You’d be hard-pressed to find a more desired option for single barrel picks than Russell’s Reserve. Much of this has to do with the product itself, as well as the history behind Wild Turkey; going from a less fondly regarded distillery to a widespread favorite amongst enthusiasts. Although the brand’s more limited products have certainly played a part, the core Wild Turkey and Russell’s Reserve products remain venerable options that most shoppers can find.

Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel selections from groups and stores are considered the cream of the crop in such capacity. Picks from popular online groups often sell out with the occasional surcharge, but these are also potentially the best way to get a pick that aligns with your palate. Case in point for me is The Mash & Drum, which makes up half of the name behind The Mash & Journey group picks. I haven’t tried many of these picks, but I did manage to get a bottle of their first Russell’s Reserve pick, dubbed “Look at the Birdie.” The barrel details are as follows:

Distilled: 11/18/11

Dumped: 04/12/21

Bottled: 05/03/21

Barrel 20-0960

Warehouse G, Floor 4

Nose: Spice Cabinet, Tobacco, Toffee Nut, Pepper

Bold, Robust, Savory

Palate: Burnt Toffee, Toasted Pecan, Cinnamon Butter, Oak

Medium, Warm, Chewy

Finish: Brown Butter, Peanut Brittle, Salted Caramel, Oak

Dense, Balanced, Long

This pick combines much of what I find in two of my favorite distilleries: Wild Turkey and Jim Beam. It’s perhaps befitting that, depending on the bottle, the two can exhibit a lot of flavor overlap. Beam often leans on the dry, nutty end of the spectrum with older expressions presenting more rich, dessert-like notes and the occasional fruity flavor. Turkey tends to boast spice cabinet vibes with varying degrees of sweetness. Both of these descriptions apply in some capacity to the “Look at the Birdie” pick. There’s a fantastic balance of sweet and savory notes with a nutty backbone that never slips into overkill. Keeping the Beam/Turkey power play going, this is the second time I’ve had a Russell’s pick and gotten an experience I’d compare to a proofed down, but more mature Booker’s.

Suffice it to say, I’ve been a fan of this pick. Sometimes single barrel releases can feel like they’re checking one or two spots on a proverbial flavor wheel. This makes them great for the right audience. Yet with the right blender, you can also see some of these barrels complementing others in a way that makes them greater than the sum of their parts. Mash & Journey’s “Look at the Birdie” pick doesn’t flip that concept on its head, but it’s a far more comprehensive single barrel than I’m accustomed to. It checks several boxes and consistently stands out as a strong, possibly excellent, bottle of bourbon.