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Larceny Small Batch vs Russell’s Reserve 15 Year
Larceny Small Batch and Russell’s Reserve 15 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, wheat-forward classic versus an undiluted barrel-strength pour.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Larceny Small Batch | Russell’s Reserve 15 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill 1 | 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 15 years |
| Proof | 92 proof (46% ABV) | 117.2 proof (58.6% ABV) +25 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$25 – $32 ~$297 less | ~$250 – $400 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- Russell’s Reserve 15 Year does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Larceny Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Russell’s Reserve 15 Year
One of my favorites.
Flavor Profile
Larceny Small Batch Russell’s Reserve 15 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 4/9 oak: Larceny Small Batch 4 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 9 out of 10
spice 2/6 spice: Larceny Small Batch 2 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10
heat 3/7 heat: Larceny Small Batch 3 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 7 out of 10
sweetness 8/7 sweetness: Larceny Small Batch 8 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 7 out of 10
fruit 5/6 fruit: Larceny Small Batch 5 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Larceny Small Batch 3 out of 10, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- Larceny Small Batch: Heaven Hill's everyday wheater and the most affordable way into the style. Soft honey and butterscotch with almost no spice, and a texture that makes the low price hard to argue with.
- Russell’s Reserve 15 Year: The oldest regular Russell's Reserve, at barrel proof. Fifteen years in Camp Nelson rickhouses push it toward old oak, leather and dried fruit over the usual Turkey spice.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Larceny Small Batch if you want an easy, sweet, genuinely inexpensive wheated bourbon at a significantly lower price point and without hunting for it.
- Go with Russell’s Reserve 15 Year if you want a very old, oak-heavy Wild Turkey for slow sipping with significantly more proof behind it and with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, cocktails (Larceny Small Batch); neat (Russell’s Reserve 15 Year).