Compare
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel vs Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel and Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus a new-wave, wheat-forward craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel | Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley | 64% corn, 24% wheat, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 6 years |
| Proof | 110 proof (55% ABV) +10 proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 1 | ~$55 – $70 | ~$45 – $60 ~$10 less |
| Availability | Limited | Widely available easier to find |
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 8/3 spice: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 8 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 3 out of 10
oak 8/5 oak: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 8 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10
fruit 4/6 fruit: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 4 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10
heat 7/5 heat: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 7 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10
sweetness 6/7 sweetness: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 6 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 7 out of 10
nuttiness 3/4 nuttiness: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel 3 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel: Non-chill-filtered single barrels at 110 proof, and the format that store picks have made a cult of. Concentrated Wild Turkey character with a texture the standard bottlings do not have.
- Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond: A sweet-mash, bonded wheated bourbon from a distillery founded by two fermentation scientists, and the technical care shows in how clean it tastes. One of the strongest craft arguments on the shelf.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel if you want concentrated Wild Turkey character with single-barrel variation and real texture with more proof behind it.
- Go with Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond if you want a bonded, sweet-mash wheater from a modern distillery doing genuinely careful work at a slightly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat, old-fashioned (Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel); neat, rocks (Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond).