Russell’s Reserve 13 yr Bourbon 45th Anniversary 60.6%

This one is genuinely special and highly allocated, and I would treat it very differently from a normal Russell’s Reserve release. The Spring 2026 Russell’s Reserve 13 Year commemorates Master Distiller Eddie Russell’s 45th anniversary at Wild Turkey, mirroring the history of the Russell’s Reserve brand itself, which Eddie originally created to honor his father Jimmy Russell’s 45th anniversary. The commemorative release is bottled at 121.2 proof, non-chill filtered and includes whiskey considerably older than its 13-year statement—including selected barrels in the 16–18 year range and a specific 18-year barrel Eddie selected with his son Bruce Russell. 

The profile is classic mature Wild Turkey but especially fruit-forward. The nose brings vanilla, seasoned oak, brown sugar, coffee and orange peel, followed by cherry and citrus on the palate alongside nutmeg, allspice and cola. Caramel and toffee emerge into a long, mature finish with oak tannin, leather and spice. Reviews so far describe this as one of the more layered and full-bodied releases in the RR13 series. 

Cask / Aging Program

The 2026 RR13 is assembled from hand-selected Wild Turkey bourbon barrels aged a minimum of 13 years in new charred American oak, with substantial older whiskey incorporated into the batch. Wild Turkey says it includes carefully selected higher-aged components; Bruce Russell has said the youngest whiskey is actually close to 14 years, with significant 16–18-year-old stock. It is bottled at barrel proof and non-chill filtered, with no secondary finishing cask—the long maturation and barrel selection are the entire point of the release.

Details

• Producer: Russell’s Reserve / Wild Turkey
• Release: Spring 2026 – Eddie Russell 45th Anniversary
• Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Age: 13 Years
• Older Components: Up to 18 years
• Mash Bill: 75% Corn / 13% Rye / 12% Malted Barley
• Cask Program: New charred American oak; selected 13–18-year barrels
• Finish: None
• Filtration: Non-chill filtered
• ABV: 60.6%
• Proof: 121.2
• Bottle Size: 750ml
• Availability: Highly allocated limited release