One of the problems with being heavily involved and associated with the Scotch whisky industry is that people assume you’re less inclined to entertain a glass of bourbon in your hand. Far from it, I’ve long enjoyed a good bourbon. And, whilst it doesn’t feature prominently on my CV, I have in fact worked as a brand ambassador for Jim Beam and hosted my fair share of bourbon or American whiskey appreciation nights and tasting events.
A few years ago, I indulged my love for American whisk(e)y by taking a trip to the USA with the specific intention of visiting the distilleries of Kentucky and Tennessee. Courtesy of my involvement in the industry, I’d been hooked up with trade visits with the likes of Makers Mark, Jack Daniels, Woodford Reserve, Four Roses and Jim Beam. However, it was on a Saturday afternoon in March that I made an unscheduled and unannounced detour to Lawrenceburg to visit the Wild Turkey distillery in Kentucky. I rocked up to the Visitor Centre to book myself in for a casual tour. And there, in the middle of the room, happily chatting to all and sundry was the legendary Jimmy Russell. The Jimmy Russell. This was the bourbon equivalent of walking into Glenmorangie and bumping into Dr Bill Lumsden, or swinging by Bruichladdich and saying g’day to Jim McEwan. I was more than a little surprised that the man was spending his Saturday afternoon in the visitor centre, much less standing there purely for the purpose of talking to casual visitors. In an instant, you got some insight into (a) the man, and (b) Kentucky hospitality and charm. We shared a brief conversation. “Always happy to welcome an Australian here,” he said. “You’re a very important market for us” he explained.
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I subsequently enjoyed a very interesting and entertaining tour of the distillery, and more than enjoyed the little tasting they put on for me afterwards. I left the distillery with a very different view of Wild Turkey and a newfound sense and understanding of the brand.
Fast forward to July 2015 and Jimmy Russell and son Eddie are touring Australia on a promotional visit for the brand and to help launch the new Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel. And so it was that Whisky & Wisdom and roughly 75 others descended on Grain Bar in Sydney’s Four Seasons Hotel to attend a most exceptional whiskey tasting and promotional event.
It would be doing Jimmy Russell a disservice to attempt to describe his contribution to the bourbon industry in just a few sentences. Jimmy started work at Wild Turkey back in 1954 and is a true living legend in every sense of the word. Eddie Russell joined the Wild Turkey team in 1981 and, together, the two are the creative force behind the distillery.
The event at Grain was a relaxed and friendly affair – both Eddie and Jimmy casually walking around the room and striking up conversations with everyone on an individual basis. You couldn’t be accused of going thirsty, with a steady supply of Russell’s Reserve bourbon doing the rounds, in addition to two fantastic cocktails: A Kentucky Iced Tea made from Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel bourbon, peppermint tea, maple syrup, lemon, sugar and mint; and a Russell’s Old Fashioned made with Russell’s Reserve, cynar, Angostura Bitters, maple syrup and orange zest.
Halfway through the night, both Eddie and Russell took the stage to say a few words. Repeating what Jimmy said to me a few years earlier, Eddie explained that Australia is indeed an important market – we’re the biggest bourbon market outside the USA. A bit of friendly banter between the two showcased again that wonderful southern charm I fell in love with in Kentucky and it was great to hear about the brand and the philosophy behind its production.
I stole a few moments with Eddie for a one-on-one chat during the night and got some wonderful insights (again!) into what sets Wild Turkey apart from its neighbours. I asked Eddie how he felt about the recent trend and push for bourbon distilleries to release older age statements and increasingly aged bourbon and rye expressions. He replied with a shrug: “Well, we’ve always been aging our whiskies longer and older than anyone else, so it’s not really on our radar. To be honest, it’s been a case of the other guys simply catching up to what we’ve been doing for years.”
And that led nicely onto one of the highlights of the night: The opportunity to taste the newly released Russell’s Reserve 17yo expression. An incredibly rare and special opportunity, and so new is this release, this gathering was amongst the first in the world to try the new expression. Jimmy believes that bourbon takes on too much oak and woodiness beyond 12 years, and is thus not a fan of long-aged bourbons. The 17yo was thus Eddie’s opportunity to do something a little different that his father wouldn’t have pushed for. As glasses were handed around, there was anticipation in the air. Again, if you’ll pardon the association back to Scotch, the chance to taste a 17yo bourbon is the equivalent of tasting a 40yo single malt Scotch: It’s a pretty rare and special experience, and you don’t take it lightly or underplay the moment. The 17yo displayed amazing complexity on the nose, and the palate went in directions you won’t normally encounter with a standard-aged bourbon. For those that accuse bourbon of being too sweet, the oak and tannins introduced in the 17yo provided a fascinating and contrasting bitterness and balance to the natural sweetness of the spirit and the wood sugars. One dimensional it was not!
Another feature of the night was the opportunity to get your own bottle of Russell’s Reserve Small Batch 10yo personally signed by both legends of the industry. It’s funny watching 75-odd adults rush to form a line to collect a couple of autographs, but both Jimmy and Eddie were generous with their time and their patience to sign and scribe a personalised message for each person on their bottle to take home.
For the many Scotch fans reading this who feel bourbon isn’t their cup of tea, it could be that the Russell’s Reserve Small Batch 10yo is your bridge to the world of Kentucky’s goodness. Bottled at the higher strength of 45% ABV, it carries its weight beautifully and offers superb notes of oak, vanilla, toffee, and a host of spices.
I commend it to you.
Cheers,
AD
