nose, or really anything else to balance out the sweetness. I got a bit of a raisin note, making it taste almost like a raisin cookie. However, that sweet caramel really overshadowed any of the more fruity, earthy or savory notes that might have been there.

On the finish, it had a little bit of spice to cut through the sweetness, with some nice, warm cinnamon at the end and a good, long Kentucky hug.  Even with that, however, I found myself smacking my lips after every sip, with that sticky caramel flavor just lingering.

As I'm writing this out, I'm realizing that for some palates, this might be exactly what people want in a bourbon. It actually sounds delicious! However, it was a bit too sweet and unbalanced for me, and it just seemed to get sweeter as it went. If it had a bit more influence from the wood, or if the spice was a little bit more forward, or if those dark fruits took a more prominent role, I feel like this would have been outstanding.

All in all, this was a very good barrel, it just didn't quite approach greatness for me.

Grade: B

Russel's Reserve Binny's Private Selection Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $60
- 110 Proof
- NAS
- Barrel #18-0137
- Kentucky

I haven't ever had a private selection of Russel's Reserve before. I've had a private selection of Kentucky Spirit, but for whatever reason I never grabbed one of these. Even this one was a Christmas gift from my wife. I don't know why, but I just never grabbed one off the shelf whenever I saw one.  That has likely changed going forward, though.

First of all, as I've said repeatedly in this blog, I love free whiskey! This is no exception. However, I always do my best to not let that skew my reviews.

The nose was certainly sweeter than other Wild Turkey products I've had. It almost had a maple syrup and vanilla quality to it, but without being cloyingly sweet if that makes sense. Perhaps it's because that sweet quality on the nose was balanced out a bit by some dark cherry tartness. Also, I've always found Wild Turkey products to have a certain funk to them, something I've always noticed on the nose. Not the case here.

The flavor had a sweetness to match the nose. It wasn't so maple syrup flavored, but rather a cinnamon and brown sugar flavor. It also had a slight chocolate flavor that seemed to add a bit of smoothness to round out that dessert-like profile.

This was one of those whiskeys where I noticed something different with nearly every pour. A couple times I poured a glass and I got a distinct sugar cookie flavor. As I thought about it more, I decided that it was more accurately a snicker-doodle flavor, like a sugar cookie but with some cinnamon and a slight bit of tang to it.

I also felt at points that it had a spiced baked apple pie note going on. The flavor was fleeting, but it was distinct and unavoidable. Even the final pours of this had a bit of a maraschino cherry flavor to them. They were sweet, but always had that bite to them to again balance out that flavor.

While this bottle didn't exactly blow me away, what it did provide was a lot of character, complexity, and a veritable cornucopia of flavors that seemed to change with each pour. In that sense, this was one of the more fun bottles I've enjoyed in quite some time. I can't tell you the last time I got snicker-doodle, that specific flavor, in a whiskey, but here it was. This was a very good bottle, and I will certainly make it a point to try other private select Russel's Reserve going forward. After all, I've never really had any good reason not to in the first place.

Grade: B+