Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Age: 15 years
Proof: 117.2 (58.6% ABV)
Region: Lawrenceburg, Kentucky

The key to understanding the Wild Turkey portfolio is knowing that there are Jimmy whiskeys and there are Eddie whiskeys. Jimmy Russell, who is about to celebrate his 70th year as the leader and figurehead of the distillery, prefers his bourbon, bold, spicy, and aged for about six to nine years. Wild Turkey Rare Breed chilled and served neat is his favorite drink. His son and co-master distiller, Eddie Russell prefers a gentler, sweeter, more heavily aged profile. Knowing he would never be able to change Wild Turkey’s classic bourbons, Eddie developed the Russell’s Reserve line. Anchored by the approachable, Russell’s Reserve 10, Eddie was able to successfully make his ideal whiskey part of the Wild Turkey DNA.

When Russell’s Reserve 13 was first released in 2021, it quickly became a favorite among bourbon whiskey enthusiasts. The barrel-proof, unfiltered, 13-year-old bourbon still fit within Eddie’s preferred flavor profile, just with the volume cranked all the way up. It was bigger and bolder, but still fruit-forward and confectionary. The success of the Russell’s Reserve 13 coupled with the cult-like popularity of the Russell’s Reserve private barrel program led to the introduction of the critically lauded Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse series, which further increased the stature of Russell’s Reserve among the bourbon cognoscenti.

When fans of the distillery found the TTB filing for an upcoming 15-year Russell’s Reserve there was a palpable excitement felt throughout the whiskey community. The leaked label offered some clues, but there were still plenty of questions as to what this bottle was going to be like once it finally dropped.

This week, a small group of whiskey writers joined Eddie Russell in Kentucky for a preview of and introduction to the new Russell’s Reserve 15. While tasting this whiskey in warehouse Tyrone H, Eddie filled us in on the production details. Russell’s Reserve 15 is a blend of approximately 75% 15-year-old and 25% 16-year-old bourbons that were all aged in warehouses on Wild Turkey’s venerated Camp Nelson campus. It clocks in at an ample 117.2 proof — a slight uptick from the barrel entry proof of 115.

Considering this whiskey is almost old enough to get its driver’s license, there isn’t a lot of it to go around. Eddie says this is most likely going to be a one-time release, but he was careful not to rule out another bottling altogether. This year, Russell’s Reserve 15 is taking the place of the now annual(ish) released 13-year-old expression, but will be joined in the coming months by another Single Rickhouse bottle.

On paper, everything points to another home run from the Russel family, but is the liquid actually worthy of the excitement?

Tasting notes

According to Jimmy Russell, there are only four flavors that anyone can taste in bourbon: caramel, vanilla, spice, and astringency. You’ll never catch me arguing with Jimmy, but we’ll be going into a bit more detail today.

To start, Russell’s Reserve 15 is visually arresting. It’s a deeply colored bourbon with a rusty, mahogany hue and amber accents. On the nose, the first noticeable aroma is dried fruit. Black cherry, fig, and prune are all prominent aromas while deeply caramelized sugar and warm, soft leather fill out the bouquet. On the palate, the deep fruit flavors continue. Maraschino cherry, baked apple, and freshly torched creme brulee lead the charge with a background of sweet tobacco. A warming buzz of clove and nutmeg pairs perfectly with the notes of baked peach, dried apricot, and cherry. It’s viscous and gentle, coating the mouth with a pleasant syrupy sensation.

The finish is long and satisfying with notes of chocolate and maraschino cherry syrup along with a smoky, oaky sweetness, citrus zest, and black pepper. It’s woody but in a balanced, caramelized, dessert-like way instead of astringent and tannic like many whiskeys aged to this degree.

Final thoughts

Just like its 13-year-old sibling, Russell’s Reserve 15 takes the classic, dessert-like “Eddie Profile” and develops all of those welcoming flavors further, creating an incredibly rich, deep, and complex whiskey that is sure to satisfy the Wild Turkey faithful. Russell’s Reserve 15 is likely to be one of the hottest whiskeys released in 2024 and as of early June, it’s already a contender for the best American whiskey released this calendar year. The actual number of bottles expected to hit shelves is undisclosed, but even at $250 MSRP, this release is expected to disappear quickly after its July 1st release. I see no scenario in which Russell’s Reserve 15 is anything other than a grand slam for Wild Turkey. It might be time to start camping out in front of your local liquor store for its impending release. Happy hunting!