Over the Thanksgiving holiday, we snagged a bottle of Wild Turkey to enjoy over the break. It is always a fun choice when I want to mix up what I’m drinking. Wild Turkey is always better than I remember, so it inspired up to pick up a couple of bottles of Russell’s Reserve. I walked away with a bottle of the 10-year bourbon and the bottle of Russell’s Reserve 6-Year Rye Whiskey we are reviewing here.
Russell’s Reserve 6-Year Rye Whiskey is hand-selected by Wild Turkey Master Distillers, Jimmy and Eddie Russell. Jimmy got into the whiskey-making business with Wild Turkey back in 1954. After many years of perfecting his craft, he brought his son Eddie into the family business in the 1980s.
Between Jimmy and Russell, they have over 90 years of experience creating whiskey. Due to the reputation of Wild Turkey and the experience of Jimmy and Eddie, Alie and I were really excited to try Russell’s Reserve 6-Year Rye Whiskey.
Russell’s Reserve Reputation
Since we started reviewing whiskeys on this site, we often get recommendations or links to best-of lists from our friends and family. Well, mainly, I get whiskey articles from Alie’s dad. Either way, Russell’s Reserve 6-Year Rye Whiskey often shows up on those lists as one of the best rye whiskeys you can buy.
It helps that Russell’s Reserve is still relatively affordable. I always see guys posting on social media, begging for tips about where they can find allocated bottles when they go on vacation. In the age of “whiskey hunting,” it is refreshing to be able to pick up a solid, affordable, and widely available bottle of whiskey to enjoy.
About Russell’s Reserve 6-Year Rye Whiskey
Russell’s Reserve 6-Year Rye Whiskey is aged for 6 years and distilled by the folks at Wild Turkey. It is made from a mash bill of 51% rye, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley. Each barrel for Russell’s Reserve is hand selected before bottling. Russell’s Reserve 6-Year Rye Whiskey is bottled at 90 proof.
According to the Russell’s Reserve website, you’ll find notes of roasted almonds, vanilla, caramel, and cinnamon on the nose. The taste is notes of all-spice, pepper, and almonds. The finish is described as smooth and long.
Tasting Notes
On the nose, I picked up a hint of vanilla and caramel, but any type of toasted nut wasn’t there for me. Alie got her typical nose of cedar. She also felt that she noticed more ethanol on the nose than she does with most whiskeys we try.
Alie noted the whiskey seemed skunky, like a beer. I definitely noticed the pepper taste. It is hard to miss since it lingers for a long time on my lips and tongue. I did notice a touch of roasted nutty flavor, but it is quickly wiped out by the pepper taste.
Alie picked up the roasted nuts on the palate. She reiterated that although it was skunky, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But that’s her opinion. I tend to avoid anything that tastes skunky. She suggested we mix in more rye with our bourbons because she seems to be losing her touch with rye tasting.
Our Ratings
Drinkability: 3.5
Intensity: 2.8
Personal Preference: 3.8
Beginner Friendly: 3.7
Availability: 5
Overall: 3.8
Final Thoughts
Most of the whiskey we taste falls somewhere in the upper 3 range. For us, that means it is good, drinkable, and usually worth the price. Russell’s Reserve 6-Year Rye fits right into that category for us.
I enjoyed this bottle. It is one of the better rye whiskeys I’ve had as of late. Normally, I put rye whiskey into cocktails, but it was an easy-sipping whiskey that I really enjoyed neat. However, if you are looking for a good cocktail, we suggest you use Russell’s Reserve 6-Year Rye Whiskey in our Maple Pecan Smoked Old Fashioned. You can find the recipe here.
Overall, this is a solid, affordable rye whiskey. We suggested adding Russell’s Reserve 6-Year Rye Whiskey as a staple in your bar.
Happy Exploring!
