Review: Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon (The Mixing Glass)

For my initial review, I am tasting a private bottling of Wild Turkey's Russell Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon.  Russell's Reserve is one of the higher end choices available among Wild Turkey's core lineup, and each single barrel edition is bottled at 110 proof (55% ABV) and non-chill filtered.  This particular bottle was selected by both The Mixing Glass, a specialty spirits and cocktail shop in Costa Mesa, California, and Vaca, a restaurant led by former Top Chef contestant Amar Santana.  

Bottle: 55% ABV, No Age Statement (reportedly these are typically 8-9 years old), ~$60, Barrel #3052, Rickhouse O, Floor 5; Non-Chill Filtered

Nose: Sweet notes of vanilla, cherry, and brown sugar, together with baking spices, oak and a hint of peanut.

Taste:  Much more oak-forward than the nose let on with baking spices, orange peel and a general sense of bitterness.  Oily mouthfeel but finish is a bit short and drying.  Spicy and enjoyable, if a touch out of balance in favor of the wood notes.

Thoughts:  I usually find that the Russell's Reserve Single Barrel bottlings are great exemplars of "what bourbon should taste like", and this bottle falls within the range of that description.  The private barrels of this seem to offer opportunities for the selecting store to (somewhat) stray from the traditional profile of the off-the-shelf product, and in this case the bitterness present in the heavy oak notes cause me to like this a little less than the standard version.

Rating: B

Regarding the grading scale, my grades loosely track the LAWS Scale, and the threshold for what constitutes a "good" or "recommended" spirit will be set in the C+ to B- range. Price is not considered in assigning a rating.