No whisky is more "what you see, what you get" than Russell's 10 year old. The palate matches the nose almost perfectly, there are no surprises here. Whilst its not the most exciting bourbon, it is - in my opinion - by far the best bang for your buck and will not fail to disappoint. Its the first bourbon I reach for when I want something to enjoy but don't have the time or focus to analyse it.
Nose: powerful and loud, no subtlety. Strong notes of tobacco, leather, spice, ripe pears and freshly cut pine. A little vanilla sweetness (more with water added)
Palate: is much the same as the nose, its an easy whisky to grasp but certainly NOT one dimensional. Stronger tobacco and leather spice come through, very little sweetness. Quite drying with a little hint citrus. Adding water thins it out a bit and give a more oily mouthfeel.
Finish: long without water and medium with. Fresh tobacco leafs and dryness linger.
Overall I don't think you can go wrong with this bourbon, it's bottled at 45%, packs a strong punch but remains sophisticated. I think it's hard to find a better value and better quality bourbon at $60AUD. I referred to it as an Islay because of the dominating tobacco note with is America's peat.
If you like this one, try the RR Single Barrel. It will knock your socks off! I keep the WT "Trinity" around at all times; 101, Rare Breed and RR Single Barrel. Great stuff!
@whiskyshaver, thanks for your nice review. It will be interesting to see how long the age statement will last on the Russell's Reserve products. They are disappearing pretty much everywhere else.
That is nice that Australia seems to get a very good distribution of Wild Turkey products.