Russell’s Reserve 13yr Review | Whiskey Raiders
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93
Bourbon

Russell’s Reserve 13yr

  • Distiller:

    Wild Turkey

  • Bottler:

    Wild Turkey

  • ABV:

    57.4%

  • Age:

    13 Years

  • Price:
    $$$$$
Aggregated Reviews
  • Raided Score: 90
  • Publication: Whiskey Raiders
  • Excerpt: This is a bruiser. While it's a bit oaky for me to ladle on the top of the charts ratings, this is very good whiskey and an absolute standout to the right drinker.
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  • Raided Score: 90
  • Publication: The Bourbon Finder
  • Excerpt: This is a dense and flavorful release, wow! I think this is Turkey dialed up to near it’s maximum. The mouthfeel here is the only thing that held it back from scoring a tad higher for me, but I am (in no way) disappointed by Russell’s Reserve 13.
  • Read Full Review
  • Raided Score: 95
  • Publication: Paste
  • Excerpt: To me, this bourbon is elevated to rarified air not by the vivaciousness or intensity of specific, stand-out flavors, but by the overall cohesion and balance of the end result. This is flavor-balancing artistry on display, on a top-tier level of skill clearly possessed by Eddie Russell.
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  • Raided Score: 95
  • Publication: Bourbon for the Masses
  • Excerpt: This is an excellent release and lives up to the standards I expect from Wild Turkey. They have managed to take the standard Russell’s profile that we all know and love and elevate it. This is easily one of the best releases of the year.
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  • Raided Score: 89
  • Publication: Distiller
  • Excerpt: The finish is hot and lengthy, with cassia bark, spearmint, and vanilla, along with cedar, oak, and leather. Add a touch of water to bring forward more of a rich, chocolaty sweetness.
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  • Raided Score: 95
  • Publication: Drink Hacker
  • Excerpt: I would never have pegged this at coming in over 57% abv — taking you down an immersive and increasingly complex rabbit hole the more you sip on it. The finish offers endless waves of caramel, complementing the palate and soothing any rough edges you might have encountered along the way.
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  • Raided Score: 90
  • Publication: Malt Review
  • Excerpt: Despite the younger age, I feel like the wood is more forcefully expressed here, especially toward the back of the palate, where the bourbon loses a bit of balance due to the bitterness of the tannic influence.
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  • Raided Score: 95
  • Publication: The Whiskey Jug
  • Excerpt: With, or without, water, this is a very tasty whiskey. It hits all the notes Wild Turkey fans look for, but with some added sweetness and dimension to it.
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  • Raided Score: 94
  • Publication: The Bourbon Culture
  • Excerpt: The nose on Russell’s Reserve 13 year is probably the star of the show in a show that contains a lot of stars already. Rich, oaky and extremely well batched are just a few of my thoughts as I took it all in. This is probably the best Wild Turkey release to come out of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky in the past 5 years (if not longer).
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  • Raided Score: 95
  • Publication: Whiskey Consensus
  • Excerpt: The complex flavors mixed with a higher proof well aged whiskey and I find myself at a lack for words to say anything wrong with this release.
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Raided Score is a conversion from an external site's score, to our in house uniform scoring system. Please see the FAQ for more.

House Review
  • Intro:

    Distilled by Wild Turkey and comprised of barrels aged at least 13 years old, this release is also bottled at barrel proof without filtering. it appears to exist as a direct competitor to Stagg Jr and Elijah Craig Barrel Proof - can it hold its own? Let's dig in.

  • Nose:

    Hefty oak, cherry pie, sweet butter cream, orange peel, big and bold clove and barrel char, baking spice and sweet sweet cherry cordials. Delectable.

  • Taste:

    Heavy on the oak, a touch bitter for me, but it's a bull in a china shop of flavor. Oak, cherry cordials, candied oranges and ginger, pepper, oak and a whallop of tannin.

  • Finish:

    Long, oaky, dry but packed full of flavor. While it's heavy on the oak, it's also heavy on the flavor, an arguable juggernaut of character. Cocoa, orange peel, cherry pie and bold, tannic dryness from tip to long, long finish.

  • Overall:

    This is a bruiser. While it's a bit oaky for me to ladle on the top of the charts ratings, this is very good whiskey and an absolute standout to the right drinker.

  • Score:

    7

  • By t8ke
  • Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources
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