Review: Russell’s Reserve Bourbon 13 Years Old (Updated 2025)
Wild Turkey’s Russell’s Reserve brand tends to fly under the radar a bit, but ignoring this latest release would be a mistake. It might be the best bottling ever to come out under the label. You’re getting a 13 year old cask-strength bourbon, available for a limited time. Here’s a bit of the story behind it.
Straight up and straight out of the Commonwealth of Kentucky comes one of the boldest, yet smooth, limited-edition bourbons ever. Honoring the family ties that bind, Eddie Russell is introducing Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Old, a 114.8-proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon that, once again, exemplifies the Russell family’s mastery of bourbon-making. In the ultimate distilling challenge, Eddie aged this one-of-a-kind release for at least 13 years, maintained the barrel proof and opted not to chill filter the whiskey, creating a more robust mouthfeel and authentic bourbon experience.
“Crafting Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Old turned out to be one of my most rewarding experiences as a distiller,“ said Eddie Russell, who celebrates an astounding 40 years of bourbon making at the Wild Turkey Distillery this year. “This release embodies our commitment to creating uniquely satisfying flavors, and, hands down, it’s one of our most rare bourbons.”
Update: This whiskey has been reissued twice since its 2021 introduction. Reviews of each release follow.
Russell’s Reserve Bourbon 13 Years Old (2021) Review
The whiskey starts off strong, a delightful nose showcasing chocolate and some mint, plus a surfeit of baking spices and orange peel. Seductive and a bit Christmassy, it smells heavenly even here in the middle of summer.
The palate holds its cards a bit tightly at first, leaning on graphite and toasty barrel char, but it eventually gives way and shows its hand. A moment of patience reveals toasted coconut and a light lacing of chocolate, then layers of spice and more of that orange peel. It’s a little racy at full proof but never unmanageable — and 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. MSRP is $70, but even at current markups, it’s a definite buy. 114.8 proof.
A / $100 [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR] [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Russell’s Reserve Bourbon 13 Years Old (2023) Review
The 2023 version of Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Old Bourbon hits the ground running with a classic mature bourbon construction, the nose revealing notes of peanut shells and cinnamon red hots, then a punch of butterscotch. More peppery than the 2021 installment, the aromatics create an expectation of a fairly aggressive drinking experience.
Not so, it turns out: The palate is sweet and quite restrained, and while there’s ample heat from the ethanol to create some back-of-the-throat burn, there’s plenty of room for the whiskey’s more effusive characteristics to emerge. A few drops of water work wonders, helping that overt cinnamon segue toward more of an allspice character, mixed well with notes of peanut brittle, milk chocolate, and vanilla Coke. Again there’s plenty of cinnamon dragging into the finish, making a clear through-line from start to finish. Eventually, the denouement reveals some lingering barrel char elements, which don’t at all detract.
While rather less complex than its last installment, Russell’s Reserve 13 Years Old remains a top shelf experience that, more than anything, shows off the impressive barrel selection skills that have been mastered by the crew at Wild Turkey. 114.8 proof.
A- / $150 [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR] [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Russell’s Reserve Bourbon 13 Years Old (2025) Review
The big change with 2025 is the introduction of a new proof point — considerably higher at 123.8 proof, nearly 5% higher in alcohol over the 2021 and 2023 expressions.
The change certainly works.
The nose is definitely hot, peppery, and char-laden — but it still leaves room for plenty of rich aromatic character: Intense toffee and caramel notes, tobacco, toasted coconut, and cocoa nibs later in the game. A classically Wild Turkey peanut note is present but muted, perhaps dulled down by the heavy abv.
The palate takes a major shift and reminds you right away why this is such a winning whiskey. Sweet but not overblown, it evokes butterscotch, apple crumble, and lots of cinnamon — the latter becoming dominant with sustained time in glass. A touch of peanut provides a creamy underbelly for the whiskey as it develops, with chocolate and cream-laden coffee building steadily.
This all comes into focus on a finish which features chocolate-covered peanuts, nutmeg, and cigar box. It’s very much reminiscent of prior years’ releases, but the higher abv just gives you more of everything — while somehow avoiding coming across as pungent or blown-out in any way. Great stuff, though the MSRP has also risen again, by the by. 123.8 proof.
A / $200 [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR] [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
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