Russell’s Reserve 15 Year is new in 2024, and stems from Russell’s Reserve 13 Year. The 13 Year Old Bourbon was first released in 2021 as a limited one time product. With a low bottle count, the release quickly sold out with Wild Turkey fans demanding more. The company obliged and announced a second release, declaring that it would become an annual limited release. Like the standard Russell’s Reserve releases, Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Old Bourbon is meant to honor master distiller Eddie Russell who celebrated his 43st anniversary at Wild Turkey in summer 2024.

‍‍Eddie said in the company’s press release, "While it wasn't an easy decision to release something other than Russell's Reserve 13, the added complexity from extended aging was too exciting to pass up." To that end, Russell's Reserve 15 Year was released nationally in July 2024.

A bright and robust burst of cherry pops first from the glass that’s then layered against molasses and rich seasoned oak. From here, the bright opening cherry note morphs into black cherry giving the aroma a slight smokiness, along with a sense of tartness. As it concludes, a light toasted coconut scent can be picked up before a stronger Cocoa Krispies cereal scent emerges, evoking a sense of nostalgia. The aroma is classic Wild Turkey, but also offers slight detours into new territory. As a result, it's an immediately impressive aroma that leaves a lasting impression and stands out from most others.

A warm rush of tart blood orange opens the palate before transferring to rich plum and a classic Wild Turkey cherry note. The sip’s sweetness then gets ramped up thanks to an injection of dark brown sugar and molasses. Just at the end, a mixture of baking spices is introduced creating additional layers of complexity. Rich and flavorful,  its pitch-perfect intensity creates a palate that is a true standout.

As the sip concludes, a hint of cola reveals an effervescent balance of savory and sweet flavors. This is compounded by seasoned aged oak and rich chocolate. Mid-finish, a noticeable rye spice pop occurs that stands out from the rest of the sip but remains deliberate in its assertiveness. To help balance this, barrel aged maple syrup finds the perfect time to join, adding more sweet yet also slightly tannic notes to the mix. The finish has just as much to say as the first two parts of the sip, and as a whole, concludes this stellar pour that’s hard to forget.

Considering the major Kentucky distilleries with their storied release histories, if you’ve been around bourbon long enough, you know it's only a matter of time before they drop something special. Following Russell Reserve 1998 and the excellent Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Bourbon releases, and in the vein of gold tube releases in the early 90s, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year Bourbon manages to find itself in esteemed graces with other notable releases from the company.

However, that wasn’t always the case. Wild Turkey has come a long way from the years of Diamond Anniversary and early Master’s Keep releases that felt lifeless upon delivery. Russell’s Reserve 15 Year Bourbon once again prominently features the classic Wild Turkey cherry note. Though that may sound straightforward on the surface, it's the shades of cherry and how they interact with the rest of the bourbon’s flavors where the magic happens. Russell’s Reserve 15 Year Bourbon doesn’t reinvent the wheel and isn’t hugely unique on the surface. But it's how it manages to showcase the best qualities of what it means to be a Wild Turkey bourbon, perfectly packaging it into an amazing and impactful sip.

When a bourbon reaches the heights that Russell’s Reserve 15 Year Bourbon achieves, what’s considered an appropriate price? Almost universally, the major Kentucky bourbon distilleries priced all of their most prestigious and noteworthy releases of 2024 around the $200 pricepoint. Agree with it or not, that is now the baseline for all bourbons of note to be judged by.  

In 2022, Wild Turkey released the excellent Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Bourbon for $70, which was immediately seen as underpriced, potentially leaving millions on the table for the company, and resulting in leaving too much meat on the bone for the secondary market to bite into. Though the bump in price from the 13 Year’s $100 to the 15 Year’s $250 seems drastic, Wild Turkey has been increasing the price of their Master’s Keep releases steadily with 2024’s release hitting a new high of $275. So here we are again with Wild Turkey arguably underpricing another Russell’s release. For even more perspective, Russell Reserve 1998 (which was also a 15 year old bourbon) was priced $250, but that was over 9 years ago.

Because of the heights that Russell’s Reserve 15 Year Bourbon reaches and the current price market accepted baseline of $200 in 2024, it becomes clear that this year’s Russell’s Reserve is underpriced. Though it hurts to call a $250 bourbon underpriced, there are very, very few bourbons in recent memory priced at or above $250 that actually warrant their extremely high price tags. Coming in at $250, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year Bourbon is a great value for the quality and landmark pour it offers, and though no one wants to pay over MSRP, this is one release in 2024 that can justify it.

Since the introduction of the Russell’s Reserve, the brand extension has done a great job demonstrating the distilling ability of the Russell’s at Wild Turkey. Every brand has distinct qualities that make whiskey uniquely their own, but it's when all of the right elements come together that a brand’s truest expression is born. Russell’s Reserve 15 Year Bourbon brilliantly showcases everything the brand has been known for over the years, yet is far from a carbon copy of past releases. The classic Wild Turkey cherry note is once again present - as it rightfully should be - but what else it adds to the flavor profile and what the bourbon ultimately has to say, takes this Wild Turkey release into landmark territory. It’s a big and flavorful sip that immediately makes a lasting impression. You don't need time to “get it” and what it has to say is instantly communicated. That’s not to say this bourbon is simple, but one with a clear-cut mission that directly communicates its flavor profile. Its aged oak is well integrated, never overpowering, and makes a strong case for the “older bourbon is better” argument. Russell’s Reserve 15 Year Bourbon is a milestone release from Wild Turkey that every bourbon fan should seek out.