Review #169: Russell’s Reserve 15 yr

MASH BILL: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley

PROOF: 117.2

AGE: 15 yrs

COST: $250 SRP for 750mL bottle (I’m reviewing a sample.)

If you’re new to bourbon and haven’t heard about Russel’s Reserve 15 year before, welcome! For the rest of you degenerates, this needs no introduction. As a matter of fact, I’m way late to the party.

Reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

APPEARANCE: A slightly golden, dark oak (1.7); viscous and oily looking on the side of the glass.

NOSE: Well…by the smell alone, I think I’ve been missing out. This is rich as all get out. It’s sweet, tannic, and spicy, all at the same time. Candied pecans with a warm butterscotch drizzle, dark butter caramel and stewed red fruit. There’s a minty note that accompanies a black cherry note, and toasted vanilla abound. A deep oak note, myrrh, chamomile, black tea, spicy dark tobacco, and a hint of orange citrus. The more I nose this I get Fernet.

PALATE: Oh shit…yeah, I’ve been missing out. An absolutely decadent seasoned oak profile. I wouldn’t normally pair the words “decadent” and “seasoned oak” in the same sentence, but that’s exactly what this is. A harmony of various oak notes and rich sweetness are constantly weaving in and out of this flavor profile: sweet oak, charred oak, tannins, and vanillin. An almost burnt brown sugar persists on the palate that compliments the oak well. Mint dark chocolate shows up mid palate along with maraschino cherry and continues into the finish. Cinnamon starts to show up at the end and gains momentum going into the finish. That rich, vanillin oak profile continues to pop up the most sprinkling vanilla notes amongst everything. With a good chew, a note of espresso shows up in a blend with tobacco, dark chocolate, and mint. The mouthfeel is perfect for this 117+ proof whiskey – oily, coating, and brings none of the proof heat.

FINISH: So many notes from the palate transfer over to the finish but just ramp up intensity: the chocolate, cinnamon, tannic oak, mint, and the orange citrus from the nose. As the cinnamon begins to die off, the black tea note from the nose starts to show back up prominently along with dark chocolate and a hint of cherry. A spicy tobacco note makes an appearance again as the other notes start to fade away. The finish is long and drying, but is just as complex as the rest of this sip. While the nose and palate never let on that this was a 117+ proof whiskey, there was a very nice warming hug that very slowly showed up during the finish letting you know this was a higher proof whiskey.

RATING: 10/10

OVERALL: This is something special! This was probably the most complex whiskey I’ve experienced. The nose, palate, and finish all were top notch experiences bringing fantastic blends of sweet, earthy, spice, herbal, and overall richness. Flavors ebbed and flowed across the entire experience really elevating this. I love how some notes were on the nose, absent on the palate, and then showed back up during the finish; that really strings together an excellent sipping experience. It also never seemed overly oaked for 15 years old, however, it always had a very dominant oak profile. I think a big part of that came from the variety of notes that danced around with the oak. This was a flawless poor, one that I wish an infinity bottle was truly a thing.

 

1 | Disgusting | ...I've not subjected myself to this level

2 | Poor | Balcones Lineage

3 | Bad | High West Double Rye, Jefferson's Ocean 28

4 | Sub-par | Weller's SR, Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select

5 | Good | Buffalo Trace, Sazerac Rye, Green River Wheated

6 | Very Good | Blanton's, Holladay Bourbons, Eagle Rare

7 | Great | Baker's 7yr SiB, BBCo Origin High Wheat, 1792 BiB

8 | Excellent | Most ECBP batches, JD SiB BiB, High West MWND Act 11

9 | Incredible | Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 121.2, BBC DS #7, Four Roses OESQ

10 | Perfect | Found North Batch 08, RR15