Russell's Reserve Drinkthrough (tm) | Curiosity Public

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[@stuffandwhiskey]

So glad to hear someone else say RR13 is bitter and lacking balanced. We tried it double blind and were not fans.

[@dennisweedman4374]

Rare Breed for the win!

[@itswhiskeytime8538]

Russell's Reserve 13 year was released in 2021 to Rave reviews. The 2022 release was TWO different batches un-like one for 2021. I believe you have one of the two 2022 batches. Simply put, you are NOT drinking to same juice so many raved about. Really enjoy the content!

[@RK-ow1zg]

I tasted the 2021 batch at liquor barn for 8.99 and felt the same way. Would definitely pick it up at MSRP, but not at 300+

[@royn8032]

@It's Whiskey Time Yet Rare Breed is consistently good

[@newmennium]

Russell's batch 1 was mind blowing. It's some of the best juice I've ever had. Batch 2 was very similar. Batch 3 was very different from what I hear. Older, darker profile.

[@whatsthepoint170]

Dillon defending that 13 year like his life depends on it, probably cause he dropped $300 on it. I feel you brother! We’ve all had one of those

[@Sid-np3hf]

I also felt shame when I paid $150 for antique 107 but I hadn’t seen it in 4 years. I laughed when I ran into a store selling Russell’s 13 for $800.

[@lawrenceramos2468]

Loved the intense back and forth. Dillon might lose his mind, but both batch 1 and batch 3 of the Russell's 13 kick batch 2's liquid ass. Especially Batch 1

[@thomaspoole5106]

Completely agree. I came here to say the exact same thing

[@oscarmakavelli]

Some of the Standard Single Barrels Smell like Orange Blossoms.

[@steveno7058]

Some store picks are AMAZING. Got one that has absolutely amazingly dark fruit notes.

[@davidlittle6621]

Dillon should be flogged for that Eagle Rare trashcan pour. Just kidding, but not by much! LOL

[@runstreetwise]

I think the most important aspect the fellas bring up during their impressions of the 13 year is that spirits can change wildly over the course of a bottle being open. I've had bottles that I've loved immediately from the fresh crack but then became bitter and hard to stomach and vice versa.

[@bosoxshaggy]

I agree with Dutch the spice and tanin hit on the 13 is way unbalanced. No crying in bourbon tasting needs to be a t shirt Dillon.

[@hattorihanzo2814]

My biggest takeaway is that Dillion has totally repressed the memory of choosing Eagle Rare in a blind tasting back in the Bourbon Guild days. You send ER to people you do not like....bc you may not like yourself... Also, as a RR fanboy this drinkthrough is most disturbing.

[@cyama3661]

Cyama 6267

[@hattorihanzo2814]

@@cyama3661 HattoriHanzo#5280 I keep getting an error message about case sensitivity

[@herschelpatel8199]

This is a great comment!! Dillon did pick Eagle rare in the bourbon guild blind. Need Humble Dillon back!!

[@nickp5511]

Sagamore rye’s are my go to and then Rare Breed and Elijah Craig Rye.

[@bigcountrybriar9911]

Need a tee with Dillon on it telling everyone to watch the Lime Streem 😂

[@cartermayfield]

Time for another TL;DR post. One of the major benefits of RR Single Barrel Picks is that they disclose the age, the warehouse, and the floor. Those factors create some commonality, so if you no you like, say, F6's (warehouse F, Floor 6), then you can try to run down F6's and will note that they have similar flavor profiles. Also, if you pick a RR Single Barrel off the shelf, you don't know if the bottle beside it came from the same barrel. As to the RR13, there are three different batches. I love Batch 3, which has a date code of LL/KEXXXX, Batch 1 is LL/JD, which many people went nuts and continue to go nuts for. Batch 2 is LL/JL. When I first had Batch 1, I had the same "meh" attitude... that the RR13 tastes a lot like a great RR SiB pick. LL/KE hit me differently and I became a huge fan. It has a little of that oak quality I get on the WTMK BiB17. Maybe note quite as funky. The cherry isn't as medicinal and no menthol, but it had that sweet oak hit that I love. It should be noted that the youngest whiskey in RR13 Batch 3 (LL/KE) is 14 years with a substantial amount of 20 year barrels, hence the oak. And then there's RR Single Rickhouse CNC. I am a Wild Turkey nerd who also happens to love the Camp Nelson C profile. If you are not a Wild Turkey nerd, I totally get it. And frankly, while I think it is better than RR13, my preference is ever so slight, and changes by my mood. For the money, I think RR Single Barrel picks are really the way to go. But I think RR13 and RRSRCNC are really good and worth the chase for me, though I don't think the RRSRCNC is worth a dime over MSRP and secondary markets have the RRSRCNC trading for less than Batch 1. If you're all about that Trace, 'bout that Trace, then yeah, those bottles aren't worth it.

[@Hypee559]

Got a bevmo reserve single barrel pick and it had a toned down oak/black pepper and amplified caramel/vanilla/toffee notes. Love it way more than the standard Russell’s reserve.

[@dunny2124]

Great drinkthrough! Thank you 👍

[@Robert.Sheard]

#TeamDutch on this one. The secondary markets exist because suckers can't stop themselves from FOMO. Even if the RR13 were liquid nirvanna, it's not worth those prices.

[@jP-nw7nm]

You guys make me so proud it’s honestly unreal!

[@stevemillerecon]

When Jules passed the 13 year down I thought "'please please don't spill it, Dutch."

[@nickp5511]

I started with the 10 year and still always enjoy it! However after my short three months of bourbon tasting I really enjoy the single barrel, it’s in my top ten. I also like the Rye 6 year! Great drink through love this content!

[@markbowerii7632]

Dutch roasting Jules for spilling $35 rye whiskey, smash cut to Dutch spilling Ardbeg 25 on the Ardbeg episode🤣

[@steveh.3370]

Love the Drinkthroughs.

[@ernieforni3221]

Great Drinkthrough! I enjoy WT 101 and Rare Breed. I recently got a bottle of the Single Barrel and liked it. I was curious (Curious Public) about the other Russell's products. This was a very timely and informative Drinkthrough. I guess I will get a 13 if I get it at MSRP, but avoid the rest other than the SB. I would like to see you blind Rare Breed with Russell's Single Barrel.

[@royn8032]

This is why I love you guys. Thanks for saving me $800 on Russells 13

[@wpwang12]

RR13 batch 3 is going for $300 on the secondary, not sure about Cali secondary market but $800 is crazy

[@superman6338]

MSRP on batch 4 is $150

[@royn8032]

@Nuclear Noob Except that I cannot find it for SRP

[@superman6338]

@@royn8032 $150 is about my limit

[@nickp5511]

I paid 30.00 for the 10yr and the 6yr. I paid 60.00 for the single barrel!

[@jamessocal8946]

I have six RR store picks and the good ones are really good. My favorite is a 10 year old from TW from a couple of years ago. I probably spent more effort to find the first release of RR13 at near MSRP than I have any other bourbon. Never saw it under $300 anywhere. Passed on the Single Rickhouse at $250.

[@javieracosta3439]

You guys are living the dream!

[@itswhiskeytime8538]

Russell's Reserve 13 year was released in 2021 to Rave reviews. The 2022 release was TWO different batches un-like one for 2021. I believe you have one of the two 2022 batches. Simply put, you are NOT drinking to same juice so many raved about. Really enjoy the content!

[@dennisweedman4374]

Another great video!

[@scottdemaree5852]

I think the first batch of the 13 yr. is alot less wood. I have one of the next two batches, Can't remember which one. And i agree with the bitter notes and i'm not much of a fan. That first batch was really good for me. Not sure why they did two batches for 2022 but listening to several different reviews 2022 was a miss compared. I had Dillon's experience with the single barrel where it was really good on the fresh crack and got more bitter the longer it was open. Now i only go back to the first batch and the other bottles just sit there. Great drink through, thanks.

[@Kcemate]

RR13 is not $800 good, it’s about 250-300 good on secondary.

[@sirjcc]

you guys got a few things wrong. RR13 MSRP is $150 now for 2023. and also, no one is paying $800-1000 for it. I've seen it in stock and untouched on shelves for weeks and weeks at around $400. At $300 it will still last a week or so

[@mrjiggs8]

Nice review, on price comparison I'd buy MasterKeeps over RR13 and Single Rick.. those two are just not good enough for me. All the rest on the table well worth the price paid and same can be said for most of the MasterKeeps ... RR13 and Single Rick for even MSRP are a Pass if i'm buying to drink... Cheers

[@ShawnWillis007]

I had all 3 batches. RR13 batch 1 was far better than batch 2, and cost less ($79 in TX). I can see why many are a little disappointed with batch 2, plus the price increase to $100. Batch 3 was better. I'm assuming most reviews were coming from the OG batch 1. Great video as always, cheers guys! 🥃

[@geno816]

I like the single barrels the best. Mainly the barrel picks of them.

[@BentleyJV]

I used to laugh at Jules' happy-go-lucky attitude and comments. As i get older, i find that my attitude and palate tend to align pretty closely with his. Sure, the RR13 Batch 2 has a chaotic palate (especially the finish), but the journey it takes you on is way more exciting than any $200 bourbon i've had. The Camp Nelson C is WAY more drinkable, but much less interesting.

[@Vortex1988]

Which Russell said that the sweet spot for bourbon is 7-8 years? I think it's safe to say that Eddie is making more and more of the decisions as Jimmy gets older. If it was something Jimmy said, then well.... Eddie is pretty much taking over. Also, Russell's has always been the oakier and spicier end of the spectrum of Wild Turkey. You can get fruit notes out of Russell's, but you might have to dig deeper to find it than you normally would. Some of the private barrels are really, really good though with lots of berries, oak, and spices. I have had a weird phenomenon with Russell's where the flavor moves away from fruit and spice and moves more towards butter oak and nuts as the bottle gets emptier. It's always the tastiest when you first open the bottle imo. In general though, if you want a spice bomb, then Russell's is the way to go. If you want something more balanced, then go for Wild Turkey Rare Breed. Overall, I usually gravitate toward Rare Breed more often than Russell's, but Russell's is excellent when I'm in the mood for it. If I go for Russell's, then it's always the Single Barrel or Private Barrel Bourbons too.

[@CuriosityPublic]

I think Eddie is on record saying his sweet spot is 10 years - but Jimmy liked it a little younger than that. I think Dillon is recalling a discussion he had with Eddie at a whiskey event ages ago.

[@Vortex1988]

@@CuriosityPublic I think I heard something similar from Jimmy in an interview years ago, as far as the 7-8 years go. I do think Eddie is making most of the decisions at this point, although I don't think he'll change the Wild Turkey lineup very much at all outside of the Master's Keep releases. More of the experimentation will probably be done under the Russell's label. I do wish he would make all of the Rare Breed non chill-filtered though.

[@nickp5511]

Just rewatched and I finally got the RR 13yr & RR CNF. I really prefer the RR Rickhouse CNF to the 13yr. My store owner friend sold me 2@ 13yr for 115.00 each and 2@ RR CNF for 225.00 Cheers

[@vermogen3989]

eagle rare was created as a tip of the hat to wild Turkey 101. Just like Russell’s 10 ER was released at a 101proof. Difference is RR10 is less cut do to WT’s lower entry proof.

[@unsophisticatedwhiskey7389]

Huge fan of Russel's products, great video fellas. P.S. can't wait for more Las Vegas content!

[@CuriosityPublic]

Cheers! We've filmed part 3 of our casino whiskey quest. Should be released in a month or so hopefully!

[@steveno7058]

Russels 13 has massive batch variation. Batch 1 is amazing. Batch 2 is ok.

[@benknotes9450]

Aren't single barrels also single rickhouses?

[@TheWhiskyExplorer]

Love these drink-throughs, so thank you. I really struggle to find floral in bourbon. I’ve found it in scotch. Can you guys recommend a different floral/focused bourbon? I’ve tried most wild-turkey expressions and never found it.

[@CuriosityPublic]

Four roses in one - I think some of the single barrel bottles display it best. The floral component is often very subtle though - not always easy to pick out.

[@TheWhiskyExplorer]

@@CuriosityPublic TY

[@TheWhiskyExplorer]

@@CuriosityPublic Ty! I will try some more 4🌹 and see if I can detect it. Not much on the small batch select for me…

[@nikkayamazaki]

This was great! Now I don’t have FOMO. Saves me some money, although I will try a pour at the bar.

[@billslone242]

The variation among the rr13s of the same batch is interesting. My batch 1 sucks while others batch 1s are amazing. My batch 2 freaking slays. When other batch 2s are what you guys describe. It's bizarre there is so much variation.

[@pressman1788]

When I read your comment it reminded me of something I heard this week about Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batch C923. It’s been getting great reviews for the most part. Someone posted this week that if you look at the laser bottle code on the back of the bottle. The codes that start with A22 are not as good as the bottles that start with A23. I always wonder how much variation are in all these bottles. That’s why it’s great when you have multiple people drinking from the same bottle at the same time. Sometimes they have night and day opinions while they all like the distillery in general.Cheers!🥃

[@markbowerii7632]

Buffalo Trace fans screaming at their screens rn as Dillon pours an entire 750ml of Eagle Rare into a trash can.

[@BuckMcAntlerson]

That Russell's 13 is sitting on my store's shelf for $349.

[@MISTAJZA]

How do you guys think RR13 stacks up against an Elijah Craig barrel proof?

[@cyama3661]

Wild turkey fan, but that said, that RR 13 B2 was a pretty big disappointment. As Dutch said, the spice was over powering and bitter. We did a 5 person blind of 8 bottles and this one came in dead last. Also, secondary on these things have been falling through the floor. Seen them for as low as 300.

[@royn8032]

What came in 1st??

[@cyama3661]

Check Patreon.

[@trixielee5064]

If there were one more bottle the members only jacket would have come out

[@karymillet8884]

Not sure how I missed this one. Another great video. I wish wild turkey would discontinue Russell’s altogether. The 10 year used to be great with flavors of char, tobacco, leather, and cherry but those flavors are gone. The single barrels I have bought were not good but the more expensive store picks have been great. By taking away all the better barrels for these products, the blended wild turkey products have suffered. It also confuses many consumers with Russell’s versus wild turkey. WT 101 13 year nonchill filter could be more available if not for Russell’s 13. Kudos to the Russell’s but I’d rather better WT blends under the WT name.

[@SSN70]

Great comparison 🤘🏽🥃

[@trentonfettig7265]

Can you guys explain the "Dill hit" that you mentioned with Rye's? I haven't herad that before. Side note, why do you guys not have more subs? Should consider paying somebody to figure that out.

[@CuriosityPublic]

It is just a flavor that comes out in some rye whiskey. Try smelling a bundle of fresh or dried dill and you might make the flavor association.

[@Shootsmith]

WTRR are all great, except the 6yr Rye. Not a fan of that one. And even though I’m usually on same page as Dutch, I LOVE my 13. Mine is also Batch 2, but some bottles are better than others.

[@herschelpatel8199]

Love this channel and your content

[@Marco_A_Marcano_Soto]

BUEEEEEEENOS DIIIIIAS my not so sober friends, from the east cost of the US of A, Straight from Norfolk, Virginia. your Boy the Butter Pecan Puerto Rican, sends salutations to the friends in the West Coast.

[@andrewschaum8269]

Some of the store picks are very, very different than the regular single barrel

[@tightcutz624]

I really enjoyed RR13 first release but listening to you it seems it’s is inconsistent. For me I’m always trying to find a RRSB store pick that are reputable. Delicious

[@shmoo1000]

Hard to be a good ol Russell's private barrel store pick

[@dpd2k105]

Russels 13 was too woody for me

[@eviltrain24]

I'm shocked by your conclusion! I have a Rare Breed and I've yet to buy any Russell's. This really kind of deflates things. I will still spend the $40 for the Russell's 10yr next year. But it seems my investigation of this may simply stop there.

[@user-hb9qv]

LOL that's harsh Dutch

[@mcwine18]

26:38 fakest s#!+ I’ve heard all day 😂 terrible acting

[@josephpowers7959]

What would you choose between RR SB or WT RB if you had to pick one?

[@CuriosityPublic]

We discuss that in the recap!

[@fluffles9591]

Sad jules didn't get to experience fresh crack on the 13 year

[@davids2206]

Secondary is $300 for RR13

[@zman8340]

Dillion couldn’t care less about Russell , particularly the last two .

[@radfield6089]

im so glad a yt content creator feels the same about eagle rare as I. shit is thin, over extracted black tea, bitter and woody. its not the worst out there but its not great. standard buffalo trace is better. as for the russels 13 under 300 is a steal. Also if jules (Mr. 5/10) and dillon (Mr. 10/10) agree then you know its good. dutches pallet needs to chin up.

[@PorscheSpeedster-kz6nc]

Dutch need to put a little water in the Russel’s 13 and I think it will be better for him.

[@Mavryck_Tha_Myghty]

My man was ashamed to have spent “over double” retail on Russell’s 13. In my neck of the woods, you have no shot unless you’re willing to pay 4 times retail. You stole that bottle by comparison.

[@jasoncoates1835]

OMG does Dillon really think "honey barrel" means literal honey? 😂

[@rangeradams]

The term comes from Stitzel Weller. Not sure why collectively we have such short memory. When that distillery closed, all the last of the "honey barrels", ie wheat mashbill with flavors of molasses and honey were sold/auctioned off at ridiculous prices. I have three of those bottles, two pappy and one weller. It literally tastes like drinking honey water. Now a days that term has been hijacked by the jackasses at Whiskey Advocate who want to sell every barrel as "honey" and know-nothing whiskeytube bros who think they know what they're talking about. Dillon, as much as I hate to admit it, is correct. The last of those true honey flavored barrels are either gone or have yet to surface. It's moronic that anything from these crap distilleries is called honey barrel. Even recently, I think someone thought the "honey" Garrison brothers that taste like white dog were "honey barrels". It's become a meaningless term used by amateurs.

[@CuriosityPublic]

Exactly!

[@jasoncoates1835]

@@rangeradams That term is just an old bourbon term for "the sweet spot" essentially. Like "honey hole." It has nothing to do with honey, just that those are the "good ones."

[@CuriosityPublic]

It was the term for an exceptional barrel, but it also reflected the flavor at S.W. Wild turkey use to use the phrase "sugar barrel." Again, reflecting the flavor. One term just got commandeered and popularized and people use it for any good barrel.

[@drgallup]

For my money give me WT 101 over Russells 10 year. Don't like the 90 proof point. The single barrel 110 is a whole 'nuther story. Not really interested in the limited releases, I never see them and not going to over pay for them. The single barrel ryes are my jam too.

[@vermogen3989]

And ignore secondary because the truth about bourbon is there Is NO bourbon worth $400+. That’s just rich people who no nothing about bourbon driving secondary prices. Only way a bourbon could be worth that much is if it has $250 in packaging

[@cascaderetriever7618]

I really like the 10 yr single barrel Bourbon. I have tasted the 13 yr. Not worth it.

[@thomascrompton7775]

15 year dickel 104 proof 65 bucks.

[@MaxwellHayward]

Rare breed blind?

[@YoJimBo851610]

35👍