Russell's Reserve Private Barrel Selection

A blind tasting was conducted comparing this 10-year-old, another brand's Rare Breed, and this Private Selection. The first glass strongly suggested the 10-year-old, the second the Rare Breed, and the third this Private Selection, making for a surprisingly straightforward comparison, likely due to the same distiller and varying product tiers. The 10-year-old offered a tangy, light cherry and slightly smoky aroma, with a more subdued taste of caramel, ethanol, and a lighter cherry finish. It has improved since last year, earning a 4. The Rare Breed presented the familiar tangy aroma, with stronger, fuller cherry and vanilla notes than the 10-year-old. Its taste was also tangier, more complex, and full-bodied, featuring smooth caramel and medium cherry with a sweeter, lighter finish, rated 4.25. This Private Selection stood out with a less tangy but sweeter, fruitier aroma. The taste was a cherry explosion, exceptionally smooth yet potent, with less of the familiar tang. It's the top choice with a 4.5 rating, though the Rare Breed is also excellent.

Kroger Wine & Spirits selection Barrel No. 22-0915 Warehouse CN-B; Floor 6 Distilled - 05-09-2013 Dumped - 06-08-2023 Bottled - 07-17-2023 Age - 10 years, 30 days Open 6 weeks Nose: Bitter oak tannins, dry cinnamon, black pepper, light caramel, clove, burnt vanilla, musty hay, and moderate ethanol. Palate: An unusual mix of oily and drying, unsweetened gingerbread, peppercorns, toffee, and toasted marshmallow. The finish is medium-long, with pronounced bitter and dry oak, freshly cracked peppercorns, ginger, cinnamon, and strong ethanol. Who would have thought a Kroger in Northern Kentucky would have a 10+ year Russell's pick for $15 less than local independent shops? The stores appeared to have a poor selection, yet surprisingly offered multiple barrel picks and batches of Elijah Craig, Russell's, Wild Turkey, Knob Creek, Booker's, and other spirits typically found at higher prices elsewhere. Perhaps this sat on the shelf because it wasn't very good, arguably the worst Russell's pick I've encountered. Initially, I would have rated this 2.5-2.75. Fortunately, it improved with time. It was harsh, tannic, and strangely off-profile. It lacks the typical caramel and vanilla found in most Wild Turkey products. I'll still consider other Kroger picks if they're cheaper; they can't all be bad.

Selected by The Party Source, "Shady's Pick" Barrel No. 21-0117 Warehouse K; Floor 4 Distilled - 12-26-2012 Dumped - 09-20-2022 Bottled - 10-12-2022 Age - 9 years, 8 months, 25 days Opened 7 weeks Nose - Warm cinnamon pastries, sweet caramel, a touch of nutmeg, cherry candy, subtle earthy notes, moderate wood spice, and noticeable alcohol. Palate - Cereal with honey and nuts, sugary corn, spicy ginger cookies, raw sugar, cherry cough syrup, piquant white pepper, baking spices, and sweet wood. The aftertaste is moderately long, featuring drier, astringent wood, black pepper, dehydrated stone fruit, grainy toffee, toasted notes, and moderate alcohol. This is the area where I reduce the score by 0.25-0.5 points, and it was smoother previously. It seems Russell's Reserve picks are quite scarce now, at least around Ohio and Kentucky. Retail prices in Kentucky reflect this, costing over $20 more than the state-run stores. However, I found only two bottles remaining upon entering the shop, and the manager mentioned they had just been released and sold out rapidly. I regret not purchasing both, regardless of the cost. This is the finest Russell's Reserve pick I've experienced. A superior Russell's selection is difficult to surpass. Perhaps its age is a factor? Typically, they are 8-9 years old, while this one is closer to the 10-year mark of the standard Russell's 10.

This selection, from a specific barrel, exhibited caramel, butterscotch, funnel cake, cinnamon, clove, shortbread, subtle oak, and moderate alcohol on the nose. The palate presented notes of a cinnamon bun lacking sufficient sugar and frosting, rye bread, dill, aged leather, chewy caramel, medicinal cherry, and cereal grains. Its medium finish contained notes of sweet oak, baking spices, burnt marshmallow, underripe stone fruit, and light alcohol. Initially unremarkable, this spirit improved significantly after being open for a couple of weeks. Selections from this distillery, when priced reasonably, are always a worthwhile purchase, as even a less impressive example surpasses most other available spirits. However, the price for these store-specific selections has climbed notably in a privatized market, often costing $10-20 more than the standard single barrel offering. This price increase is solely for the added information, which the distillery intentionally omits from standard releases. While still justifiable, a future price point around $100 would necessitate a more critical evaluation.

OHLQ 2024 selection barrel #1 Barrel No. 24-0205 Warehouse TYR-F; Floor 4 Distilled - 10-28-2015 Dumped - 03-18-2024 Bottled - 04-17-2024 Age - 8 years, 4 months, 19 days Opened 7 weeks Nose: Hints of cocoa powder, toasted marshmallow, cherry vanilla, bright cinnamon, nutmeg, peanut shell, grain, moderate oak, and medium ethanol. Palate: This bourbon offers flavors reminiscent of inexpensive milk chocolate-covered cherries. It also has a touch of cinnamon powder and cereal grain. The finish is long, featuring semi-sweet chocolate, medicinal cherry, cinnamon vanilla frosting, and light ethanol. I'm incredibly thankful that we can still purchase excellent selections from state-controlled liquor stores, as these particular bottles are priced between $80-95 wherever I've checked in Kentucky. So far, the few I've bought from OHLQ have been hits. This is a superb, slightly unconventional bottle with a more pronounced chocolate profile than usual. With an additional year or two of aging to smooth out some of the harshness from the grain and baking spices, it could have reached a perfect score. In summary, OHLQ does a commendable job with their barrel selections.

This bottle was chosen for the 2019 Kentucky Bourbon affair by a particular reviewer. I acquired it soon after from the source. It's a 2019 Camp Nelson F release that aged in oak for a bit over a decade. Barrel: 19-1339 CNF 6 For my palate, Wild Turkey expressions excel between 8 and 11 years of age, so this falls right in my preferred range. The aroma presents oak and Luxardo cherry syrup, complemented by a subtle hint of vanilla frosting. The flavor profile is where this truly excels. Dominantly, it offers cherry pie with a buttery crust, alongside notes of toffee, vanilla, caramel, and a pleasant level of barrel toastiness. The texture has a slight tingle, characteristic of Camp Nelson, though less intense than a Camp A barrel. It possesses an oily consistency that coats the palate effectively. The conclusion is highly rewarding, featuring hints of tobacco, brown sugar, and continued cherry pie notes. It's lengthy and smooth. An excellent selection – that 2019 vintage was remarkable for Camp Nelson Barrels.