The Top Japanese, continued

Kanosuke ‘Hioki Pot Still’ (51%, OB, Japan, 2024)
Kanosuke ‘Double Distillery’ (53%, OB, Japan, 2024)
Ichiro’s Malt & Grain World Blend ‘7 to 47 years Double Fantasy’ (56%, OB, Japan, 300 bottles, 2024)
Ichiro’s Malt World Blended Malt…

Kanosuke ‘Hioki Pot Still’ (51%, OB, Japan, 2024)

Kanosuke ‘Double Distillery’ (53%, OB, Japan, 2024)

Ichiro’s Malt & Grain World Blend ‘7 to 47 years Double Fantasy’ (56%, OB, Japan, 300 bottles, 2024)

Ichiro’s Malt World Blended Malt ‘5 to 21 years Double Fantasy’ (48%, OB, Japan, 1,200 bottles, 2024)

Chichibu 7 yo 2016/2024 (64.5%, OB, LMDW Foundations, refill peaty barrels, cask #7076, 200 bottles)

Ontake 2021/2024 (57.7%, OB, for The Ultimate Spirits by Rudder, Japan, Owner’s Cask, oloroso sherry butt, cask #174)

Mars Tsunuki 4 yo 2020/2024 ‘Yakushima Aging’ (58.2%, OB, Japan, LMDW Foundations, sherry hogshead, cask #2334, 241 bottles)

The Love and Death of Maria Rupp, Saloon Keeper

This is the true story of a brutal and senseless murder.  It is also the story of a love that extended beyond the grave.  At the center is a beautiful young immigrant German woman calling herself Maria Rupp who ran a saloon in Sacramento, California. The statue shown here is from her grave. Its hands broken off by vandals, its face disfigured, this damaged angel captures the tragedy of Maria’s murder.

Maria was born Mary Schleider in Hesse, Germany, about 1832.  What little we know of her background was revealed in a deposition given by Eliza Green, hired to work in the saloon, who declared she was Maria’s half-sister. Her sibling she said had emigrated to America in 1855, embarking on a ship from Brussels, Belgium, at the age of about 22.  Perhaps drawn to Sacramento by the news of gold strikes, Maria began running a saloon there in January 1856.  She was accounted a beautiful young woman and talented pianist.  Said to be “a darling of Sacramento’s close-knit German community,” her Sacramento Beer Saloon on K Street, below, was prosperous. 



The historical record does not disclose when Maria changed her name or how an immigrant girl would have the resources to open and run a drinking establishment.  A clue to the latter may be in a statement by Mark Twain who called Sacramento “the City of Saloons.”  In 1866 Twain wrote:  “…I have been in most of the saloons, and there are a good many of them.  You can shut your eyes and march into the first door you come to and call for a drink and the chances are you will get it.”  He implied that a Sacramento “watering hole” could be established for minimal capital.


Quite naturally, Maria attracted considerable attention from the largely male. population of Sacramento but her affections were reserved for another relatively new man in town.  He was Francois Noiset, an immigrant from French-speaking Belgium, a medical doctor about two years older than she.  Although most of the men who frequented her Sacramento Beer Saloon were aware she and Francois were planning to marry, one man — Peter Metz, sometimes given as Welz — refused to accept her intent.


Little is known of Metz’s background, other than he was an immigrant from Germany, that he was in his early 30s, and by occupation he was a cook who may have worked for Maria in the past.  He had developed a mad passion for her that she had rebuffed repeatedly, citing her engagement to Dr. Noiset.  Half crazed by her rejection, on November 18, 1857, Metz told people that Maria had agreed to marry him, fantasizing that he soon would take over her saloon business.   When met with scepticism, he avowed:  “If she did not have him she would not marry anyone else.  She would die first.”  After drinking heavily Metz told his hearers that he would go over to Maria’s “ to see if the business was all right.”


Much of this may have been bravado on Metz’s part.  John Andrew, one of Maria’s bartenders, testified that upon arriving at the saloon, Metz approached him to inquire about a knife he had misplaced there the previous evening.  Having found the blade and stuck it on a shelf, the bartender returned it to Metz who claimed it was his.  After retrieving the knife, the erstwhile suitor joined a group of patrons standing around the piano where Maria was entertaining.  He threw his arm around her as if to give her a kiss, but instead cut her throat.  Dropping the bloody knife, Metz headed for the door unimpeded.


The bartenders and patrons immediately were occupied with the dying Maria. In his deposition, patron Louis Noll attested:  “I was present and saw Peter Metz while Madame Mary was singing and playing upon the piano, put one of his arms around her neck and with the other hand inflict a stab in the right breast or side, with a butcher knife.  I saw him pull the knife out and throw it on the floor…”

Noll then recounted how he had picked her up in his arms from the piano, as she fell back, and placed her on a chair, shortly after carrying her upstairs to a bedroom.


Marie was bloody but conscious enough to say “get a doctor.”  The patron sent for the task initially could not find one but upon going to the Western Hotel, located a physician.  Precious minutes went by until a doctor appeared but found there was nothing he could do.  Fifteen minutes later the lovely and talented Maria Rudd, 25, was dead, the victim of a deranged suitor.


 Meanwhile her killer walked to a friend’s house where he spent the night.  The next morning, telling his host what he had done, Metz was advised to give himself up to the local sheriff whose men were even then scouring Sacramento to find him.  If not, the friend told him, he would raise a “hue and cry” about the fugitive’s whereabouts and an angry crowd would hang him on the spot.  Thus warned, Metz went to the sheriff’s office that morning and surrendered.


The sheriff transferred Metz to the city jail to await trial.  A coroner’s jury composd of five local men was convened and returned a verdict that Maria had met her death from the effects of a wound inflicted by Metz.  A newsman, visiting him in jail reported that the accused: “…stated that he had been acquainted with the deceased some sixteen or eighteen months, that she had promised to marry him, and obtained $500 of his money.  In regard to proceedings subsequently, his remarks were unintelligible.”


After a trial that lasted several weeks, Metz was convicted of murder in the second degree and sentenced to life imprisonment, to be served at San Quentin, California’s maximum security state prison for men.  When he early demonstrated signs of insanity, he was transferred to California’s first mental hospital at Stockton, shown here.  In a matter of days Metz escaped from that facility.  Spotted traveling north through the state, he was captured in Siskiyou County and returned to the Stockton asylum.  He is said to have remarked “very coolly” that all the return travel expenses “would cost him nothing.”


Several days after Maria’s brutal murder, her many friends and admirerers arranged an elaborate funeral for her. Pallbearers wore white scarves and white flowers. Singing was provided by Sacramento’s German Leider Kranz chorus.  Her funeral cortege stretched several blocks as some 23 carriages and buggies accompanied her body.  She was accorded a Requiem Mass at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, by the pastor, Father Cassin.  Not long after the church would be destroyed by fire.



Dozens of mourners gathered at Maria’s gravesite, marked by two monuments, one the statue of the damaged angel that opens this vignette, the other a cross with an elaborate description memorializing her life.  The site is set off by itself, surrounded by a brick wall and marked by a proliferation of flowering plants and bushes, carefully tended.



Among the mourners on that sad November day was Francois Noiset, anguished by the loss of his Maria.  The doctor remained unmarried and died six years later, apparently of tuberculosis.  Francois is said to have given his body to a medical college but his heart was buried next to Maria’s.  His gravestone is below in two views. One shows it adjacent to her memorial.  The other shows two hands clasped, one larger than the other, and bears the inscription: “To you Maria.”  Separated in life by a cruel murder, the couple are united in death.



Notes:  Visitor to Sacramento can take a tour of the historic Sacramento City Cemetery with docents dressed to resemble the individuals involved.  The Rudd-Noiset burial site is a “must” stop where their story is told.  This article is based on long articles published at the time in the Sacramento Daily Union and the book, “Sacramento’s Gold Rush Saloons,” (2014), by the Special Collections staff of the Sacramento Public Library.























This is the true story of a brutal and senseless murder.  It is also the story of a love that extended beyond the grave.  At the center is a beautiful young immigrant German woman calling herself Maria Rupp who ran a saloon in Sacramento, California. The statue shown here is from her grave. Its hands broken off by vandals, its face disfigured, this damaged angel captures the tragedy of Maria’s murder.

Maria was born Mary Schleider in Hesse, Germany, about 1832.  What little we know of her background was revealed in a deposition given by Eliza Green, hired to work in the saloon, who declared she was Maria’s half-sister. Her sibling she said had emigrated to America in 1855, embarking on a ship from Brussels, Belgium, at the age of about 22.  Perhaps drawn to Sacramento by the news of gold strikes, Maria began running a saloon there in January 1856.  She was accounted a beautiful young woman and talented pianist.  Said to be “a darling of Sacramento’s close-knit German community,” her Sacramento Beer Saloon on K Street, below, was prosperous. 



The historical record does not disclose when Maria changed her name or how an immigrant girl would have the resources to open and run a drinking establishment.  A clue to the latter may be in a statement by Mark Twain who called Sacramento “the City of Saloons.”  In 1866 Twain wrote:  “…I have been in most of the saloons, and there are a good many of them.  You can shut your eyes and march into the first door you come to and call for a drink and the chances are you will get it.”  He implied that a Sacramento “watering hole” could be established for minimal capital.


Quite naturally, Maria attracted considerable attention from the largely male. population of Sacramento but her affections were reserved for another relatively new man in town.  He was Francois Noiset, an immigrant from French-speaking Belgium, a medical doctor about two years older than she.  Although most of the men who frequented her Sacramento Beer Saloon were aware she and Francois were planning to marry, one man — Peter Metz, sometimes given as Welz — refused to accept her intent.


Little is known of Metz’s background, other than he was an immigrant from Germany, that he was in his early 30s, and by occupation he was a cook who may have worked for Maria in the past.  He had developed a mad passion for her that she had rebuffed repeatedly, citing her engagement to Dr. Noiset.  Half crazed by her rejection, on November 18, 1857, Metz told people that Maria had agreed to marry him, fantasizing that he soon would take over her saloon business.   When met with scepticism, he avowed:  “If she did not have him she would not marry anyone else.  She would die first.”  After drinking heavily Metz told his hearers that he would go over to Maria’s “ to see if the business was all right.”


Much of this may have been bravado on Metz’s part.  John Andrew, one of Maria’s bartenders, testified that upon arriving at the saloon, Metz approached him to inquire about a knife he had misplaced there the previous evening.  Having found the blade and stuck it on a shelf, the bartender returned it to Metz who claimed it was his.  After retrieving the knife, the erstwhile suitor joined a group of patrons standing around the piano where Maria was entertaining.  He threw his arm around her as if to give her a kiss, but instead cut her throat.  Dropping the bloody knife, Metz headed for the door unimpeded.


The bartenders and patrons immediately were occupied with the dying Maria. In his deposition, patron Louis Noll attested:  “I was present and saw Peter Metz while Madame Mary was singing and playing upon the piano, put one of his arms around her neck and with the other hand inflict a stab in the right breast or side, with a butcher knife.  I saw him pull the knife out and throw it on the floor…”

Noll then recounted how he had picked her up in his arms from the piano, as she fell back, and placed her on a chair, shortly after carrying her upstairs to a bedroom.


Marie was bloody but conscious enough to say “get a doctor.”  The patron sent for the task initially could not find one but upon going to the Western Hotel, located a physician.  Precious minutes went by until a doctor appeared but found there was nothing he could do.  Fifteen minutes later the lovely and talented Maria Rudd, 25, was dead, the victim of a deranged suitor.


 Meanwhile her killer walked to a friend’s house where he spent the night.  The next morning, telling his host what he had done, Metz was advised to give himself up to the local sheriff whose men were even then scouring Sacramento to find him.  If not, the friend told him, he would raise a “hue and cry” about the fugitive’s whereabouts and an angry crowd would hang him on the spot.  Thus warned, Metz went to the sheriff’s office that morning and surrendered.


The sheriff transferred Metz to the city jail to await trial.  A coroner’s jury composd of five local men was convened and returned a verdict that Maria had met her death from the effects of a wound inflicted by Metz.  A newsman, visiting him in jail reported that the accused: “…stated that he had been acquainted with the deceased some sixteen or eighteen months, that she had promised to marry him, and obtained $500 of his money.  In regard to proceedings subsequently, his remarks were unintelligible.”


After a trial that lasted several weeks, Metz was convicted of murder in the second degree and sentenced to life imprisonment, to be served at San Quentin, California’s maximum security state prison for men.  When he early demonstrated signs of insanity, he was transferred to California’s first mental hospital at Stockton, shown here.  In a matter of days Metz escaped from that facility.  Spotted traveling north through the state, he was captured in Siskiyou County and returned to the Stockton asylum.  He is said to have remarked “very coolly” that all the return travel expenses “would cost him nothing.”


Several days after Maria’s brutal murder, her many friends and admirerers arranged an elaborate funeral for her. Pallbearers wore white scarves and white flowers. Singing was provided by Sacramento’s German Leider Kranz chorus.  Her funeral cortege stretched several blocks as some 23 carriages and buggies accompanied her body.  She was accorded a Requiem Mass at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, by the pastor, Father Cassin.  Not long after the church would be destroyed by fire.



Dozens of mourners gathered at Maria’s gravesite, marked by two monuments, one the statue of the damaged angel that opens this vignette, the other a cross with an elaborate description memorializing her life.  The site is set off by itself, surrounded by a brick wall and marked by a proliferation of flowering plants and bushes, carefully tended.



Among the mourners on that sad November day was Francois Noiset, anguished by the loss of his Maria.  The doctor remained unmarried and died six years later, apparently of tuberculosis.  Francois is said to have given his body to a medical college but his heart was buried next to Maria’s.  His gravestone is below in two views. One shows it adjacent to her memorial.  The other shows two hands clasped, one larger than the other, and bears the inscription: “To you Maria.”  Separated in life by a cruel murder, the couple are united in death.




Notes:  Visitor to Sacramento can take a tour of the historic Sacramento City Cemetery with docents dressed to resemble the individuals involved.  The Rudd-Noiset burial site is a “must” stop where their story is told.  This article is based on long articles published at the time in the Sacramento Daily Union and the book, “Sacramento’s Gold Rush Saloons,” (2014), by the Special Collections staff of the Sacramento Public Library.


















































Michter’s 2024 Legacy Series Travels Across The Pond

Louisville, Kentucky-based Michter’s Distillery is crossing the pond to bring a pair of limited edition 2024 Legacy Series bourbons – Bomberger’s Declaration and Shenk’s Homestead Sour Mash – to the UK market. The Michter’s Legacy Series celebrates the distillery founder – Swiss Mennonite farmer John Shenk [who founded Shenk’s Distillery in Pennsylvania] – with the […]

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Louisville, Kentucky-based Michter’s Distillery is crossing the pond to bring a pair of limited edition 2024 Legacy Series bourbons – Bomberger’s Declaration and Shenk’s Homestead Sour Mash – to the UK market.

The Michter’s Legacy Series celebrates the distillery founder – Swiss Mennonite farmer John Shenk [who founded Shenk’s Distillery in Pennsylvania] – with the Homestead bourbon being made using a portion of the previously distilled whiskey mash.

The 2024 Michter’s Legacy Series Shenk’s Homestead Sour Mash contains rye whiskey aged in French oak sourced from the Vosges region with the oak air-dried and seasoned for 24 months before being bottled at 45.6% alcohol by volume [91.2 proof] and is said to offer notes of caramel and spice.

The 2024 Michter’s Legacy Series Shenk’s Homestead Sour Mash is being made available from selected retailers in the UK for $160 per bottle.

The 2024 Bomberger’s Declaration also celebrates the original Shenk’s Distillery, which underwent a name change to Bomberger’s Distillery in the 1800s [after the distillery’s second owner, Abraham Bomberger] before it became Michter’s in the mid-20th century.

The 2024 Michter’s Legacy Series Bomberger’s Declaration uses bourbon aged in chinquapin oak, which was air-dried and seasoned for three years before being toasted and charred then bottled at 54% alcohol by volume [108 proof] and is said to contain notes of malted rye.

The 2024 Michter’s Legacy Series Bomberger’s Declaration Bourbon is also being made available in the UK for $160 per bottle.

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Jura Tweet Tasting

More industry leading, social media based dramfotainment you ask? Well as ever allow us to very gladly oblige!Continuing our teeming throng of industry leading Tweet Tastings (the original series of virtual tastings) over on Twitter / X, we’re delighte…

More industry leading, social media based dramfotainment you ask? Well as ever allow us to very gladly oblige!Continuing our teeming throng of industry leading Tweet Tastings (the original series of virtual tastings) over on Twitter / X, we’re delighted to announce that on November 13th we’ll be teaming up again with our very good friends at the Jura Distillery, for another epic evening of

Whiskey Quickie: Bomberger’s Declaration Bourbon (2024) Review

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Bomberger’s Declaration Bourbon (2024). This non-age stated whiskey is 108 proof and $120 […]

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On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Bomberger’s Declaration Bourbon (2024). This non-age stated whiskey is 108 proof and $120 MSRP. Let us know what you think. Cheers!

DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost courtesy of the spirit producer. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly.


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Book Review: The World Atlas Of Whisky

By Richard Thomas Rating: A When I established The Whiskey Reviewer in 2011, it was already inconceivable to stay on top of both the growing realm of world whiskey and the burgeoning American craft distilling scene. The American small distilling sector was already too large and growing too fast, although the new distilleries popping up …

By Richard Thomas

Rating: A

When I established The Whiskey Reviewer in 2011, it was already inconceivable to stay on top of both the growing realm of world whiskey and the burgeoning American craft distilling scene. The American small distilling sector was already too large and growing too fast, although the new distilleries popping up in countries that had never done whisky-making before were just about manageable. In just a couple of years, both became impossible. I can say that because not only does this website do both things, but I’m also the author of American Whiskey. My book is still the most comprehensive work on its subject, but I know perfectly well it only covers 1/7 of the distillers in the US.

So, I understand just what it is that renowned expert Dave Broom attempted in his 2nd edition of The World Atlas of Whisky when it came out in 2014, just as I know how much more of a heavy lift it was a decade later to prepare 2024’s 3rd edition. The scope and depth of world whisky has grown enormously over that time, as new countries entered the lists and existing countries saw more distilleries open. In many ways, what happened with world whisky is reflected by what happened in American small distilling in the same period: all 50 states have at least one whiskey distillery now, and states that had zero distilleries of any description in 2014 could have as many as a dozen now.

The thing is, Broom covers this expansion without really expanding the size of the book. Instead of recycling the 2nd edition, he has basically started over from scratch. The new text has almost entirely new imagery and what is said to be all new tasting notes, matching the increase of distilleries covered from 200 in 2014 to 500 today. The statistics alone indicate what the trade off is: if an author more than doubles his scope in what is almost the same space, depth necessarily suffers.

Which is where I return to the beginning of this review: some other reviewer may, in an effort to find something negative to say about Broom’s book, dismiss its generality. I say you’ll learn as much about whiskey-making in Romania, South Africa or Spain from a glance at the digested lore in this book as you would from an hour of Googling. It is, as the title says, an atlas. It just happens to be an atlas that explains what the maps tell you. It’s gorgeous to thumb through, and even at the expert level can serve as a useful reference for fact-checking about the more obscure corners of whiskydom.

 

Brother’s Bond Launches 7 Year Old Bonded Bourbon

Brother’s Bond Bourbon, founded by actors, real-life friends, and now whiskey makers, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, has announced the release of its newest expression, Brother’s Bond 7-Year Old Bottled In Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey. “The Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 was one of the first consumer protection laws in the United States–it allowed …

Brother’s Bond Bourbon, founded by actors, real-life friends, and now whiskey makers, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, has announced the release of its newest expression, Brother’s Bond 7-Year Old Bottled In Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey. “The Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 was one of the first consumer protection laws in the United States–it allowed Americans to be assured they were consuming a quality product made to the strictest standards,” shares Ian Somerhalder, co-founder of Brother’s Bond Bourbon. “Our Bottled in Bond expression which has been aged over 7 years follows this same 100+ year tradition to create a superior bourbon that we can’t wait to share with fans across the world.”

Brother’s Bond Bottled In Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the brand’s first high-rye, three-grain bourbon mash bill – made with 51% corn, 39% rye, and 10% malted rye. As a high rye bourbon, with a deep barrel char, non-chill filtered, and aged for a minimum of seven years, Brother’s Bond Bottled in Bond is a very complex, rich, and balanced expression that is full of character.

“We are so proud to be able to bring this product to whiskey enthusiasts, expanding our portfolio of expressions,” adds Paul Wesley, co-founder of Brother’s Bond Bourbon. “Bottled in Bond is the epitome of what we strive for as a brand—unrivaled quality while paying homage to the rich heritage and tradition of American whiskey-making.”

Brother’s Bond Bottled in Bond 7 Year Old Bourbon is available for $59.99.

Fred. Olsen Whisky Aged 103 Nights at Sea

Fred. Olsen

According to a press release, Fred. Olsen limited-edition single malt whisky has been matured aboard the Borealis during the cruise line’s 103-night world cruise. The spirit is now available at the firm. Fred. Olsen Cruise Line and Adnams Distillery recently partnered to transport a cask in its final stages of maturement on a world cruise. […]

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Fred. Olsen

According to a press release, Fred. Olsen limited-edition single malt whisky has been matured aboard the Borealis during the cruise line’s 103-night world cruise. The spirit is now available at the firm.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Line and Adnams Distillery recently partnered to transport a cask in its final stages of maturement on a world cruise. The ocean’s movement added to the flavor of the spirit by increasing its interaction with the cask. Dubbed Amplitude, the spirit was already in maturation for over nine years completing a part of its tenth year at sea.

Fred. Olsen Release Amplitude After 103 Nights Maturation

Fred. Olsen

Susana Entrena, hotel operations director at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “We’re so proud to have partnered with Adnams on this centuries-old maritime tradition. Amplitude is an exclusive batch of whisky, inspired by the ocean and our travels around the world.

“This special cask joined us on board Borealis on a world cruise, marking the final step in its 10-year aging process. Maritime traditions are very important to our brand and tie into the fact that we put 175 years of experience into every single day for our guests. We know that our guests will love the story behind Amplitude and the opportunity to taste the results onboard our fleet.”

There are only 250 bottles available of Amplitude, which was crafted from East Anglian malted barley. The whisky was matured for ten years in a French oak barrel. Amplitude was produced at Adnams’ Copper House Distillery and spent 103 nights at sea.

Bradley Adnams, head of export at Adnams, said: “Now that our whisky has returned from its voyage, we’ve been delighted with how it tastes. The time spent at sea aboard Fred. Olsen’s Borealis has given it unique layers of flavor. You’ll notice aromas of baked fruit, hints of tropical mango and papaya, and a warm, lingering finish with subtle chocolate and spice.

“It’s a fascinating blend of maritime influences and our East Anglian roots. Each bottle has been meticulously hand-bottled and labeled making this whisky a true reflection of its journey and careful craftsmanship. We’re looking forward to sharing it with those lucky enough to be on board future Fred. Olsen cruises.”

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Review | Wild Turkey Jimmy Russell’s 70th Anniversary 8 years old

The American bourbon brand of Wild Turkey has released a special commemorative whiskey to celebrate the remarkable career of Jimmy Russell, the long-serving Master Distiller. This year marks the 70th anniversary since Russell began working at the dist…



The American bourbon brand of Wild Turkey has released a special commemorative whiskey to celebrate the remarkable career of Jimmy Russell, the long-serving Master Distiller. This year marks the 70th anniversary since Russell began working at the distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky on September 10 1954. His remarkable career includes establishing Wild Turkey as a global brand and being inducted into the Bourbon Hall of Fame. 

The Wild Turkey Jimmy Russell's 70th Anniversary 8 years old features whiskeys of 8- and 9-years of age that were hand-selected by son Eddie Russell and grandson Bruce Russell, who both work at the distillery in senior positions, from Jimmy's favourite rickhouses. 

The Wild Turkey distillery is in the town of Lawrenceburg in the famous whiskey making state of Kentucky. The origins date from the Ripy family in the late-1860s and 1870s and there are a couple of stories regarding the name - one is because it was built on Wild Turkey Hill and the other regards a story about a former employee. He used to go on an annual turkey hunt with and took whiskey from the distillery with him. In the following year they asked him to bring more of "that wild turkey whiskey" and the Wild Turkey brand was introduced shortly afterwards. 

The brand was one of the most popular bourbon brands before Prohibition, but the distillery was forced to close during that period.  However, it was one of the first to reopen after Prohibition and this helped to establish Wild Turkey as a leading American whiskey brand.  It is currently owned by Gruppo Campari, who took control in 2009. 

The Wild Turkey Jimmy Russell's 70th Anniversary 8 years old is bottled at 101 Proof (50.5% ABV) and the bottle features Russell's signature. The bourbon is available in the USA and selected international markets in limited numbers. A bottle will cost US$50.

 


Our Tasting Notes

The colour is deep coppery gold and the nose is packed with aromas of vanilla and toffee, plus burnt orange and the match that lit it. Further aromas of golden syrup, honey and milk chocolate mingle with warming oak spices (think of cinnamon, mace and clove) and hints of cherry, marzipan and old cigar box. 

On the palate this whisky has a lovely mouth feel and plenty of honey and vanilla notes to begin with - think of fresh vanilla pod especially. There are also notes of sweet marzipan and glace cherry with some preserved bitter orange, icing sugar and golden syrup. Then come some toasted nuts - imagine almond, hazelnut and brazils. In the background there is a slightly flinty and mineralic vibe that is reminiscent of wet pebbles or stones. This is followed by hints of cocoa powder and something grassy and hay-like. Some drying oaky spice and a cinnamon stick appear at the end.

The finish is long and increasingly dry, woody and hot. The sweet golden syrup and honey-like characteristics fade after time and this leaves the toasted nuts and drying wood spices to come to the fore. Some later fruitiness also evolves with the bitter orange and glace cherry again coming through well.

What's The Verdict?

This is a lovely limited edition from Wild Turkey and one that is great for such a great occasion. The lovely and sympathetic use of old casks have given a lovely aroma and flavour profile that balances the sweet, fruity and spicy elements well. This is a proper sip and savour bourbon - that's exactly what you should do with this. It is absolutely delicious.


Russell’s Reserve Goes To Camp

Russell’s Reserve Bourbon goes to Camp Nelson B – the third entry in their Single Rickhouse series – and the highest ABV Russell’s Reserve has released to date at a whopping 60.1% [120.2 proof] alcohol by volume. The 2024 release comes from Camp Nelson Rickhouse B is claimed to have benefited from higher elevation and […]

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Russell’s Reserve Bourbon goes to Camp Nelson B – the third entry in their Single Rickhouse series – and the highest ABV Russell’s Reserve has released to date at a whopping 60.1% [120.2 proof] alcohol by volume. The 2024 release comes from Camp Nelson Rickhouse B is claimed to have benefited from higher elevation and increased sun exposure.

Russell’s Reserve’s Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson B Bourbon is bottled at 60.1% alcohol by volume [120.2 proof] and is said to offer notes of cinnamon, cherry and clove.

Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson B Bourbon is being made available for $300 per bottle in limited quantities at select retailers and the visitor center in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.

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