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We chase the real origin story of Russell’s Reserve, comparing Wild Turkey’s official timeline with Greg Schneider’s account of how an inventory problem may have forced a new premium bourbon brand into existence. Then we pour Russell’s Reserve 13 (45th anniversary) at barrel proof, score it with our barrel breakdown, and talk about what age, proof, and non-chill filtration do to the experience.
• why the question of “who created Russell’s Reserve” still sparks debate
• how Wild Turkey’s late-1990s inventory shaped a premium brand strategy
• the official Russell’s Reserve timeline versus Greg Schneider’s version
• why romantic marketing stories often win over messy operations history
• Russell’s Reserve 13 “2.0” and why proof can vary by batch
• our barrel bottle breakdown method and the final 17.5/18 score
• tasting impressions including caramel-toffee sweetness, heavy viscosity, and a finish that fades faster than the palate
• non-chill filtration and the oily mouthfeel factor
• the 45-year connection from Jimmy’s tribute to Eddie’s anniversary release
• comparing Russell’s Reserve 13 with Russell’s Reserve 15 and how oak changes with age
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Somebody wrote down the “official” origin story of Russell’s Reserve, but we’re not convinced that’s the whole truth. Tiny goes solo and heads down a bourbon history rabbit hole to answer a question that matters to any Wild Turkey fan: who actually sparked the Russell’s Reserve line, and was it born from a heartfelt tribute, an inventory crisis, or both?

We lay out the brand’s published timeline, then stack it against Greg Schneider’s firsthand account from inside Wild Turkey management in 1998. Greg’s version centers on a very unglamorous problem: too much mature bourbon aging in the warehouses when the market wasn’t chasing 10+ year whiskey. From there we talk strategy, “premiumisation,” and why corporate storytelling often turns complicated business decisions into a cleaner, more romantic father-son narrative.

Then we get to the glass. We pour Russell’s Reserve 13 year (including the 45th anniversary release at 121.2 proof), discuss the shift away from the classic 114.8-proof expectation, and run our barrel bottle breakdown across nose, body, taste, and finish. We dig into non-chill filtration, that oily mouthfeel, the caramel-toffee sweetness, and where the finish lands, plus a quick comparison with Russell’s Reserve 15 to show how extra age can push oak forward.

If you love Wild Turkey bourbon, Russell’s Reserve releases, barrel proof whiskey, and the stories that shape what we buy, hit subscribe, share this with a bourbon friend, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.

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