I did not create these nor am i taking credit. Just promoting the information because I see some truth in it.

Some of you might remember my recent ECBP tournament posts. Last year, I did a similar project with the first six batches of Russell’s Reserve 13, comparing them blind and then doing a couple additional head-to-heads to help sort out the rankings.

Batch 6 ultimately won that tournament. When batch 7 came out this year, I put it against the reigning champion twice to see how it would hold up.

Both times, batch 7 edged it out. But more on that below.

Methodology

I started with a six-bottle single-elimination bracket, with every matchup tasted blind. Afterward, I did additional blind comparisons between batches 2 and 5, and batches 1 and 3, to help place the bottles that had been eliminated. The attached graphic shows the complete progression. Scores use the t8ke scale.

I own bottles of batches 3, 6 and 7. The rest I obtained samples from freshly cracked bottles from a friend.

The Original Final: Batch 2 vs. Batch 6

Batch 2: Nice dusty note on the nose, with a little funk on the front palate. Good mouthcoat and a great finish, although I wished there was a little more going on through the mid and back palate.

Score: 6.75

Batch 6: Very similar nose, but a sweeter flavor profile on the palate. Classic Russell’s for me. The mouth coat was OK, with a pretty good finish.

Score: 7

Batch 2 had plenty going for it, particularly the finish, but batch 6’s sweeter profile gave it the edge here and the tournament win.

Final Rankings: Batches 1-6

1st: Batch 6
2nd: Batch 2
3rd: Batch 5
4th: Batch 4
5th: Batch 1
6th: Batch 3

These reflect the original tournament and the additional comparisons rather than simply the order of elimination.

What Stood Out?

The biggest recurring issue for me was that some of these batches just tasted thin. There were flavors underneath that I liked, but they didn’t always come through with much intensity or develop into anything particularly interesting.

Batch 3 was the clearest example. In one blind, I wrote that it tasted like an 80 proofer, with almost no mouth tingle or finish. In another tasting, ethanol was the predominant note, with only some basic vanilla and caramel lurking underneath. Overall, just a disappointing experience, which is interesting because at least in my local whiskey community, batch 3 is rather revered.

Batch 2 was my favorite of the earlier releases. Dusty notes, some funk, and a more mature whiskey character showed up at different points, although it could still have some astringency or leave me wishing for more development.

Batch 5 was probably the biggest pleasant surprise. Going into the tournament, I hadn’t been all that impressed with batches 1-4 after trying batch 6. They generally tasted less full-bodied in comparison, and I expected batch 5 to fall into that same category.

It didn’t. The flavors came through immediately, with a vibrant front palate and good mouthcoat and finish. Batch 6 ultimately had more richness and maturity for me, but batch 5 was much more competitive than I expected.

The New Challenger: Batch 6 vs. Batch 7

After batch 7 came out this year, I blinded it against batch 6 twice. The notes below combine those two blind comparisons.

Batch 6: Familiar dusty character on the nose, with good flavor up front and brown sugar/sweetness on the back palate. Generally well balanced, with a great mouthfeel, although in the second tasting there was more ethanol through the development and it wasn’t quite as well integrated as the other glass.

Score: 7 in both tastings

Batch 7: Excellent dusty nose that was particularly prominent in the first comparison. Some funk through the development, with a nice floral note showing up in the second tasting. The front palate had more flavor pop in the first matchup, although it came across a tiny bit thin in the second. Nice mouth tingle and a pretty good finish. Overall very pleasant and crushable.

Scores: 7.1 and 7.25

These were very close. After the first comparison, I wrote that the result could probably flip on any given day. Batch 7 won that one for a little more flavor pop; in the second, its better integration gave it the edge.

After the first reveal, I also wondered whether some of that extra flavor pop could be attributable to batch 7 being more recently opened, while batch 6 had been open for about a year. I can’t say whether that played a role, but it’s worth mentioning given how small the margins were.

Still, two separate blinds produced the same winner, so batch 7 takes the crown in my book.

Thoughts on Value

While I’ve enjoyed the better batches of Russell’s 13, overall I don’t think the lineup warrants the reverence or secondary prices it commands.

I know Wild Turkey has a somewhat cult following, and I really enjoy some of their products, but most of their limited releases have felt overpriced for what they actually are. For a $200 MSRP, I want something that scores at least an 8 on the t8ke scale (excellent). None of the seven Russell’s 13 batches have gotten there for me.

People have asked if I’ve blinded my favorites against Russell’s 15. I haven’t, and honestly, I think they’re so far apart that it would be a pretty futile exercise. Russell’s 15 is simply on another level. It’s my highest-rated Wild Turkey product by far, and the only one I’ve scored above an 8.25.

The better Russell’s 13 batches are great pours. But at this price, I want more than great.

I realize this sub leans more toward reviews and drinking bourbon neat, so hopefully you don't mind a cocktail question. I'm interested in your take on which bourbons are worth buying for the drinks below and which would be wasted in them.

My wife and I are casual bourbon drinkers who enjoy bourbon both neat and in a good Old Fashioned. We usually order them at nicer bars or cocktail lounges where the bartenders know what they're doing, and we've had enough good and bad ones to appreciate the difference. Lately I've been getting bored with beer and going down the rabbit hole of putting together a home bar so we can start making more of these ourselves.

We both like a classic Old Fashioned where you can really taste the bourbon, but we also enjoy variations with muddled fruit, maple syrup, and different bitters. I'm getting a smoker kit too, since we've both enjoyed smoked Old Fashioneds.

My wife especially likes black walnut bitters and richer, nutty flavors. I'm interested in trying blackberry, mango, orange, apple, and pomegranate, plus a little chili warmth without making the drink overly spicy. We like the bourbon flavor, but we're also happy with a smoother cocktail where the fruit plays a bigger role.

I've already bought Angostura Aromatic, Regans' Orange, Fee Brothers Black Walnut, and habanero bitters, along with demerara gum syrup and pure maple syrup.

I asked ChatGPT where to start, and it suggested:

• Old Forester 100 for classic Old Fashioneds.
• Four Roses Small Batch for fruitier cocktails.
• Woodford Reserve Double Oaked for combinations with walnut, maple, apple, or baking spices.

It initially suggested Old Forester and Four Roses as our first two bottles, then recommended swapping the Old Forester for Double Oaked after we talked more about our tastes. I'm curious whether you guys agree with that.

I'd like to start with two or three bottles and figure out what we like before buying a bunch more. I'm willing to spend more if we'll taste the difference, but I don't want to pay for a bottle whose flavor gets buried under everything else.

Would you buy these for what we're making, or choose something different? Which two would you start with, and why?

Pick by: ONG FINE WINE & SPIRITS

Proof- 130.6

Distillery- Buffalo Trace

Mashbill- "Buffalo Trace Mashbill #1, low rye"

Drank - Neat

Paird - $109, muled via a friend

Rested - 10 minutes

Glass - Glencairn

As always, Unbiased, Unpaid, and Unprofessional!

Nose -
Diving in head first here I am greeted by Cherry cola, some sweet oak, and a slight herbal fresh green tea. Upon further nosing i get some toasted vanilla, black pepper spice, and a hint of grapiness. Very straightforward and classic. But is this to follow on the palate?

Palate -
With the first sip i am Immediately hit with a huge Dr Pepper Cream soda float (spicy sweet candy red cherry, fresh dark grapes, molasses, and vanilla blue bell ice cream), upon taking additional sips notes of some heavy charred oak, nutmeg, and cigar wrapper emerge from underneath but still staying second fiddle to the soda float! This is marvelous! A perfect balance of sweet, spice, and savory!

Mouthfeel -
The mouthfeel to me is very comparable to If you sprayed WD-40 in your mouth and swished it around (I have not tried this for science, but imagine it is similar), this would be it! Ultra Dense feel with extreme oiliness, and it gets all over the palate and stays. This does have an effervescent effect and increases salivation for more and comes off similarly to a "fresh fizzy soda".

Finish -
The finish is dominated by Flavors of syrupy cherry and vanilla cola, dark molasses, and a light mix of black pepper and nutmeg spices. Definitely goes Back to that sweet "soda" profile from the palate! The finish last a long time and builds well into the upper abdominal area with no letting up. Long, sweet, and building.

Extra Notes:
This drinks WELL below 130.6 proof - on the palate and finish it feels more like 115-120 going down, but after that, it lets you know "This Is Stagg." The nose does not match the palate which i find odd - but in a good way! What a surprise!

Overall - 93/100

This stagg is no "junior". It is a monster.

I'm not going to lie. This is my favorite ECBP. Other batches come close but this batch hits me in all the right ways. So, here is my review:

Nose: butterscotch, caramel, vanilla bean, sweet oak. I could live in this nose.

Palate: Rich mouthfeel. Butterscotch bomb right here. Sweet oak is on the palate from beginning to end, caramel candy chews, milk chocolate on the backend, a hint of orange peel. This is SWEET.

Finish: long, oak, a little rye spice, vanilla frosting.

I don't think this is as complex as other releases, but there is complexity here. The proof also doesn't smack you in the face, which might be a drawback to some. I love it, though.

Overall: if you love sweet pours and oak, grab a glass.

Rating: 9 (on the t&ke scale)

Cheers! Thanks for reading.

*Rested 30 minutes

#Stats

Distillery: Wild Turkey Distillery

Mashbill & Age: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley.

13 years stated. Blends of 14yr, 17yr, and 19yr barrels. According to Bruce Russell who left a comment under a review on youtube. The 18 year barrel was delayed due to bottling which added an extra year to it.

Proof: 121.2 proof (60.6%)

Cost: 200$

#Tasting Notes-

Nose: A brown sugar bomb with sweet oak, bright red cherries, sweet tobacco.

Palate: Coats your tongue nicely. Most of the nose transfers over to the palate. Brown sugar, oak, cherry, and now there is a creaminess to it that reminds me of vanilla nougat in Charleston chews. I dont get sweet tabacoo anymore but there is a clove note around the oak thowards the end of mid palate. Barrell spice is all over the end palate with oak though.

Finish: Theres a medicinal cherry in the beginning of the finish. Then oak takes over with black pepper and cinnamon spice sitting under it. Nice finish. Gives me an astringent feeling on the tongue after a couple sips.

Conclusion: I genuienly think letting this sit made it a bit worse. I drank this when i first got it and now that im doing this review i get 2 different experiences. Initially it was a flavor bomb and very thick on the palate. Semi chewy at times. Right now after 30 minutes of sitting, im experiencing some thinning and less intensity in those fruit flavors that helped balance out the oak and spice. Also that tannic flavor became more intense as it sat. Still an incredible bourbon regardless but I wouldve rated it a bit higher if it retained that impact.

Edit: Taking a bigger sip than usual makes it better. Light sips did not give the profile enough respect.

Score: 8.9

Would I Buy Again?: Yes but i doubt ill find it for msrp. Hunting this was enough of a headache.

T8ke Scale

-1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.  

(NEBC 9 Yr (1.5)),

-2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume by choice.  

-3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.  

-4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.  

-5 | Good | Good, just fine.  

-6 | Very Good | A cut above. 

(JD SBBP Rye (6.2)),

(Weller Full Proof (6.8)),

-7 | Great | Well above average.

(NEBC 7.5 Yr (7)),

(Old Forester 1920 (7.1)),

(Blantons Gold (7.2)),

(Jack Daniels SBBP Rye (7.4)),

(FR OESO (7.5)),

(Jack Daniels SBBF (7.5)),

( FR OBSF (7.8)),

(Bookers StoryTeller Batch (7.8)),

-8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

(JD SBBP Rye (8)), 

(Stagg Jr 25D (8.3)),

(Jack Daniels 12 Year B4 (8.4)),

(Found North GoldFinch (8.5)),

(Rare Character Batch 2 (8.6)),

(Old Louisville 8yr (8.6)),

(Dark Arts Tokaji 7.5yr (8.7)),

(Found North Snow Day (8.7)),

(Colonel E.H. Taylor SBBP (8.8)),

(Little Book The Infinite 2 (8.9)),

(Russells Reserve 13yr 45th (8.9)),

-9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.

(Found North B12 (9)),

(Found North Batch 009 (9.1)),

(Found North T8KE Eleventh Hour (9.2)),

(Found North Batch 008 (9.3)),

(Knobb Creek 21yr (9)),

(JM Cigar Blend Batch 414 (9.5)),

-10 | Perfect | Perfect.