Russell's Reserve 10 Years Review

Country: USA

Brand: Russell's Reserve Small Batch

Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 

Age: 10 Years

ABV: 45 %

Sample Provided By: Derek, USA. Thanks!  

Date: 17/09/2013

Colour: Deep Amber with Orange tones

Nose: Sweet, quite Fruity and Spicy with Orange Peel, Peach, Vanilla, Caramel, Cinnamon and Cardamom. I suspect a high Rye content in the Mash Bill. I also find Acetone, Butter, Brown Sugar and traces of Peanut Butter and Mint. Some Alcohol is present as well. All in all a solid Bourbon Nose.

Palate: Bitter-Sweet, Spicy, Woody and Waxy with Sweet Corn, Rye, Saw Dust, Pepper, Cardamom, Almonds, Caramel and Orange Peel.

Finish: Bitter-Sweet and Spicy with Oak, Caramel, Sweet Grain, Raisins, Menthol, Orange-Peel, Cinnamon, Pepper and Cardamom.

With a bit of Water the Nose gets Sweeter while the Spices and Acetone retreat. Instead I find Buttered Toast and Honey and some Apricot. The Alcohol is toned down. I would advise you to Nose the Russell's Reserve both with - and without some Water. Palate and Finish however get a bit Watery. Better sip it neat or (preferably) on the Rocks.

Rating: 81.5

Nose: 21 - Taste: 20  Finish: 20  - Overall: 20.5 

Derek's Bottle that produced the Sample!

General Remarks: Russell's Reserve is distilled at - and bottled by Austin Nichols Distilling Company at Lawrenceburg Kentucky, the makers of Wild Turkey. It matures in deeply Charred American White Oak barrels and is stored in the centre part of the rick house. The barrels eventually used for Russell's Reserve are hand picked. Russell's Reserve was created by - and named after Jimmy Russell, master distiller at Wild Turkey and his son and associate distiller Eddie Russell. Today, Austin Nichols is owned by the Italian Campari Group. Russell's Reserve 10 Years sells at between 30 and 35 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion: I had expected more from this Bourbon after a promising and solid Nose. Maybe 10 years in the barrel was a bit too much. Bitter Oak and Wood Spice are a tad too dominant on the Palate and in the Finish. It's not too expensive though and certainly okay on the Rocks. But I would not consider the Russell's Reserve 10 years as my day-to-day sipping Bourbon.

Jan van den Ende                                                         September 2013

Jimmy Russell and his Creation!

Wild Turkey 81 Review

Country: USA

Brand: Wild Turkey 81 

Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon 

Age: 6-8 Years

Alcohol: 40,5%

Colour: Amber/Dark Gold

Nose: No surprises in this department. We get the usual Sweet Grains, Charred Oak, Roasted Coffee, Vanilla, Caramel, Orange, Cinnamon, Honey, Pepper and a fair amount of Rye. The Alcohol is not completely integrated. There's nothing really wrong here but I find it somewhat bland.

Taste: On the Thin side and Bitter-Sweet with Oak, Cherry flavoured Cough Syrup, Rye (Spices), Caramel, Cinnamon, Roasted Coffee, Black Tea, Orange, Brown Sugar, Mint, Clove, Nutmeg and Honey.

Finish: Dry with Charred Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon, Mint, Vanilla, Caramel, Honey, Roasted Coffee, and Strong Black Tea. The 81 Proof leaves a burning sensation on the tongue.

Rating: 79.5 

Nose: 20 – Taste: 20 – Finish: 19.5 – Overall: 20

General Remarks: Wild Turkey is produced in Lawrenceburg Kentucky. Nowadays the Brand is owned by the Campari Group. The distillery produces the 81 Proof, the 101 Proof, the Single Barrel Kentucky Spirit at 101 Proof, Russell's Reserve 10 Years named after Master Distiller Jimmy Russell, Rare Breed a blend of 6, 8 and 12 old Wild Turkey at 108.4 Proof, a Rye Whiskey  made with 65% Rye, 23 % Corn and 12% Barley and a Honey Liqueur by the name of American Honey. The 81 Proof costs around 20 US Dollars, was created by Eddie Russell as a Mixing Whiskey and has a high Rye percentage in the Mash Bill. 

Drinking Experience Neat: Average

Drinking Experience on the Rocks : Good

Conclusion: I really liked the 101 and it's my favourite Bourbon so far. Unfortunately I can't say the same about the 81. On the Nose it's your average standard Bourbon. On the Palate it's rather Bitter and offers too many Cough Syrup associations. The finish is very dry and leaves you with a burning sensation on the tongue. The Wild Turkey 81 is okay on the Rocks and for mixing but not interesting enough to be considered as a sipping Bourbon.

Jan van den Ende                                                                   August 9, 2013

Johnny Drum 15 Years Review

Country: USA

Brand: Johnny Drum Private Stock Label

Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Age: 15 Years

ABV: 50.5 %

Date: 18/05/2013

Colour: Mahogany

Nose: Sweet Corn, Maple Syrup, Charred Oak, Vanilla, Glue, Cinnamon, Caramel, Orange/Mandarin and Peanut Butter are my first impressions. Nose carefully because there's quite some Alcohol around, especially if you have opened a fresh bottle. Hints of Cotton Candy, Peach and Caramelised Apple follow. Quite nice once you manage to cheat the Alcohol.

Palate: By far not as Sweet and Tasty as the Nose would want you to believe! It's quite Spicy and a bit Musty actually!  Charred Oak, Herbs, Peanut Butter, Rye Bread, Pepper, Nut Casks, Caramel, Nougat, Orange and Maple Syrup.

Finish: Certainly lasting but a bit on the Sour side with Charred Oak, Pepper, Maple Syrup and quite some Mint.

I added a bit of Water and that strongly reduced the Alcohol and Spices on the Nose. The remaining Sweetness and Cinnamon remind me of a Whisky Liqueur. Palate and Finish become too Watery for my taste.

Rating: 82

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20  Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

A Confederate Drummer Boy

General Remarks: Johnny Drum is a Brand Name owned and marketed by Independent Bottler Kentucky Bourbon Distillers Ltd (KDB) also known as the Willett Distilling Company. Although it's not quite sure where the Johnny Drum is distilled, chances are it's from Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky or Brown Forman or both. Johnny Drum comes a Green Label with an ABV of 40%, a Black Label at 43% and as a Private Stock Label at 50.5% and various age types including 4, 8, 12 and 15 Years. The 15 Years we are tasting today is the flagship of the lot and is produced in small batches only. It costs around 35 US Dollars.

In the American Civil War lots of young boys wanted to join the fight but a minimum age of 18 years was established. Younger boys could only enlist as a drummer or a bugler. Legend has it that Johnny Drum was one of them and after having safely returned from the War started to make Bourbon in Kentucky.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion: Not bad but certainly not one of my favourite Bourbons. The Nose is quite okay actually if you can get around the sometimes sharp Alcohol. But on the Palate and in the Finish I find the Johnny Drum less enjoyable. Too Bland, a bit Sour and slightly Musty. Therefore I wouldn't consider buying a full bottle. Cause for mixing it's a bit too expensive.

Jan van den Ende                                                                        May 2013

Buffalo Trace Review

Country: USA

Brand: Buffalo Trace

Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Age: NAS (Probably between 8-12 years)

ABV: 45%

Colour: Deep Orange Amber

Nose: An interesting combination of Sweet Corn/Popcorn, Butter, Rum, Toffee/Caramel, Maple Syrup, Vanilla, Honey, Dried Apricots, Nuts, Aniseed, Cinnamon and White Pepper. There's some Alcohol here to deal with as well. The Sweetness and Spices, though quite common in nature, are well-balanced.

Palate: Sweet, Fruity and Spicy at the same time with Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Orange, Caramel, Oak, Rye, Nutmeg and Mint.

Finish: Middle-Long, Dry and Spicy with Pepper, Licorice, Mint, Coconut Shells and Vanilla. Both the Corn and Rye are noticeable.

I added a few drops of Water and on the Nose the Alcohol retreats of course. But at the same time Spices and Grain start to dominate in this field while the Fruit quietly gives way. Palate and Finish are washed down completely. Only Licorice is left. Don't add water to this Bourbon.  

Rating: 84  

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21 

General Remarks: The name of this Bourbon is a tribute to the Buffalo and the pioneers that followed them westwards. One of these westward trails or traces was called the Great Buffalo Trace and crossed the Kentucky River just north of present day Frankfort. A distillery was constructed in 1858 but in 1872 E.H. Taylor Jr. built a new one on the site. It was rebuilt again in 1882 after a fire that was caused by lightning. The distillery is currently part of Sazerac Company Inc. and is one of the oldest remaining American distilling sites. Buffalo Trace Bourbon was introduced in 2001, two years after the name of the Frankfort distillery was changed from Ancient Age to Buffalo Trace. The distillery produces  a variety of other Bourbons and Rye-Whiskies a.o. Eagle Rare, Weller, Blanton, Elmer T.Lee, van Winkle and George T. Stagg. The secret Mash Bill of the Buffalo Trace includes Corn, Wheat and some malted Barley. It's low on Rye. The Buffalo Trace is a mix of selected barrels from the middle-floors of the warehouses C, I and K. It's relatively cheap at around 25 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks : Good

Conclusion: A good, well-balanced but slightly spicy day-to-day Bourbon. Much better than most Scotch whisky offered at this price level. It's nice to sip or enjoy on the rocks. If you prefer a sweeter flavour profile, Buffalo Trace might not be your Bourbon of (first) choice.

Jan van den Ende                                                             February 26, 2013