The Russell’s Reserve Private Barrel Selection program offers retailers and distributors exclusive access to individual barrels of Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel bourbon and rye. These barrels are hand-selected by Wild Turkey’s Master Distillers resulting in a limited, highly sought-after product. While every barrel is different there are some similarities based on warehouse and location which might be helpful to those seeking our specific warehouses.
The line is made by Wild Turkey and is named in honor of Jimmy & Eddie Russell, the father & son master distiller team who has worked for more than 100 combined years at Wild Turkey. This Private Barrel is considered to be cask strength as it enters the barrel at near 110 proof.
This bottle comes from Liquor Junction which has 5 locations in Massachusetts.
Bourbon Review: Russell’s Reserve Private Barrel Selection
ABV: 55% (110 Proof)
Age: 8Years
Distilled Date: 10/25/2016
Dumped Date: 3/27/2025
Bottled Date: 4/9/2025
Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Distillery: Wild Turkey
Warehouse: TY B
Floor: 4th
Barrel #: 25-118
Location: Lawrenceburg, KY (USA)
The Nose: A very thin nose that consists of vanilla, caramel, cotton candy and a touch of burnt sugar. I wish it was more vibrant but we are here to drink our bourbon, not smell it.
The Taste: The initial sip has a subtle brown sugar sweetness with a hint of butter pecan. Subsequent sips see baked apple, heavily charred oak, and a subtle toffee. Sadly the thin aromas carried over to the drink, perhaps even more so. It was a struggle.
The Finish: Medium in duration charred oak is dominant. There is also a touch of brown sugar, citrus and white pepper. But sadly there isn’t a lot going on with this barrel pick.
Conclusion: The Russell’s Reserve Private Barrel Selection is one of thinnest bottles of Russell’s I have ever experienced. I had to dig really deep to figure out what I was tasting as nothing was really in your face. I’ll make this political for a moment if you allow me to digress. I am not a big believer in COVID. I believe it’s a mismanaged version of the flu that some Governor’s made huge mistakes with. The fact I struggled to taste this bourbon I took a home test (wife is in medical field so we have tests at home. She’s had it a few times but no worse than a cold). I tested negative, so this review stands. It was disappointing, but if I see a new barrel pick on the shelf, I’ll be the first to buy it. Surely, it can’t be as bland as this one.
Score: 81
Price: $74.99 (750 ml)
