What’s happening in wine and whiskey this week:

This Week’s Unicorn Review Stories

🥃 We spoke to Bardstown Bourbon Company master blender Dan Callaway about contract distilling, coming up with innovative blends and cask finishes, and the future of the whiskey industry in a softening market.

New Bottle Releases

Green River Distillery Select Toasted Double Oak Bourbon (SRP $50)

This is the oldest release to date from Kentucky’s Green River, the sister distillery to Bardstown Bourbon Company. This bourbon was aged for eight years and then spent six months in lightly charred, medium toasted barrels. It’s a very tasty bourbon with notes of roasted nuts and vanilla sweetness, overall a well-balanced whiskey that fans of this distillery should check out.

Lasso Motel x James Dean 13-Year Rye Whiskey (SRP $150)

The latest release from Lasso Motel is a 13-year-old 95/5 rye whiskey distilled at MGP and bottled at 112 proof. It would be hard to mess this formula up, and Lasso Motel did not. The whiskey was released as a tribute to James Dean, but that celebrity affiliation hardly matters here because it’s just a really good and rich rye whiskey built for sipping or mixing up in a Manhattan or any other whiskey cocktail you can think of.

Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week

Russell’s Reserve 13 ($200)

What’s the greatest bourbon you’ve ever tried? There are so many to choose from, and of course this is an entirely subjective exercise by its very nature. But one that arrived a few years, one that fans of the Wild Turkey Distillery were waiting for, one that proved that a higher age statement (but not too high) could make for a remarkable bourbon, was Russell’s Reserve 13. Sure, the 15-year-old came out after that and is also a great bourbon, but the 13 is arguably superior—and despite that lower age statement, it does include some significantly older juice in the blend.

To celebrate master distiller Eddie Russell’s 45th year with Wild Turkey, the distillery just released the latest batch of Russell's 13, and this time Eddie’s son Bruce was responsible for selecting and blending the barrels. And he did a fantastic job. There’s also a new documentary about Eddie that is being released next week called His Own Way: The Story of Eddie Russell. “My dad has given his entire life to this craft, and to see him reach 45 years is so special,” said Bruce in a statement about this new release. “While we were filming, Dad actually pulled an 18-year-old barrel and we tasted it together—of course, it was exceptional. That barrel ended up in this year’s 13 Year Old release. It was just one of those moments that felt so true to who Dad is and what he does best. To have that captured on camera, and that barrel in this year’s release, makes it all even more meaningful.”

This bourbon is meaningful too. It’s bottled at 121.2 proof, which is high for Russell’s but not really that strong compared to other barrel-proof bourbons in the market these days. The palate is just quintessential Russell’s, with rich notes of dark chocolate, fig, plum, cherry, vanilla, oak, and of course that Wild Turkey funk. The finish is warm but there is no burn. This might be the best batch of Russell’s 13 so far, and that’s saying a lot. No doubt this bottle is going to sell for more than its $200 SRP on the secondary market and at auction, but it’s worth the price if you’re a devoted fan of the distillery.