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Russell’s Reserve 15 Year vs Larceny Small Batch
Russell’s Reserve 15 Year and Larceny Small Batch sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an undiluted barrel-strength pour versus an old-guard, wheat-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Russell’s Reserve 15 Year | Larceny Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon, Barrel Proof | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 15 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 117.2 proof (58.6% ABV) +25 proof | 92 proof (46% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$250 – $400 | ~$25 – $32 ~$297 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- Russell’s Reserve 15 Year does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Russell’s Reserve 15 Year
One of my favorites.
Larceny Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Russell’s Reserve 15 Year Larceny Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 9/4 oak: Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 9 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 4 out of 10
spice 6/2 spice: Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 2 out of 10
heat 7/3 heat: Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 7 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 3 out of 10
sweetness 7/8 sweetness: Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 7 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 8 out of 10
fruit 6/5 fruit: Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 3 out of 10, Larceny Small Batch 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- 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.
- 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.
Which One Should You Choose?
- 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.
- 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.
Best enjoyed neat (Russell’s Reserve 15 Year); neat, rocks, cocktails (Larceny Small Batch).