Some things you can always count on – a fresh-brewed cup of coffee in the morning, an ice-cold glass of lemonade on a summer’s afternoon, and the tried and true well-aged profile of Russell’s Reserve 10-Year. But then, maybe one of those, not so much. Look, I’ll just rip the bandaid off in paragraph one: 2022’s Russell’s 10 isn’t the Russell’s 10 profile I’ve come to expect and love over the last eight years.
I should’ve known this was coming. After all, Eddie Russell made it clear last year that Russell’s Reserve 10-Year would probably experience profile changes. And here we are. But before you fire up your torches and sharpen your pitchforks, it’s probably best that I share how a recent batch of Russell’s 10 actually tastes. No, it’s not the bourbon you’re accustomed to, and if Russell’s 10 is a regular pour for you, you’ll certainly notice. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t quality bourbon or worth your hard-earned money.
Hang in there. There’s lots to discuss.
Russell’s Reserve Ten Year Old Bourbon (Feb 2022) – 90-proof Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey – aged at least ten years – distilled and bottled by the Wild Turkey Distilling Company, Lawrenceburg, KY
Tasted neat in a Glencairn after a few minutes rest …
Color: copper
Nose: caramel, orange zest, toffee, sweet (almost fruity) oak, light baking spice
Taste: vanilla, fruit & nut trail mix, toasted honey, cherry cordial, citrus spice
Finish: moderate length w/ singed lemon peel, brown sugar, milk chocolate, oak char, faint nutmeg & leather
Overall: In a nutshell, 2022’s Russell’s Reserve 10-Year is a more complex, lower-proof Wild Turkey 101. It’s loaded with core bourbon notes like caramel, vanilla, and toffee – considerably balanced as well. It’s just lacking that forward fragrant oak, medicinal cherry, and antique leather profile that’s defined the expression for so long.
Admittedly, there’s a part of me that’s disappointed. I’m sure you gathered as much from the tone of my introduction. That being said, this recent iteration has its merits. There’s plenty to love here – especially if you fancy a mature bourbon that’s sweet and light on the oak notes. It’s simply a shift I’m not ready for, and for that, its rating steps a half notch down from my last review.
Rating: 3.25/5 🦃
Why? It’s a big question, right? Why has Russell’s Reserve 10-Year’s profile changed so notably? I suppose there’s the possibility this particular bottling comes from a rogue batch. It happens. But as much as I’d love for that to be the case, I have strong doubts. Besides, Eddie warned us, remember?
Outside of pure “batchiness,” there’s two factors that likely contributed to this change in profile, and the first is the age of the whiskey itself.
While Russell’s Reserve 10-Year has carried its signature age statement from its introduction, based on past interviews with Eddie Russell, older bourbon often made its way into the roughly 200-barrel batches. Even a handful of teenage barrels can make a difference when combined with barrels several years their junior. Take those older barrels out of the equation, and you’re looking at a profile more akin to a ten-year Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel private selection diluted to 90 proof. Still a damn good sipper, but in its own less-oak-influenced way.

The second factor that may account for this apparent profile shift (and the one you’ll surely hear the most loathing about in diehard Turkey groups) is the new still.
In June 2011, Wild Turkey’s state-of-the-art distillery launched with great fanfare. But it was only a formality, as Jimmy and Eddie Russell, along with the distillery crew, spent the months before putting the new column still through its paces – testing new make and tweaking the distillation process (there were even a number of fall 2010 barrels). By fall 2011, the distillery was cranking out whiskey that would eventually become today’s core Wild Turkey and Russell’s Reserve products.
The first time I recall documenting a profile shift in detail was January 2021, though I’d noticed it in private barrel samples the year before. The post was titled “Profile Shift and a Camp Nelson Comparison,” and it discussed what I assumed were changes in flavor due to a completely new still and distillation facility. Today, it’s less of an assumption and more of an assessment; it’s gauging the impact of that new process. Not that the recipe or yeast has changed, but when it comes to making whiskey – particularly whiskey you won’t taste for four years out – every little step makes a difference. Similar to the sci-fi “butterfly effect,” one minor change can bring about an entirely new reality.
As I sip the last of my glass of 2022’s Russell’s Reserve 10-Year, I must stress this is mighty fine bourbon. Hell, it wouldn’t surprise me if some whiskey enthusiasts prefer this over past batches. I especially love the chocolate note on the taste and finish, which isn’t something I typically find in Wild Turkey expressions. In fact, it reminds me of the ten-year rickhouse E barrel I selected with friends back in March, although this bourbon is lighter and simpler due to the reduction in proof. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to completely win me over. I miss the former profile. I wager I will for some time. But you never know. I might come around and find myself falling for this new experience. Truth be told, it took me years to warm up to post-2006 Russell’s 10 anyway. In the meantime, there’s plenty of 2016-2021 bottles out there to be found … for now.
Cheers!
dj
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Based on your review it sounds like there’s a good chance I will prefer the new profile. I have never really enjoyed RR10. Too dry and tannic and at the lower proof there’s not enough bold bourbon notes to counter-balance it. Any idea what to look for laser code wise for the new profile?
You probably will. The code on this bottle is LL/KB241234. The K is 2022, the B is Feb.
Thanks! I’m sure I will give it another try when I see the new bottles. However I wish a popular profile were not going away for other people. That sucks when that happens.
Thats an interesting and notable shift. Ironically there seem to be two camps for RR10, those that love the profile and those that hate it. There certainly have been many comparisons made to Eagle Rare 10, and I think those are fair comparisons. This profile shift sounds like it will be more in line with those who wanted less oak in their low proof 10 year old Bourbon. Ill miss the old profile, but I think its good to iterate, change and improve on occasion. Ill be on the lookout for something bottled this year (it takes forever to get to markets here, we havent even seen One yet), to put it through its paces.
Interestingly enough, I’m also not the biggest fan of Eagle Rare either, preferring the Buffalo Trace expression of the same mash bill over ER10.
It’s not that I don’t enjoy “oaky” bourbons (I do) but I need a balanced bourbon.
With the Wild Turkey mash bill and taste profile, I feel it benefits from a higher proof to be at its best. If WT would consider upping the proof of RR10 to say, 94 to 96 proof, I think it would be a big hit for more people, especially in today’s market with new customers wanting higher proof levels.. I would advise them not to make it 100/101 proof to prevent the product from overlapping too much with WT101.
Besides, it’s clear that Eddie and the team want to keep RR10 as at a mid-level proof to keep it approachable, which I agree with. I have nothing against 90 proof bourbons but something about the WT profile needs a little more oomph to balance out the oak notes.
You’ll definitely like this 2022 bottling then. I’m a huge Eagle Rare fan and the former RR10 profile had a lot in common with ER. This new profile is more in line with a more mature Buffalo Trace KSBW.
Very good points. Please let me know what you think when you try it. And thanks for reading and commenting. Always appreciate your thoughts!
And we appreciate your terrific blog David!
Thank you!
So I went to (one of) my local liquor stores here in Louisville and there were cases of the old RR10 on the floor. Made me wonder how deep the pipeline of the old product is and how long it’s likely to be before the 2022 ‘two-tone red’ version shows up on the shelves.
Well, the new label is just a filing. Could be months. This review is of the current label. Just a 2022 bottling. 👍 Thanks for reading.