Russell's Reserve Binny's Private Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Barrel No. 21-0888

VITALS:

- $60

- 110 Proof

- 8 1/2 years

- Barrel No. 21-0888

- Warehouse F

- Kentucky

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Russell's Reserve picks are always a must-buy for me whenever I see them!  As far as setting the bar, I've never had one that has been less than what I would consider "really good," and I have had some absolutely phenomenal bottles. I do happen to love Wild Turkey bourbon to start, but for some reason, I have never even come close to a clunker of a store pick on the Russell's Reserves.

It's been a while since Binny's has had some of these come in. I think prior to this one being released, there was one barrel that was released a couple months prior, which I never saw. Prior to that, I have no idea how long it had been. So I jumped at the opportunity of grabbing this one.

On the nose I got a bold, sweet and spicy mix of cinnamon and cherry. It also had some chocolate notes to it as well that, mixed with the alcohol fumes, gave it a sort of cherry cordial note. It also had a richness to it, as I was getting candied pecans, maple syrup, and even a bit of allspice.

The flavor leaned more towards the rich notes from the than the cherry notes. Cinnamon and nutmeg were the most forward notes. Backing those flavors was a creamy and sweet kind of nougat note along with a rich caramel note. Together it absolutely reminded me of a Milky Way candy bar, but without being sugary sweet.

It certainly leaned more sweet than spicy, though, with a little more sweetness than I get out of regular Russell's Reserve. However, there was still a soft and warm cinnamon spice as well as a nutty note that helped keep it balanced and from going over the edge into being too sweet.

The finish was interesting as there it turned to more of a cola flavor. The caramel notes really stuck around for quite a while after each sip. Eventually the cherry from the nose came through on the finish as well, and the finish had a certain Dr. Pepper quality. There was also something bright and almost citrusy on the finish, kind of like a bright orange note.

The best indicator of how much I like a whiskey is how fast I finish the bottle.  Of course there are some that are amazing, but that I hold onto and milk a bit due to rarity or sentimental value. But, for everything else, it's clear that I love a bottle when I finish it within a week of opening it, and that was the case here. I just kept going back to it because it was just so delicious. I only wish I had more!

Grade: A

Russell's Reserve Warehouse Liquors Private Barrel Selection Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon - No. 20-0007

VITALS:

- $68

- 110 Proof

- 8 yrs., 8 mos.

- Barrel No. 20-0007

- Kentucky

Gene over at Warehouse Liquors in Chicago has a great palate. At least, for the most part, he has tastes and preferences that seem to closely align with mine (which is what makes his palate great, of course!).  While there have been private picks here and there that weren't necessarily my favorite, for the most part I have come to trust his picks knowing that I'm getting something pretty damn good.

And such was the case when I decided to grab this bottle. The price was a little steeper than I'm used to for Russell's Reserve picks. However, it had been a while since Warehouse last got a Russell's pick in. And the past picks that Gene has done have been amazing, so I still didn't hesitate to grab it off the shelf. Quite frankly, I'm so glad I did.

The nose has the hallmarks of what I love in a bourbon, with cinnamon and vanilla dominating. There was a bit of a graham crackery note as well as a cherry pie filling note to it as well to round out that cherry pie note. At times that graham cracker note came across a bit more bready or yeasty, but it didn't really detract from the nose. It just made it smell a bit more like a bakery.

The first thing I noticed when I tasted it was the long, drawn out cinnamon flavor. It seemed to be layered on top of a light anise note. I also got some darker fruit flavors, like raising and fig. It came across immediately as rich and full of flavor, with a lot of complexity.

From the first pour, this bottle seemed to only get better with each sip. That bready yeast note from the nose came through, rounding out that baked goods type flavor. It even had some light oak notes, just enough to counter some of the sweetness and add a bit more complexity and character to the flavor. 

The vanilla from the nose was there, but it wasn't a sweet vanilla. It was more like straight vanilla extract. While the sweetness didn't come from the vanilla, it worked because it found its way in other ways. It had a honey and graham cracker note that provided all the light sweetness the whiskey needed without letting it come across as a categorically "sweet" bourbon. In fact, it had kind of a butter cookie flavor to it on the last few pours that I absolutely loved.

The finish kept that honey and graham cracker note, but it was followed very quickly by a nice black pepper spice that didn't seem to show up until after I finished each sip. This was almost perfect, because it had me immediately diving back into my glass for that next sip.  

Again, while the price was a little steep, this was still worth every penny. Great flavor, great complexity and overall just a great bourbon.  I honestly wish I had another.

Grade: A