The Russell's Reserve Small Batch Bourbon was developed by Wild Turkey Distillery's Master Distiller Jimmy Russell and his son Eddie. Initially a limited edition release.

n: nice, warm and semi-sweet, without much alcohol vapor. A lot of warm caramel, cola fizz, and wood char. Standard bourbon nose, but not predominantly corny; very pleasant.

t: caramel covered kettle corn, oak char, and maple. Dry black raisins, cherry cola, and vanilla wood in the middle. Solid, with brown butter cinnamon rolls with cherry topping and oak in the full flavor finish. 

NOSE
Sweet… very sweet. Initially you get smacked in the olfactory with slightly medicinal vanilla and toffee, but if you give it a second to breathe other wonderful scents start to emerge. Hints of red licorice, maraschino cherries, and almonds or marzipan start to unfold and build up a potpourri of bourbony goodness. I would honestly love to have an huge overstuffed leather recliner that smelled like this.

PALATE
A menage a trois of toffee, vanilla, and spice. Upfront this is what a bourbon should taste like, and like I’ve already said it’s as classic of a bourbon flavor profile as you can get, but there’s more to it than that. If you let it rest on your tongue for a second or two and then slowly move it around a bit some silky hints of corn and earthy rye start to appear alongside whispers of something I can only describe as a pumpkin / apple pie hybrid.

FINISH
Spice sticks around for a while, but as it fades there is a Creme de Noyaux type flavor, though much less sugary, that hangs around for a minute or so, but fades without leaving any sourness or bitterness behind that you can sometimes get with low quality bourbons.