Wild Turkey Barrels Arrive
The first batch of our hand-selected Wild Turkey barrels have arrived. You may remember when we reported live from Kentucky last September and were allowed by Eddy Russell to go into the warehouse and pick out our own selections. Well, we were pretty excited back then and we're even more excited now that the whiskey is finally here. Check out the notes below:
These are all at 55%:
Russell's Reserve K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #13 Kentucky Bourbon $59.99 - Finally, the much-hyped barrels from last September's visit to Wild Turkey distillery have arrived. Our group of spirits buyers left the facility in Lawrenceburg, KY about as impressed as they could possibly be. There are some wonderful things happening with Jimmy and Eddy Russell's traditional American whiskey. We picked seven casks in total, but only the first three have been bottled at this point. Barrel #13 is the freshest and most lively of the three, bursting with baking spices, cinnamon, and clove, before returning to an oak-dominated flavor profile of charred wood. A small bit of ripe banana on the finish adds a fruity component and marries well with the high-proof of the spirit.
Russell's Reserve K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #14 Kentucky Bourbon $59.99 - Cask #14 shows sweet vanilla and burnt sugar on the nose with a blast of herbaceous rye and more oaky richness on the palate. The baking spices start to dance towards the finish before the 55% ABV kicks in and dials up all the peppery notes from the wood. Overall, the flavors are very traditional and straight-forward, just very well-balanced and finely-tuned. A fantastic whiskey for those looking to see what Wild Turkey does best.
Russell's Reserve K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #19 Kentucky Bourbon $59.99 - Barrel #19 is the oakiest of the bunch with aromas of pencil shavings, graphite, and oak spices on the nose. The finish is deceptive, however; it's a brooding undertone of concentrated caramel and creme brulee. At 55%, however, that creaminess is difficult to pin down, so a bit of water is recommended to tame this single barrel beast.
-David Driscoll