{"product_id":"russells-reserve-13-year","title":"Russell's Reserve 13-Year-Old Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Original 114.8-Proof Release)","description":"\u003cstyle\u003e\n.mw-master-container{\n  --mw-accent: #e5a93b;   \/* metallic foil  *\/\n  --mw-glow:   #0f223d;     \/* power color    *\/\n  --mw-bg:     #140a03;       \/* deep lowlight  *\/\n  --mw-text:#e0e0e0; --mw-muted:#b8b8b8; --mw-hair:#222;\n  font-family: inherit; background:var(--mw-bg); color:var(--mw-text);\n  line-height:1.7; padding:24px; margin-bottom:60px;\n}\n\/* scoped resets: neutralize theme heading styles inside the block *\/\n.mw-master-container h2, .mw-master-container h3{\n  margin:0; padding:0; font-family:inherit; line-height:inherit; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-h3{ color:var(--mw-accent); font-weight:bold; text-transform:uppercase;\n  font-size:0.9rem; letter-spacing:2px; margin-top:40px; display:block;\n  border-bottom:1px solid var(--mw-glow); padding-bottom:8px; margin-bottom:20px; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-accent{ color:var(--mw-accent); font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-accent:hover{ color:#fff; text-decoration:underline; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-info-box{ background:linear-gradient(90deg, var(--mw-bg) 0%, var(--mw-glow) 100%);\n  padding:25px; margin:25px 0; border-radius:0 4px 4px 0; border:1px solid var(--mw-hair);\n  border-left:4px solid var(--mw-accent); }\n.mw-master-container .mw-list{ margin:0; padding-left:20px; font-size:0.95rem; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-grid{ display:grid; grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr; gap:30px; margin:30px 0; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-card{ background:rgba(255,255,255,0.02); padding:25px;\n  border:1px solid var(--mw-glow); border-radius:4px; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-card-label{ color:var(--mw-accent); font-weight:bold; font-size:0.75rem;\n  text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1px; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-card-body{ margin-top:20px; font-size:0.9rem; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-card-body p + p{ margin-top:10px; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-table{ width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; margin-top:15px; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-table td{ padding:14px 0; border-bottom:1px solid var(--mw-hair);\n  color:#ccc; font-size:0.95rem; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-table td:first-child{ font-weight:bold; width:38%; color:var(--mw-accent);\n  text-transform:uppercase; font-size:0.75rem; letter-spacing:1px; }\n.mw-master-container details{ background:rgba(255,255,255,0.03); border:1px solid var(--mw-hair);\n  border-radius:4px; margin-bottom:15px; }\n.mw-master-container summary{ padding:18px; color:var(--mw-accent); font-weight:bold; cursor:pointer;\n  outline:none; list-style:none; display:flex; justify-content:space-between; align-items:center;\n  text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1px; font-size:0.85rem; }\n.mw-master-container summary::after{ content:'+'; font-size:1.2rem; }\n.mw-master-container details[open]{ border:1px solid var(--mw-accent); }\n.mw-master-container details[open] summary::after{ content:'-'; }\n.mw-master-container .details-content{ padding:0 20px 20px 20px; font-size:0.95rem; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-q{ font-size:0.95rem; font-weight:bold; color:var(--mw-text); margin-top:14px; }\n.mw-master-container .details-content .mw-q:first-child{ margin-top:0; }\n@media (max-width:768px){ .mw-master-container .mw-grid{ grid-template-columns:1fr; } }\n\u003c\/style\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"mw-master-container\"\u003e\n\n  \u003cdiv class=\"speakable\"\u003e\n    \u003cp\u003eRussell's Reserve 13 Year is Wild Turkey's most chased modern bottle — a 13-year Kentucky straight bourbon bottled uncut and non-chill filtered at 114.8 proof. This is the original release, introduced in June 2021 for Eddie Russell's 40th year and re-released through 2023 at the same 114.8 proof. Every bottling of this era wears an identical label, so collectors tell them apart by the laser date code etched into the glass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n  \u003ch2 class=\"mw-h3\"\u003eThe Elemental Distinction\u003c\/h2\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"mw-info-box\"\u003e\n    \u003cul class=\"mw-list\"\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eThe bottle that made Russell's Reserve a collector name. Introduced June 2021 for Eddie Russell's 40th year at Wild Turkey, the 13 Year went from line extension to one of the distillery's most sought-after releases almost overnight.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e114.8 proof, bottled uncut and non-chill filtered — the strength every release of this original era carried, and a figure that let Eddie keep all the barrel's natural character.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eAged at least thirteen years, but the blends reach far deeper: the 2021 launch married thirteen-year bourbon with nineteen-year stock, and a 2022 bottling drew on barrels as old as twenty years.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eWild Turkey's standard bourbon recipe — 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley — so what carries this whiskey is age and barrel strength, not an unusual grain bill.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eEvery bottling of the 2021–2023 era wears an identical label. The only way to tell which one you have is the laser date code etched on the base of the bottle.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eLaunched around $70 and climbed toward $150 over its run, with secondary prices well beyond that — one of the hardest Wild Turkey bottles to find at shelf.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n  \u003cdiv class=\"mw-grid\"\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"mw-card\"\u003e\n      \u003ch3 class=\"mw-card-label\"\u003eSensory Profile\u003c\/h3\u003e\n      \u003cdiv class=\"mw-card-body speakable\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe profile the original 114.8 release is known for\u003c\/strong\u003e — carried as a composite of attributed reviews and the distillery's own launch description, not a single tasting note: a barrel-proof bourbon of dried dark fruit and charred confectionery over honey, chocolate and nougat, with a long, warming finish. Critic Fred Minnick, quoted at the reintroduction, called it power and elegance in a single glass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA caveat that matters for this release:\u003c\/strong\u003e because the 2021–2023 bottlings are separate marryings under one label, reviewers who taste them side by side do find batch-to-batch differences — some leaning oakier, some sweeter. Treat any single, specific flavour list for \"Russell's 13\" as describing one date-code bottling rather than the whole run.\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"mw-card\"\u003e\n      \u003ch3 class=\"mw-card-label\"\u003eStrategic Position\u003c\/h3\u003e\n      \u003cdiv class=\"mw-card-body\"\u003e\n        \u003cp\u003eOn \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/bourbon\" class=\"mw-accent\"\u003ethe barrel-proof bourbon vault at Midnight Whiskey\u003c\/a\u003e this is the one that started it — the original 114.8-proof Russell's Reserve 13, the runaway hit that turned a line extension into one of Wild Turkey's most chased bottles. It runs ahead to \u003ca href=\"\/products\/russells-reserve-13-year-2025\" class=\"mw-accent\"\u003ethe higher-proof 2025 release\u003c\/a\u003e at 123.8 and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/russells-reserve-13-year-2026\" class=\"mw-accent\"\u003ethe current 2026 release\u003c\/a\u003e at 121.2 — the point where Wild Turkey began printing a unique proof on every bottling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n  \u003ch2 class=\"mw-h3\"\u003eTechnical Specifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n  \u003ctable class=\"mw-table\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDistillery\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWild Turkey Distilling Co., Lawrenceburg, Kentucky\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaster Distiller\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEddie Russell\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eClass\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eKentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, barrel proof\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRelease\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOriginal 114.8-proof release (2021–2023)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eProof \/ ABV\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e114.8 proof (57.4% ABV)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eStrength\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBarrel proof, non-chill filtered\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAge\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e13 years (minimum)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMash bill\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFormat\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e750 mL\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRegion\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eKentucky, USA\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n  \u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n  \u003ch2 class=\"mw-h3\"\u003eCollector Note\u003c\/h2\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003eThe original Russell's Reserve 13 is a set of related bottlings rather than a single release, and for collectors that is the whole story. Between April 2021 and May 2023 Wild Turkey put out several markedly different marryings under one identical 114.8-proof label — enthusiasts track them by the laser date code on the base of the bottle (for example LL\/JD for April 2021, LL\/KE for May 2022, LL\/LE for May 2023). The blends vary: the first reached into nineteen-year stock, a later one into twenty-year barrels, and reviewers rate them differently as a result. Two things to know before paying up. The date code is the only reliable identifier — the front label will not tell two apart — and the price history runs from roughly $70 at launch toward $150 by the end of the run, with the secondary market well above that. The 2025 and later releases are a separate matter: from 2025 Wild Turkey began printing a unique proof and season on each label.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch2 class=\"mw-h3\"\u003eRecommended Serving\u003c\/h2\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003eNeat, in a Glencairn, and give it a few minutes. Reviewers are near-unanimous that this is a pour to drink undiluted — 114.8 proof is generous but not punishing, and ice or mixing buries exactly the deep, barrel-driven character the bottle is bought for. A little air lets the dark fruit and confectionery notes open before the oak settles in. If you have more than one date code on the shelf, a side-by-side is the honest way to see how much these original bottlings actually differ.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003cdetails\u003e\n    \u003csummary\u003eProduction Methodology\u003c\/summary\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"details-content\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRussell's Reserve 13 is distilled at Wild Turkey in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, from the distillery's standard bourbon mash bill — 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley — the same recipe behind the wider Wild Turkey range. Eddie Russell built the 13 Year by selecting barrels aged at least thirteen years and marrying them into a barrel-proof, non-chill filtered bourbon, keeping the strength where the barrels landed rather than proofing down and leaving the whiskey unfiltered to retain its full body. The original era, from June 2021 through 2023, held that strength at 114.8 proof across every bottling, though the barrels behind each marrying differed — some reaching well beyond the minimum into nineteen- and twenty-year-old stock.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/details\u003e\n  \u003cdetails\u003e\n    \u003csummary\u003eAuthentication \u0026amp; Vault Preservation\u003c\/summary\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"details-content\"\u003e\n      \u003cp\u003eEvery bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/authentication-standards\" class=\"mw-accent\"\u003eour editorial and authentication standards\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/details\u003e\n  \u003cdetails\u003e\n    \u003csummary\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/summary\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"details-content\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"mw-q\"\u003eWhat proof is Russell's Reserve 13 Year?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe original release is bottled at 114.8 proof, or 57.4% ABV, at barrel strength and non-chill filtered — the figure every bottling from June 2021 through 2023 carried. Note that this changed with later releases: from 2025 Wild Turkey began bottling the 13 Year at a different, unique barrel proof each year and printing it on the label, so a 2025 or 2026 bottle will not read 114.8.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"mw-q\"\u003eHow do I identify which batch of Russell's Reserve 13 I have?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the original 2021–2023 releases, by the laser date code etched into the base of the bottle — the front labels are identical, so the code is the only reliable marker. The two letters after the prefix encode the month and year of bottling; enthusiasts use them (LL\/JD, LL\/KE, LL\/LE and so on) to distinguish the several marryings Wild Turkey released at 114.8 proof. From 2025 onward it is simpler: each release prints its own unique proof and production season directly on the label.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"mw-q\"\u003eWhat is the mash bill of Russell's Reserve 13 Year?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt uses Wild Turkey's standard bourbon mash bill — 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley — the recipe behind the distillery's core bourbon range. What sets the 13 Year apart is not the grain but the age and the strength: a marriage of barrels at least thirteen years old, some considerably older, bottled uncut and non-chill filtered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@graph\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Product\",\n      \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.midnightwhiskey.com\/products\/russells-reserve-13-year#product\",\n      \"name\": \"Russell's Reserve 13-Year-Old Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon (Original 114.8-Proof Release)\",\n      \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.midnightwhiskey.com\/products\/russells-reserve-13-year\",\n      \"mainEntityOfPage\": \"https:\/\/www.midnightwhiskey.com\/products\/russells-reserve-13-year\",\n      \"image\": \"https:\/\/www.midnightwhiskey.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/russells-reserve-13-year.jpg\",\n      \"description\": \"Russell's Reserve 13 Year Barrel Proof (original release) is Wild Turkey's revered 13-year Kentucky straight bourbon — a marriage of barrels at least 13 years old, some far older, bottled non-chill filtered at 114.8 proof (57.4% ABV). 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What sets the 13 Year apart is not the grain but the age and the strength: a marriage of barrels at least thirteen years old, some considerably older, bottled uncut and non-chill filtered.\"\n          }\n        }\n      ]\n    }\n  ]\n}\n\u003c\/script\u003e","brand":"Wild Turkey","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44766414635042,"sku":"721059003094","price":749.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/5566\/1602\/files\/image_7f5cc607-84bd-4fc9-aa8c-d4f8d1127883.jpg?v=1779906836","url":"https:\/\/midnightwhiskey.com\/products\/russells-reserve-13-year","provider":"Midnight Whiskey ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}