Sometimes a great barrel just finds its way to you, and that is exactly what happened here. Our good friends at Wild Turkey surprised us with this one right as we kicked off our New York adventure, and we could not be happier to have another beautiful expression of the Russell family’s finest. This barrel was dumped just a month shy of nine years old, delivering all the warm spice, bold caramel, and rich, wood-driven layers we have come to expect from the Lawrenceburg legends. The nose is woody and herbaceous, with cedar and oak intermingling with thyme and mint. Winter spices like clove and allspice round things out, resting on hints of banana bread and peanut brittle. The first sip leans into cinnamon and cardamom, followed by notes of sarsaparilla and lemon verbena. Fresh-baked bran muffins and a red apple sweetness emerge before settling back into oak and mahogany, with a wisp of fresh hay carrying the finish. It closes warm, easy, and comforting in that unmistakable Russell’s way. This is a fantastic welcome to New York for us at K&L, and a clear sign of great things to come.