Russell's Reserve 15 Year is a limited Kentucky straight bourbon from Wild Turkey, released in July 2024 and bottled non-chill filtered at 117.2 proof. It took the place of the 13 Year as that year's annual limited release.
About This Bourbon
Master Distiller Eddie Russell chose to release a 15 year old instead of the 13 Year that fans expected, from barrels that had sat through fifteen Kentucky summers and winters. It uses Wild Turkey's standard bourbon mash of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley. Eddie picked the bottling strength himself, settling on 117.2 proof (58.6% ABV) as the point where the whiskey showed best, and it was released in the US and Asia. Expect tobacco and old oak alongside the distillery's earthy signature.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Dried fruit, caramel, nutmeg, clove and oak, with Wild Turkey's earthy note.
- Palate: Spiced cherry and plum moving into molasses, coffee, tobacco and mature oak.
- Finish: Long, with dark cocoa, caramel and smooth oak.
Serving & Food
Serve at room temperature in a Glencairn. At 117.2 proof the first sip can be hot, so try it neat, then with a few drops of water to bring the fruit forward. Pair with smoked brisket, pecan pie or a wedge of aged cheddar.
How to Enjoy
A Wild Turkey drinker who has worked through the 10 and 13 Year and wants the oldest of the recent Russell's Reserve releases.
Product Details
Brand: Russell's Reserve
Distillery: Wild Turkey, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Age: 15 years old
Release reference: 2024 limited release
Category: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Mash Bill: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley
Filtration: Non-chill filtered
ABV: 58.6%
Proof: 117.2
Format: 750mL
About the Distillery
Russell's Reserve began in 1998 as Eddie Russell's tribute to his father Jimmy, who was then marking 45 years at Wild Turkey. The range was meant for the kind of bourbon the two of them liked to drink: older, fuller and bottled with less filtration than the flagship.
Eddie had joined the distillery in 1981 as a relief operator and worked his way through the warehouses and still house before taking the Master Distiller title in 2015. His son Bruce joined as associate blender in 2022, putting a third generation of the family on the Lawrenceburg site.