750mL Bottle- ~$30
- Purchased at Chattanooga Wine & Spirits
Background
So long ago, it almost seems like another lifetime, I lived in California and discovered various whiskies and bourbons with my friends out there. One of them was Russell’s Reserve, a product of the Wild Turkey distillery and their master distiller, Jimmy Russell. Russell’s Reserve was one of my favorite Bourbons for many years due to its superior flavor and moderate price tag. Somewhere along the line, I lost track of the ol’ RR, though.
A couple months ago, though, I was at Chattanooga Wine & Spirits looking for something to take in for Bourbon Friday at my favorite cigar shop and happened to see a bottle of Russell’s sitting there. “I used to love this stuff!” I thought. So I bought it…and I’m so glad I did. It renewed a whiskey love affair I had long forgotten about.
As I mentioned before, Russell’s Reserve is a product of Wild Turkey. It was originated by Jimmy Russell, who passed away last year; his son, Eddie, is now Turkey’s master distiller. RR is a 10 year-aged Bourbon that weighs it at 90 proof (45% ABV). It is a “Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey” meaning that it is made in the Bluegrass State, has no additives for flavor or color enhancement, and adheres to the federal laws for Bourbon.
I’m sure I reviewed this whiskey somewhere along the way, but it’s been forever.
Notes
It certainly didn’t take long to go almost all the way through this bottle…it took willpower to save some back for review time. The medium-dark amber color certainly isn’t that dark compared with some other Bourbons I’ve encountered in the last couple years. The aroma from the glass, though…heady and rich! It was full of massive vanilla and honey and oak notes, with just a hint of alcohol vapors creeping up into my nose.
Taking a sip, I noted the Bourbon to be incredibly smooth and just slightly sweet when it first hit my lips and tongue. Vanilla comes on next, then oak, then finally there was a mouth full of cinnamon spice heat, with a touch of heat lingering on the finish.
I decided to pair this whiskey with another “blast from my past,” the Tatuaje Noellas Reserva Broadleaf. The Noellas is one of the original Tatuaje Brown Label sizes, but it wasn’t made into a Broadleaf Maduro “Reserva” version until around 2013, if I’m not mistaken. I bought the last box at the shop where I used to work…it’s dated October 26, 2013. I normally wouldn’t allow Nicaraguan cigars to age this long as they tend to lose something…but I forgot about these in the bottom of a coolidor…so here we are.
The Noellas Reserva fire up with strong earthiness, more cedar than I remember, and a very familiar amount of pepper spice. It took a few puffs to get to the reason I love these so much…the semi-sweet dark chocolate flavor exuded by the Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. Once it got there, though, my sweet tooth was satisfied.
My bourbon pairing philosophy goes like so: “practically any bourbon goes with practically any cigar…some pairings work better than others.” This pairing was a very good one, with both offering up sweetness and spice, that while similar was different enough from each component to lock together. Russell’s Reserve is a medium-to-full bodied Bourbon that can probably stand up to just about any cigar, but will excel with something in that same body-range. Try to get something with not as much sweetness in the tobacco blend and the whiskey will add more to the combination. If you really want to have fun, try this with a milder cigar.
