![]() It’s a little smoother and feels softer on the palate. The Russel Reserve Single Barrel has a similar aroma and flavor profile. A leather note emerges and lingers at the end. The finish is long, sweet, with maple syrup and brown sugar notes. On the palate, there is sweetness, candied orange zest, semisweet chocolate, along with cinnamon and cloves. On the nose, there is a creamy sweetness, along with cinnamon, vanilla and a little bit of charred wood. There is also a Russel Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon that is bottled at 55% ABV, and is matured in barrels that have been toasted to a #4 “alligator char.” The 10 YO sells for around $35 per bottle, while the single barrel expression sells for around $55. His son, Eddie Russell, took over as Wild Turkey’s Master Distiller in 2015, after 35 years with the company. Jimmy Russell is the world’s longest tenured master distiller. The whiskey has already won an impressive array of awards. The mash bill consists of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley. It is a small batch barrel selection based on casks hand-picked by Wild Turkey’s father and son master distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell. Russell’s Reserve Bourbon, 10 YO, 45% ABV, is produced by Wild Turkey. Russell's Reserve Bourbon Photo, courtesy Russell's Reserve Either way, I W Harper is a brand in transition and one well worth watching. The NAS version would be better with a little more age and at a higher proof. ![]() Although it is more expensive at $88 per bottle, it is a far better value than the $30 NAS version. The 15 YO version is similar but far richer and complex. A rich leather note, along with some pepper, emerges at the end and lingers. The finish is medium length, sweet and spicy, with notes of dried stone fruit, vanilla and caramel, along with spice notes of nutmeg, clove and allspice. On the palate, the whiskey has a cooked corn sweetness, with notes of honey, dried peach, tropical fruit, vanilla, caramel and burnt sugar, along with some faint strawberry notes. On the nose, there are faint notes of vanilla, and cooked corn, along with some caramel and oak notes. The 15 YO, and possibly the NAS version, are distilled at the Bernheim distillery, now owned by Heaven Hill, and matured in the Stitzel-Weller warehouses in Shively, Kentucky. ![]() The brand was resurrected by Diageo in 2015 as both a NAS and a 15 YO version. The brand was withdrawn from the US market in 1997, but continued to be exported. I W Harper was widely popular in the 1950s and 60s, and was exported to more than 100 countries around the world. The whiskey carries no age statement but is believed to be a blend of whiskeys between four and 20 years old. I W Harper Kentucky Trail Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 41% ABV, is based on a mash bill of 73% corn, 18% rye and 9% malted barley. The finish is long, caramel-sweet, with a lingering cinnamon and a cooked cereal note. On the palate, you have caramel, brown sugar, candied nuts, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cooked corn sweetness, some mint and a lingering pepperiness. There is some alcohol burn, especially on the 114-proof version, along with sweet honey notes, candied citrus zest, brown sugar and that cooked tropical fruits. This is another classic bourbon with a distinctive caramel and vanilla aroma on the nose. The whiskey is based on a mash bill of 62% corn, 28% rye and 10% malted barley. There is also a 57% ABV (114 proof) version that is priced under $30. The whiskey is NAS, but is believed to be four to eight years old. This whiskey is also BIB and is bottled at 50% ABV. The bourbon is made by Jim Beam, and retails for around $20 per bottle. His bourbon incorporated a large percentage of rye, giving the whiskey a spicy and powerful flavor. Old Grand-Dad Bonded Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 50% ABV, was the nickname of a distiller named Basil Hayden. Old Grand-Dad Bourbon Photo, courtesy Old Grand-Dad
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