ChiTuckyBourbonBrothers

Episode 126 - Russell's Reserve 13yr with Syrena of ShortStuffBourbon

• ChiTucky Bourbon Brothers • Season 6 • Episode 21

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A Tennessee farm kid turned bourbon influencer, Syrena—known as @shortstuffbourbon—joins us for a pour that stirs opinions and memories. We kick off with her roots in Tennessee, where corn isn’t just a crop but a bridge to whiskey, and trace how that background shaped her approach to tasting, teaching, and building a welcoming corner of whiskey Instagram.

From there, we explore the current state of bourbon: pricing that keeps creeping up, the gap between MSRP and secondary, and why consistency might be the most underrated flex in bourbon. We compare notes on house pours and honest shelf buys, call out the perils of “best-of” lists stacked with expensive trophies, and share practical ways to shop by palate instead of hype. If you’re tired of chasing unicorns, you’ll find a roadmap here—reliable distilleries, smart everyday bottles, and the freedom to like what you like.

Then we taste. Russell’s Reserve 13year does not disappoint. The nose shows classic bourbon comfort—vanilla, caramel, warm baking spice—with that unmistakable Wild Turkey “dusty” note. On the palate, Syrena nails a sweet tea impression surrounded by honey, dark chocolate, dried fruit, and a late pepper flick. The non-chill filtered texture brings a rich, oily mouthfeel, and the finish stacks spice in steady layers. We debate where Russell’s 13 year lands in our personal rankings, what Bruce Russell’s stewardship might mean for the brand, and how to invite new drinkers in—start with cocktails, turn down the sugar, and move toward neat when it feels right.

If you enjoy real talk about value, thoughtful tasting notes, and a guest who champions craft and community, you’ll feel right at home. Tap follow, share this episode with a bourbon friend, and drop your current top bottle in a review—we’ll feature our favorites on a future show.

SPEAKER_01:

Fleetwood Mac here.

SPEAKER_02:

We've got Fleetwood. We have not. We have not, but it's a lot of the same genre. It's not Fleetwood Mac.

SPEAKER_01:

So I just called it Fleetwood. Are real Fleetwood Mac fans? I do have to say both. We have a guest. We're not going to bring her on yet, but I'm going to have to ask her that question. I don't know. I don't know the answer to that actually. It's a great topic. Thanks for taking a listen. We're going to drink some whiskey today, which is probably not a surprise if you're any sort of a listener, but we also have a guest today. You know, I've been kind of scraping and scouring through uh Instagram and just finding really cool people. Um it's actually kind of funny. I was telling Tony uh that I don't really know if they're super cool. I just know like I kind of look at the profile and it looks cool. And they're good. And then they have a lot of good pictures and followers and all the important things to like seemingly being a social media cool person. And then they come on and they have been really super cool. We've been very lucky. So uh we have Serena on our podcast, and she is uh Instagram handle at shortstuff verbin.

unknown:

Nice.

SPEAKER_01:

Serena, how are you?

SPEAKER_00:

Good, how are y'all?

SPEAKER_01:

We are great, we are great. Thank you so much for joining us. I hope I didn't like downplay how great. Uh can we call you an influencer? Like, is that is that something that people want to be called?

SPEAKER_00:

I don't consider myself an influencer. I just say I like to make cool content and drink bourbon. So I like it.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh my god. Uh I mean, could Tony, is there anything more perfect?

SPEAKER_02:

No, I mean I think that that fits the bill for me.

SPEAKER_01:

It's kind of absolutely perfect. Okay, so um there's also a lot of where you're from on your page, which is the great state of Tennessee. But then there's um there's this team. I think they're they have that like lighter orange color. Oh, the volunteers. What what what are you go balls, baby? Are you kind of a huge, huge mega fan? Because it's like whiskey whiskey, a picture with your friends, and then Tennessee. Like the the team. Sorry, the the the university. So big super fan, can we say that?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh yeah, I grew up watching uh football with my dad and uh baseball too. I'm a Cardinals fan. But uh being from Tennessee, you are born that you bleed orange and you hate the gators, and now I date somebody that's from Florida. So uh football time is interesting now.

SPEAKER_01:

And don't they, isn't it they hate the uh the dogs too? Georgia? They hate Georgia too? Not as much. Florida's more Florida's Florida's the big Georgia. See, there's some country songs out there. We might listen to one later, but where she is a Tennessee fan, but then she hates the dogs, or is that so you guys you guys hate a lot of other teams? It's it's SEC. It's SEC football.

SPEAKER_00:

We just like to say that our dog's better than all the other dogs. I mean, you know.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. I went to um I'm a Wildcats, I'm a Kentucky. And uh yeah, we were never we were never fond. I mean, honestly, when I went to school there, the football team was no good, and Tennessee would run us out of the run us out of the uh stadium every time. But we typically get our uh we we were able to get back during basketball season, and then you guys got Bruce Pearl, and that changed for a while.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

I guess that's all we're gonna say about that. Yeah, I don't know how much basketball you follow, but Tennessee's good. They got a good they're their coach now's even good.

SPEAKER_01:

So you're living in Tennessee, uh big football fan, but bigger fan of whiskey, and how did that all start? Like when did it start? Why did it start? Is that also like you drink whiskey with your dad when you watch football, or like what go take us down that road? Because I mean, to have what you have as far as on Instagram and how much you talk about whiskey, I mean, you're you're at a very high level of how much whiskey you taste, drink, enjoy, however you want to put it. Um, so where did that explode from? Because it's a big part of your life, it seems like, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so I grew up around like agriculture. Um both of my parents have like seven, you know, generation farms. Um, my grandmother actually lives on like the Tennessee-Kentucky border, uh, grew corn when I was growing up. And obviously, being that close to Kentucky, we all know that corn makes happy cows, but it also makes really good bourbon. So um I was kind of introduced to it that way on like the farming side of things. And then later on in college, um got introduced through Wild Turkey 101, um, which I still love to drink. I'm a huge turkey head. And yeah, just kind of started from there. I started my Instagram page about three years ago. Um, my boyfriend just kind of was like, hey, not a lot of women are into whiskey, or like I've never heard of that. He didn't really know much about bourbon. He drank vodka and rum when we started dating, and I was like, uh, no, we're gonna have you to drink whiskey. Um, let me show you this documentary. So I made him watch Neat with me. We did the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and yeah, now he likes to say that I just influence him to spend money.

SPEAKER_01:

So I mean, you really ran him through the through the courses, like you were like, I'm gonna do this and then this, and like you kind of okay, yeah. If you're if you don't like bourbon, if you didn't like it at the end of that, it was probably time to break up, maybe. Sorry, if he's like sitting with you. Sorry, I didn't mean to like infer you're so funny.

SPEAKER_00:

No, I would say no, no. He's actually helping our local distillery uh bottle whiskey today. So he's hardcore into it.

SPEAKER_01:

Which uh which is your local distillery?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh so it's Samuel Bryant distillery. We're it's super small, it's right off um Interstate 40. So Jack, I'm in Jackson, Tennessee. Okay. So located between Memphis and Nashville. Right. Um, but it's our local distillery. Um he you know experiments with all kinds of stuff. He used to work for Jack Daniels. Um, so it's relatively younger, younger juice, but you know, hopefully with some age, um, we'll be putting out some great stuff out of Jackson. Who knows?

SPEAKER_01:

And you gotta start somewhere, you know. It's like because everything, everything didn't. I I hate when uh younger stuff, I don't like when younger stuff like touts themselves as having something it's not, but when you're starting out, like everything's worth a try and and keep growing with it and having fun with it. So that's that's cool that that he's part of that.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01:

Um and so again, back to like reaching out to people on Instagram. I reached out to Serena, and I think most people think it's like an AI bot that's like, hey, would you like to join our podcast? But she was nice enough to respond and kind of like dip her toe in the water as to who I was, but it came back to like let's taste something. And she she's already said it, but she said, I'm a huge turkey head. I love wild turkeys and Russell's. Do you have the Russell 13 year? And I was like, holy shit, like that just went like zero to a hundred perfectly. Yes, I freaking love them. Uh, we have a couple of those bottles and we matched up exactly. So she's able to taste what we're tasting today, which is the Russell Reserve uh 13. Um, this is the 114.8 proof, and um Serena probably uh or most likely has more knowledge about being, I mean, if she's gonna call herself a turkey head. Um I Tony and I looked up a little and we seem to have the same proof because um there's been four batches. The most recent one just came out in 25, but the first three batches were all the same proof. So we might have different years, um, but we're we're both sitting with 114.8 proof. Does that sound right?

SPEAKER_00:

Right. Yeah, I think I have the 2021, but yeah, it's 114.8. Um, I've been lucky enough to find three in the wild. I just got a call from my local store um for our allocation fees and drop, and that's instantly what I asked for. So I got the 2025 batch. But yeah, I've had several of them and um they're all crushable.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. Uh and was was your MSRP when you get them in the wild, meaning you don't pay over retail prices at about 100 bucks, or have they 150 or 180? I think they've they've gone up because my MSRP on the 2022 was 100 bucks.

SPEAKER_02:

I think they're up to 150 now, but what'd you just pay?

SPEAKER_00:

So we paid from our local store, which at the allocation drop, our local store it does a great job of keeping everything at MSRP. So out the door with tax, we were at like 160.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, okay. Yeah, I think I think they raised the 2000, uh the 2025 to 150. Um, but I don't remember what the other ones were.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, I have to ask because we're talking about price, and we'll get into the price of this and all that kind of stuff later, as people know we do. Um, is that for you um like 160 kind of, I mean, we've spent way more than that, but like it kind of starts to sting a little bit, but you're getting exactly like your favorite stuff. Is that like you probably like you run around and spend$160 on a lot of bottles or not really?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, so it really just kind of depends for me. Like I love to be able to try something if I can before I buy it, but I'm a huge supporter too of like the craft brand. And so a lot of times when you when you're buying craft, like it's gonna be a little bit more expensive, right? Because it's more expensive for them for them to produce. Um, so I like to say that you know, price is not a huge factor for me, but I mean, come on, like I'm not gonna go pay secondary prices for any papy when looking at my shelf. I can think of five bottles right now that I'd probably grab first or four. I would grab a papy. No hate, but you know.

SPEAKER_02:

I think all of the all of us that uh that drink it sounds like an equal amount, or as we would just say, a lot of bourbon are in the same boat. And there's nothing, no, no, where I'm not there's no shade being thrown at Pappy. I I really, really like the lot B to tell you the truth, the 12 year. But I will tell you that I don't I'm not gonna wait in line for it. You know, I'm just not. I'm gonna I could give you just like you said, I can give you 10 others that I think are just as good and many that I think are better.

SPEAKER_01:

And I don't think anyone we've ever had anyone that says otherwise, because I think uh they're they're known as taters, um people that uh just are out there to either make money or flip a bottle or um you know show it off to their friends or have this like you know legacy bar in their basement or their house or whatever. Like that that ain't me. And it's it doesn't seem to be many people that we talk to. And I I get it, they're at the top, they're at the highest price point, like it's easiest to hate the guy or the person or the brand at the top, but I think it's more than that. I think it's really not uh to people that know. I don't really think it's like their I'm not gonna say best or worse, but it's not and most people's favorite, let's put it that way.

SPEAKER_02:

I think it should be for the rest of the I I agree. I think people in the know or people that do taste a lot would agree with you. I I always think it's funny because this is the time of year where everybody comes out with their best of lists, right? See, there's a lot of best of lists, right? And um whiskey advocate is something that we I do like, and they I they seem to find whiskey, um, you know, obviously with the subsector of of bourbon in there, you know, that's all different prices and stuff. And then I look at like Forbes list or Maxim's list, and and it's like six or eight of their top ten are always the most expensive bottles that came out there.

SPEAKER_01:

Because it's the easiest way to rate something.

SPEAKER_02:

And I'll just like come on, those aren't that I mean, they're not bad, but like that 21-year knob, I'm sure it's fine, but that's gotta be crazy okay. I have a need, I don't even have the 21-year. I could get it, it sits on the shelf because they want$250 a bottle for it. You know, it's like I I but at the same time, there's no way that's a best, a best bourbon of 2025 and it's sitting on a shelf somewhere.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, and I always think too, like anytime I bring people over to my bar, like I'm fortunate enough to have a bottle of Pappy and I was given it as a gift, and sometimes that person comes over to my house and they kind of cringe every time because the bottle is like less and less. And I was like, but you know me. I was like, anybody that comes over that's never had it, like that's into whiskey. I mean, obviously you think of Pappy and it's like the glory of all glories. And it's like if you've never had it, I'm gonna pour it for you. But then, like y'all said, like at the same time, like, you know, I think a lot of people when it comes to like price, and then you know, too, like palettes are are super different. Like I have three really good girlfriends. We just had a weekend in Nashville, and Danielle and I, like, our palettes are totally different, and they always will be. But I think that's what makes the whiskey community fun is kind of looking at people's lists, like you said, and saying, Okay, I've never had that, and just because somebody likes it, like I don't necessarily have to like it, and it it brings up great conversations, and that's probably what y'all found with the podcast is you know, always something to talk about.

SPEAKER_02:

It is, and we we do, and Mike and I don't have the same palette, like Mike definitely he's definitely more of a turkey guy than than I am, and most of it's because he's a big high-ry guy, he likes the big barrel proof, the big proofs, the 115 pluses. Um, where I find myself is I'm much more of a a high corn, um, more you know, weeders and things like that that I that I really go, you know, berserk for. But it's at the same time, it's easy to find similarities if you're trying, and then it's also easy to to pick out things that you don't like. Um, I mean, even like last night I had a uh I had a 15-year Still Austin rye, and it was way better than I thought it was gonna be because I'm not a big rye guy. It reminded me a lot of the handy that we drank.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Because it it had a lot of bourbon notes in this in this 15-year rye, and and still Austin gets so much recognition. That's a that's a brand that I wish I had some more of just to just to try their stuff. But it's like, you know, people have to put out so many scoos now to make money that it's hard to figure out which ones are the ones to buy.

SPEAKER_01:

I love that you said, and yeah, that is totally what makes it fun. I love that you said, you know me, where you like yeah, it's so funny that like like other people that don't do this or like really geek out about it probably wouldn't care. Like, I wouldn't like make up make fun of a friend for drinking vodka or tequila or whatever, but like when you think someone being so into this this spirit, you think someone's judging you and you're like, no, no, no, but but I'm the same person.

SPEAKER_03:

Like, don't yeah, freakers.

SPEAKER_02:

So, how did you get your so you said your boyfriend was drinking vodka and rum? So, vodka, we're gonna vodka. I'm just gonna throw away because it's clear. But rum, it's super sweet. So, how did you get him onto the high rise? Why I'm surprised he didn't go more towards the weeders and some of the slower proof stuff. Just curious.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh no, like so. My boyfriend and I have totally different palettes. You hit the nail on a head, you hit the nail on the head, like he started out, and he's still to this day, like he loves Eagle Rare, and he gets a lot of hate for it, and he's always just like, you know what? Like, hate me if you want to, but I like what I like. Like he likes blantons, like it's he's just to him, he's like, it's a consistent flavor, it's lowerproof. If I want to have sunglasses, if I want to have one glass, like, but it's funny, like he just turned 30, and so now like I came home the other day and there was an empty bottle of handy on the counter, and I was like, oh, like who are you? I don't know. I'm 30 and I'm more cultured.

SPEAKER_01:

Love it. You see, like, and then there was you kind of sounding like you were judging him, and then he's gotta be on his heels, like, but but I'm but I'm but I'm I'm 30 now. I'm I'm mature, honey.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, it's all funny games. Like we pick at each other all the time, so it's fun screen.

SPEAKER_01:

Especially when it comes to the game.

SPEAKER_02:

What other uh what other wild what other wild turkeys do you really like? Like uh obviously these, I mean these Russell's 13s and the 15s and the Rick Houses and all the special ones, but like, you know, are you like a 101 as your standard? Do you like the rare? Okay, sorry, I missed that part. But like rare breed, do you drink a lot of that or the 12-year, that kind of stuff?

SPEAKER_00:

So I love Wild Turkey 12. Um, the wallet turkey that they put out for the 70th anniversary, like I think that is a fantastic bottle. Um, but yeah, it's normally the Russell's. Like, I'll use Russell's 10 in old fashions, I'll drink it neat. Um, I mean, I'm kind of all over the place. Like I say I'm a turkey head, but then it's funny, like I was trying to think of like my top 10 for the year. And like granted, like Russell's is in there, but I'm also I just I just I don't tend to like gravitate towards one specific one all the time. Um I just say I'm a turkey head, but this is what I started out on. It's what I tend to like. I'm always gonna try and find, you know, Russell 13 for the year. But at the same time, I like to kind of dabble and experiment. And like I said, the craft brands too. Like I love supporting um the smaller brands, helping them grow. Um, I pour on the side at several liquor stores from for some of the other brands just to let people know, like, hey, these big people have great juice too, but don't forget about the little guys.

SPEAKER_01:

For sure. And you're that's you're you're pouring at at stores just to like help out, is that or do you work at one of them?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I'm kind of like a brand ambassador. So um I kind of help out HK Young. I did a barrel pick with them this year, and then I'm a brand ambassador for a layer can bourbon company, um, which is funny because when I've talked to Greg, the owner, I was like, so like this is a question I always like to ask, like, what do you like to drink? Like, obviously, your own stuff, but if you're at a bar and they don't have your product, like what's your go-to? And it was so funny. He was like, Wild Turkey 101. I was like, I knew I liked you.

SPEAKER_01:

And the bigger brands, like I would say my two uh are Wild Turkey uh or Russell's or the that whole brand, and then and then uh most Heaven Hill products. And sometimes I kind of have to have those because every place is gonna have some version of what I mean. We're talking about a lot of bottles between those two brands. And when I kind of want to turn the whiskey brain off, and I'm somewhere and I want to pour, I'm just kind of like, Do you I don't want to look at this list? You know, you ever look at a whiskey list and you're like, shit. Yeah, all right, now I gotta pay attention to price, and now I gotta be that guy that knows more than the guy next to me. And no, I don't want to do that right now. Just pour me an Elijah Craig. Like, oh, we have six of them. I'm like, oh no, okay.

SPEAKER_02:

Give me any of the barrel proofs. Just give me any of the barrel proofs on top.

SPEAKER_01:

I love uh I love uh wild turkey for that.

SPEAKER_02:

Uh I mean all all their, like you said, all their expressions are great, but uh, have you noticed any uh any differences with the with when since Bruce Russell has jumped in? Like any of the tasting differences? Because you know, like uh people say that that there was you know between Eddie and Jimmy, right? So Jimmy's the father, Eddie's the son, but like when Eddie jumped in, everything started getting a little sweeter, more, you know, it was a little bit more experimental, a little bit more dessertish, you know, that kind of stuff. And I was wondering with I I don't know, I don't know it enough, but like with Bruce, did uh he just started, right?

SPEAKER_01:

So I mean I think Bruce Russell is like the third generation that's so he probably had something to do with, let's say, at least probably the thought process of the 13 and then the 15 that came out. I don't think so.

SPEAKER_00:

I think Yeah, I think um sometimes a lot of people don't like world wild turkey is because they're like, oh, it's a little bit spicy, like because it does have that like kind of higher rye content for a bourbon. But like you said, I I didn't really notice a ton. Like I definitely got a little bit more sweetness notes, but I think like as he takes over, I think we will get to see a little bit more exploration from the brand. Um, for sure. I think he's gonna want to take it in a little bit different direction. And I think too, just kind of where bourbon is in the economy right now, like kind of having to keep up with you know what's gonna make people buy your bottle and different things like that. Like I kind of feel like brands are gonna have to be thinking of like what's the new or what can we do different, whether that's just marketing tactics or experimenting with Nashville or finishing. Um I mean, Wild Turkey Voyage, finishing the rum, fantastic.

SPEAKER_01:

And and I I mean so so such a smart statement out of you. I mean, that's ex I I think they I hope they don't go too far, but I think because I mean X number years ago they didn't have the Russell's thirteen or the fifteen and they I feel like they've already explored a little bit, but I I agree that um to stay relevant, uh they should explore a little bit further and hopefully that's what Bruce does.

SPEAKER_02:

I think they just got to be careful not overproducing right now because it is a weird time and everybody's got so many barrels everywhere. And I mean, Wild Turkey's got this fantastic reputation name, impression, whatever you want to say. You just can't you can't just start doing stuff to say, hey, I want something new. I want a new skew. I want to try to get more profit share on this, you know, on this row of the shelf. I I just I think they're in a good spot. I think they're good. They remind me a lot of like Maker's Mark on the sweeter side, right? On the Wheaters. You know, they just they do their thing, they've got a few different skews, but not much. I think they've done better with the 13 and 15 year. Uh but makers is makers is trying to catch up, you know, with their seller age and some of that other stuff. But um that to me, they seem similar but different. I mean, uh, you know, it's it's awesome to have it. I mean, that they seem to be in a spot where they don't have too much, which is a good place right now.

SPEAKER_01:

Can we taste it?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, it's probably I think they kind of know their sweet spot.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah. And I as long he can do a bunch as long as he doesn't kill that sweet spot or change it too much. I don't mean to like make them sound like my favorite dive bar that I hope doesn't change, but there's a little bit of that with uh with Wild Derby with me. So, guys, today is the Russell's Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 13-year-old barrel proof. Uh, it is non-chill filtered, and again, we said the proof already is 114.8. Uh, we think we have the July of 22 release, 75% corn, 13 rye, 12 malted barley. Um, and MSRP, it sounds like has gone from um in those three short years uh from 100 to about 150 bucks. But uh let's put our nose on this. Uh let's do it. Cheers. Cheers.

SPEAKER_00:

Cheers.

SPEAKER_01:

I hope you had your glass ready. Sorry, I just I kind of I I I kind of looked at the clock and I was like, good, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

I've been drinking all wild turkey or uh Wrestle 13 since we started.

SPEAKER_01:

So I'm ready to go. Super ready. You're ready for the taste. We know we don't need to smell stuff. I'm drinking it. I'd go like sweet brown sugar with like a kind of a um like a I don't want to say smoky, but definitely that like a like a char, like a mature oak char. But um um again, those are my basics. I'm not going into like serious, crazy sweet stuff. I just said brown sugar, but I like the nose.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I mean to me this is a classic. I mean, this is just a classic bourbon nose. It's got you know plenty of the normal vanilla caramel stuff. This one's got that that warm baking spice. And it does have a touch of that that mustiness that you're talk talking about. I think that's a wild turkey thing.

SPEAKER_01:

But I just love that it it is such a classic smell.

SPEAKER_02:

What do you think?

SPEAKER_00:

I always say like I like I love a good dusty turkey, and I think that that is definitely what it's getting. I think of like snickerdoodle cookies, so a lot of my notes are like are on the baking side because I love to bake. Yeah. So like what y'all say with baking spices, I was just like, oh, that's a snickerdoodle cookie to me.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, that's awesome. Yeah, I didn't think of it like that. I I uh to me it's just there's so many classic smells with this, and it's just it's this is a this is this is would definitely draw me in just if I was just smelling.

SPEAKER_01:

So is it almost the smell of that cookie when you're when you're making it and then baking it?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, for sure. I definitely like opening the oven to see like how gooey are they. I don't want to get them too crisp. Like that's that's the smell.

SPEAKER_01:

No, I just for saying that like has me like having like a cook like a cookie spice come out. Another one is um kind of a like a strong maple syrup. Like because that sweetness is coming through. Um I am uh do it. Serena, are you ready to taste it? Because I am again more. More. Yeah, she's like, I already told you I already did. Tony just finished his. Don't worry, we have a little more. All right, uh, Serena, you go first here on the palette.

SPEAKER_00:

Um so I get a lot of like sweet tea. Um like a little bit of like black pepper, just a little bit, not a ton. It's still very sweet to me, but I get mainly like sweet tea.

SPEAKER_01:

I like your dash of pepper. I think that's towards the um finish for sure. Um yeah, you're that's a great, I never thought about it, but um when I hear tea or when I think I don't drink a lot of tea, but I think of like kind of like a drying quality. And so it's like sweet on the front, like maybe even like cherry sweet or like definitely like fruit uh sweet, but then as it kind of dries out, that's kind of like the the tea part. I don't know if that's where what how you were describing it. I could be totally off base, but when you said tea, I was like, Yeah, that's um it would have the uh followings of of taking a sip of tea, I think, depending if the tea was a sweet tea that is.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I mean I'd get I get like this this like honey. I mean, I I can't, it's got a real honey chocolatey um caramely, like a dry the dried fruit stuff. I mean it's it's that's what I'm getting out of this.

SPEAKER_01:

And I yeah, I think her cookie, her cookie came through on the palette. I think you can get a little bit. There's definitely a little um again, dry chocolate, probably a dark chocolate, not that like crazy, super sweet um uh real full.

SPEAKER_02:

I mean, got a real rich. It's definitely non-chilled. I think we went through that non-chilled versus chilled filtering, I don't know, a few episodes ago. And you can tell now that I've now that we've read about that and talked and spoke about it, I have found myself really liking the non-chilled filtered whiskey more because of how much fuller it is and how much more mouthfeel. And I think a lot of it just has to do with the age and just the better bourbons.

SPEAKER_00:

And yeah, I can get a little bit of that dark chocolate like kind of on the end for sure.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. So is this is this tasting how like are you just kind of like closing your eyes like, oh, this is this is the Russell's 13 that I love? Or is it like because sometimes you taste something again and it's like way elevated, or huh? I kind of thought I liked this more. Like, is this just your total standard turkey that's just hitting everywhere?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, like anytime I have Russell 13, like it's always just like that that warmth that, like I said, I'm always looking for like that dusty turkey note. Like I've been very fortunate to have like an older turkey from the 70s. And again, like like we said, like I think turkey knows what it's doing and that it kind of keeps it consistent, but then they are starting to experiment a little, which I'm grateful for, but I also don't want them to kind of lose who they are because it's like when I try a turkey, like that's kind of what I'm looking for, is something that I kind of always know, like, oh, this is gonna be something that I really, really like.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I Tony's looking around because I have some dusty bottles and uh he's looking for like a dusty, probably like 89, 88, 89 turkey. And what he doesn't know is that uh I don't have any because they're pretty damn at your house. Yeah, no, no, they're sought after, and uh but it's really good. But no, uh they're pricey. So like I love dusty's because you never know if it's gonna be a little skunky or whatever. Like love old granddad's and uh the Harpers and the old Fitzes and stuff, but um turkey. So I don't it's hard to spend a lot on a dusty for me, even though some people, I mean, they're a bottle that's 50 years old and they crazy pay up for it. But uh I do not have any uh dusty turkeys. Yeah, I was just looking around at what we have around.

SPEAKER_02:

We've got a lot of stuff around this room. And um we even have some of the we've even got the bottle that looks like the turkey. The old uh yeah, we do have an old like one of the bottles. Oh, we got one sitting right over there. It's kind of cool. Um I don't know what's in it. Probably some old juice if there's anything still in it. I haven't empty. I don't think I've actually up.

SPEAKER_01:

The decanters are sometimes leaded, and you gotta take the booze out of there as soon as you can. Or as soon as you buy it, which because it's also been sitting in there for 40 days.

SPEAKER_02:

I need to remember that when I'm doing my estate my estate sale purchases to not stay away from the boost. Stay away from the decanters.

SPEAKER_00:

Or just filter it a whole bunch of times, get you a lead testing kit.

SPEAKER_02:

You may or may not know from experience.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, you're fine.

SPEAKER_02:

You may or may not know I didn't know you could get a lead testing kit.

SPEAKER_01:

I bought a dusty. I bought a dusty once and I was like, this is pretty delicious. And my wife was like, uh, that's not right. And I was like, to drink this much on a Wednesday? And she's like, no, that doesn't taste right. And I'm like, well, it did come from this possibly leaded decanter. And she's like, um, yeah, I'm gonna dump mine down the drain. You can continue to go cross-eyed.

SPEAKER_00:

I may or may not like to grow a third eye. It's fine.

SPEAKER_02:

Exactly. He was licking his uh he's licking the baseboard paint also, trying to get that lead out of it.

SPEAKER_01:

So do you um have we covered this or you want to do a finish? I think this finish peppery.

SPEAKER_02:

So awesome. I think peppery. I think it's just layered, just that layered spice that just continually comes at you and it's just such a good, just such a really good taste. This is I I really enjoy this. All right, tip method.

SPEAKER_01:

You start it first.

SPEAKER_02:

Shareable. Um, yes, to people that know turkey, want wild turkey, know if they know what the 13-year is, right? If for somebody that's just coming into our our little place here and you know, wants to try something, this isn't something I'm pulling out. I'm gonna pull out some other high-rise stuff and let them try and see if they like it. Probably some four roses stuff first to see where we're at. Impressions fantastic. I love the Russell family. I love everything they do. Price, I think it's a fair price whenever you're doing. I mean, anything that they're still getting three times for plus on the secondary market and they're charging$150 for is probably underpriced, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_01:

Don't just kind of uh hate that, but it is. I mean, if we're gonna call ourselves turkey heads. I wish someone got behind my business as much as we get behind them, and then they cranked it from 100 to 150 bucks in a couple years. That's kind of not cool. Yeah, but so I'm gonna go up on price.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, but everybody's so high now. I'm sure I'm sure everybody sees it. Like the pricing is everywhere right now.

SPEAKER_01:

Cherable, I love talking about Russell's and influence. I love Russell's and then price. I'm uh uh I got a I got a problem with uh Jimmy and Eddie and Bruce. Like go go up 10 bucks, don't go up 50. Come on. Big increase. Serena, your turn.

SPEAKER_00:

I I think they're kind of used to hearing that about price. I think a lot of people have kind of balked about the master's keeps going up over the years. So I think they're kind of used to hearing it. Um, I'm definitely gonna always share. Maybe not necessarily like you said, I'm not gonna pull out Russell 13 automatically because that's my favorite. And like I don't want to like get down to the bottom, but you know, a Russell 10 or something to like see, like you said, see if they like it, then I'm definitely gonna share it. Um price point. I mean, I would I I just said don't go up in price, but then again, it's my favorite. So would I pay$200 for it? Probably just because it's my favorite. Um, but yeah, I mean, I love what they're doing. Uh although I will say, like, 15 is great, but 13, I think, is the sweet spot for me.

SPEAKER_01:

I think 13 is the sweet spot too. Tony, did you notice that though? What she just did. She she talked herself into paying$200. No, but she said, like, it's not her. Of course, she wants to share it, but then she was like, but then it's my favorite, so I don't. So she wanted to be like, I'm a nice person, I share all my things, like all my toys as a little kid. And then she was like, But I put my favorite toys in the corner where no one can play. Or you can't find them.

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, I'm an only child.

SPEAKER_01:

That just came. That just came shining through. You are an only child. We already, the listeners already knew that because of how you described that, but amazing. So funny. Uh okay, so and then we do a rating. Um, we actually podcasted this a few going on three years ago, March of whatever three years ago is. Um 23. 23. And uh I know what we gave it there. Type of spreadship. We gave it like low fours on our five scale, and um when I it doesn't disappoint. I know, but when I said when I asked uh Trina, like, does it does is it uh always like the same? And is it always really good? It is those things, but I gotta knock this down a little bit. I want to go like three and seven eighths, and I know that that's not far from four or four and an eighth or whatever, but like uh when we've recently over in three years, we've done probably another hundred podcasts since then, and four and four and a quarter, that is like like uh we don't go much higher. So this is this is high threes for me. Sorry. Really? I disagree.

SPEAKER_02:

I think this is actually better than I had it the first time. The more the more times I have, there's certain bourbons that like you you're comparing it to what you had in the past, and we have had a bunch of stuff, and I know we've done the we've done the 15 uh since, but I I would say this sits right where it is. I think you're sitting in this. This is a four and an eighth, four and a quarter bottle. This is a this is a top bottle that if you put me on a top 10 list, this this bottle is going on a top 10 list.

SPEAKER_01:

Tony just tried to make me look bad in front of you, Serena. No, just tell him I'm a turkey head too, and then I like kind of like downgrade, and he's like, fuck you, dude. I'm not downgraded. Hey, we're all different palettes. I have a feeling you're not gonna downgrade it either. So your turn.

SPEAKER_00:

So I do have to say, like, I'm working on my top 10 for 2025 right now. And when I try them blind, I'm always like hesitant. Like those first couple of pores, I almost feel like I kind of have to go back to them because I'm like, well, I don't want to give something and eight right off the bat. Like, what if I like something better? You know, like so I understand like the scoring system, but I do have to say, like, Brussels is always gonna be like I've had the 2025 batch. Luckily, I got a sample of it. Um, I saved a part of that sample because I was like, Yep, I need that for my list. Now I have a whole bottle, so I can, you know, take a couple times. But um, yeah, I'm gonna have to say, like, it's a upper force for me for sure. Um I've you know, crushable. I'm always gonna be on the lookout for one. Um, I mean, I said it earlier. I'm a turkey, I'm a turkey head. Like it's it's I it's kind of hard not to beat for me.

SPEAKER_01:

When you when you do your top 10 lists, do you do you notice how it rolled up real quick? Tony got real quiet and really serious. He's he heard you did the top 10. No, I'm not a thing. He heard nothing else. I did. I heard it was. He's like, oh, she's got a top 10.

SPEAKER_02:

Listen, this is I no, I think we all have our lists of stuff that we've had this year. Unfortunately, some of the stuff I have every year isn't from this year. Like, we do drink some bottle, some of the barrel strength stuff, you know, and it might be like the Larceny or the Elijah Craig, and they might be some of the last years, you know, because there's only three a year and we only do so many podcasts. But so I always say, you know, what did I taste this year that I like a lot of? And then I always like give this honorable mention of what was my favorite bourbon that I can go to the liquor store and get anytime I want. And last year it was Green River. Last year I loved Green River. It was my bourbon that I felt like if you wanted to go get something on the shelf at every liquor store, try the Green River.

SPEAKER_01:

That's the brand uh Barstown Bourbon Company uh took over. I don't know if you know about it, but um they're kind of selling a lot of there. It's the same old horseshoe-based bottle. And yeah, Tony got really into it. I didn't as much, but you had it as like a house pour. Yeah, that was like a house.

SPEAKER_02:

Like this is a yeah, yeah. I don't think it's like a five or a four drink. I mean, I think, and then this year, to me, uh, this year, it's that Bardstown Bourbon High Wheat, that yellowish bottle that's part of their origin series they came out with this year. You know, it's under 50 bucks. And I just think it's it's that's my bourbon. I'm just always curious when you're doing your top 10 list, do you take into consideration how hard it is to find anything? Or do you just say this is my favorite? Who cares?

SPEAKER_00:

I don't, I don't necessarily just because I'm like, I do my favorites. Now I know a lot of people will like break it down into like craft, allocated, single barrels. I don't. I just put everything that I've you know tried from 2012. I do try and keep it to stuff that came out in 2025. But then, you know, like y'all said, like sometimes I do like have an honorable mention. But um, I think this year's is gonna be tough. Like, I kind of did a semifinals round because when I looked at my table, um, you can look on my Instagram. I started out with like 30 plus bottles, and so I was like, okay, this is gonna take several days unless I want to be like boozed at the end of the night.

SPEAKER_01:

And it's harder, even harder to do overall than I gotta do tomorrow.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah. So I did a semifinals, and then I mean, I still have like 15, 16 bottles on the table. So I yeah, I gotta narrow it down to 10, but um, I do mix single barrels with mine because I'm like, you know, I I tend to like higher proof things, and so a lot of times that does mean a single barrel of something. So I just like to say, like, it's my list, my list is my list. I like what I like, and if you're wanting to find what is the top bourbon or what is the top weeded, or what is the type, you know, ribe, and there's lists out there for that, but my list is my list.

SPEAKER_02:

So that's cool. Yeah, no, I'm just curious because we we we used to do some lists, and a lot of it was our favorite pour we had this year. We did that a couple times, and you know, now it's just like I just talk about like when people call me, yeah, because I'm sure like yourself, you especially this time of year around the holidays, everybody's pinging you. What should I get for this person? What should I get for that person? Or how much you know what I mean, or what where where can you help me get a bottle? And I'm always like, Yeah, good luck. Everybody wants it.

SPEAKER_01:

I think I love your top 10 list most for what you just said, which is uh just an unbelievable amount of dedication. She's like, we're nearing Christmas, so she's know she's nearing the end of the year. She still has 15 left in a semifinal round. Did you hear that? That is just fucking dedicated. Like she probably December started and she was probably procrastinating. Like, you know, I haven't even started yet, and all of a sudden the bottles started to stack up on the table, and she's like, I gotta now drink about 10 whiskeys a night every night until Christmas. Because I gotta get through this.

SPEAKER_00:

Actually, it's funny you said that. I started with 10, and by the end of that night, I was like, okay, we're gonna narrow this down to seven because like I can't do that.

SPEAKER_01:

So dedicated. I fucking love it because, well, you're talking to two guys that are a little overly dedicated to certain things. Yeah. Very similar. So uh all right.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, um What do you want me to tell us about your podcast on our way out here? What do you think?

SPEAKER_01:

Plug yourself and your handles and all that jazz.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so I'm Serena, short stuff bourbon. Um, mainly on Instagram. I dabble on TikTok, but TikTok I like to say is like my mindless entertainment for shopping funny videos, trends, and Instagram is kind of where I put all of my time and energy. But um, I'm just a short girl, I'm 5'2 that likes bourbon, lives in Tennessee. And um, I like to say that I try to get more women into bourbon. So, I mean, I'm always the one that's bringing bourbon to a book club where I'm teaching women how to make cocktails. Like let's start you there if you've never had bourbon, and then find a cocktail that you like, and then just slowly but surely add less of the additive until you can get to the bourbon on the rock and then the bourbon meat, or if you you know however you want to drink it with how you want to drink it. But I'm just really passionate about trying to get more And then into whiskey, and then like I've said several times, just trying to help, you know, the smaller brand to get the attention that they deserve.

SPEAKER_02:

That is amazing. That's great. Everybody's gonna like what they like. Just like you said, you gotta find out what they like and try to push them in the right direction.

SPEAKER_03:

For sure.

SPEAKER_01:

And just I mean, uh back to the dedication, like getting people to understand and like whiskey. Like, I bet so many millions of people would hear that and be like, what? Why do you why do you care what your friend drinks at Book Club and a but I'm the same way, I'd be like, why don't we why are you drinking that shit? And it could that shit could be like a Miller Light. It's not like a whiskey or a lunga or whatever. Like it's like, but I bring something.

SPEAKER_02:

When my wife and I go to parties now, we don't, I don't, I mean, she always wants to bring a bottle of wine. I always bring a bottle of whiskey. Because I'm like, bottle of wine's four drinks, it's gone in a minute. Bottle of whiskey's there for a while.

SPEAKER_00:

The reason I bring bourbon to a book club is I was like, okay, why are we here? We're here to discuss a good book. I feel like bourbon has a lot of good stories around the brand. So it's kind of a perfect fit.

SPEAKER_02:

I'm gonna talk my wife into bringing whiskey to her next book club. I can't wait to see how this turns out. I I almost want like I almost want like a camera in the room. I want to be a little birdie to hear of them do it. That'd be hilariously awesome. You brought what? Put that down. Uh Serena.

SPEAKER_00:

Give me a call. Tell me, tell her to give me a call and I'll walk her through some recommendations.

SPEAKER_02:

I would do it. That would be awesome. I would love, I would just love for her and her friends to show up with a bottle of bourbon.

SPEAKER_01:

And you we're gonna tell Tony's wife uh if all you're gonna have a probably uh another new follower later. I sure will. I gotta follow who and we're gonna make you're you'll get it. You'll get it. You'll get it. Serena, thank you so much for uh being so cool to join us and uh on short notice and to be a turkey head and uh just such a really awesome uh time sitting chilling with you.

SPEAKER_00:

Um awesome, thank y'all. Let me know if you want to join again.

SPEAKER_02:

Definitely, thank you for your help. We're gonna run out, we're gonna run out here with some Megan Moroni some Tennessee Orange, since you're from Tennessee.

SPEAKER_03:

Great.

SPEAKER_01:

Shot Chucky Burton Brothers, we take care of the whiskey so you could focus on with whom you share it. And uh yeah, I'm I I mean, this is a good song. It's a good song. I was like, what's that song? What's that? Oh, yeah. Tony and I saw her live, and uh it was it was a good time. So thanks for Serena for being with us and peace out, Tony. Yes.

SPEAKER_03:

Bye y'all.

SPEAKER_01:

Bye guys. Bye.

SPEAKER_00:

Open the door.

Contributor

Mike Nielsen

Host
Contributor

Tony Meyers

Co-host