Russell's Reserve

• Category Whiskey / American
• Country of Origin n.c
• Manufacturer n.c

Amber chestnut color. Mature aromas of oak, vanilla, toffee, and leather. A heavyweight bourbon with a huge flavor profile—oak, leather, and molasses, turning quite dry with a spicy, nutty finish that is very long and warming. Russell's Reserve is part of the Austin Nichols line which includes Wild Turkey.

Wild Turkey is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey distilled and bottled by the Austin, Nichols division of Pernod Ricard. Its nicknames include "The Dirty Bird," "Gobble Gobble," "Thunder Chicken," and "The Kickin' Chicken", the last being a reference to the 101 proof of its most common bottling, as compared to the 80 proof of standard bourbons. The distillery is located near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. It offers tours, and is part of the American Whiskey Trail and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

The Ripy brothers built the distillery at Lawrenceburg in 1905 and resumed distilling after Prohibition. The Ripys were bought out by the Austin, Nichols Distilling Co. in 1971, who in turn were bought by Pernod Ricard in 1980.

Distillery executive Thomas McCarthy took some warehouse samples on a wild turkey hunting trip in 1940. The next year his friends asked him for "some of that wild turkey whiskey", and a brand was born. The 80 proof version was introduced in 1974.

If you have any further information on this particular product, please email Anistatia Miller at anistatia.miller@euvs.org.