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Russell’s Reserve 15 Year vs Willett Pot Still Reserve
Russell’s Reserve 15 Year and Willett Pot Still Reserve sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an undiluted barrel-strength pour versus a new-wave, classically built craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Russell’s Reserve 15 Year | Willett Pot Still Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon, Barrel Proof | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | 15 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 117.2 proof (58.6% ABV) +23 proof | 94 proof (47% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$250 – $400 | ~$45 – $60 ~$273 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- Russell’s Reserve 15 Year and Willett Pot Still Reserve do not publish an official mash bill.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.
Willett Pot Still Reserve
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Russell’s Reserve 15 Year Willett Pot Still Reserve
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 9/6 oak: Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 9 out of 10, Willett Pot Still Reserve 6 out of 10
heat 7/4 heat: Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 7 out of 10, Willett Pot Still Reserve 4 out of 10
spice 6/5 spice: Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10, Willett Pot Still Reserve 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 3 out of 10, Willett Pot Still Reserve 4 out of 10
sweetness 7/7 sweetness: Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 7 out of 10, Willett Pot Still Reserve 7 out of 10
fruit 6/6 fruit: Russell’s Reserve 15 Year 6 out of 10, Willett Pot Still Reserve 6 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.
- Willett Pot Still Reserve: Famous first for the pot-still-shaped decanter and second for the whiskey, which is a fair ordering. Pleasant, sweet and fruit-leaning, with a good deal of the price attached to the glass.
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 more proof behind it and with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
- Go with Willett Pot Still Reserve if you want a distinctive bottle on the shelf and an easy, fruit-forward pour inside it at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat (Russell’s Reserve 15 Year); neat, rocks (Willett Pot Still Reserve).