Pride of Anderson County Bourbon Review: To Drink or Collect?
Updated: Aug 8
“Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.”
–William Shakespeare
When Pride of Anderson County first dropped in 2023, it was a collector's dream bottle. Ultra-limited. Sourced by the already legendary cast from Rare Character, it also had the support of one of the most prolific Wild Turkey whiskey writers in the industry, David Jennings. The back label was rich with transparent details about the sourcing pedigree: campus location, warehouse, floor—everything. Rare Character was already well known for finding and distributing great single barrels, and David had a long-dormant dream of bringing cask strength Wild Turkey to consumers. After a chance encounter between Jennings and Rare Character Pablo Moix, they turned that dream into a reality. The auction results that followed tell the rest of the story. These bottles were fetching collectible prices. I somehow never got my hands on a bottle in the years that followed, but I was always curious.
Now in its third year since inception, the brand seems to be taking Pride of Anderson County in a slightly different direction. All clear nods to Wild Turkey have been removed from the labeling, likely due to new non-disclosure agreements in an effort to distance the Wild Turkey name from a product they have no marketing control over. We no longer get warehouse names and locations but have retained some transparency with the barrel number and distillation year still featured on the back label.
While the age statement has fallen slightly since the earlier releases, nine and a half years is no young whiskey by Kentucky bourbon terms. My anecdotal experience on accessibility has been that distribution is far more widespread in 2026. These bottles are now actually hitting shelves in the Massachusetts markets when, formerly, I had only heard whispers about where to get this bottle. That's good news for whiskey drinkers, quite possibly the best news for ardent fans of Wild Turkey who are curious what their beloved Russell's Reserve tastes like at cask strength. While we won't know what warehouse it came from, it's still a tasting opportunity that drinkers should rejoice about. Are you seeing these at bottle shares? At your buddy's house? I recently had a chance to compare two different barrels with my friend Jason Kass. The two were wildly different profiles. That's the beauty of single barrels. Bottles like this are what the whiskey hunt is all about.
With access at an all-time high, I sat down to taste through barrel 048 of Pride of Anderson County to settle it once and for all: is this a bourbon drinker's bottle or just another hyped-up collectible? As always, I tasted this at least 3 times on a sober palate before offering my honest rating down below.
Company on Label: Distilled and aged in Kentucky; bottled by Rare Character Whiskey Co.
Whiskey Type: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed, but assumed to be 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley
Proof: 116.46° (58.23%)
Age: 9.5 years
Buy Online: Frootbat
Further identification: This is barrel no. 048, bottle no. 200 from a barrel that was distilled in 2016 and bottled in 2026
Nose: On first lifting this glass, I find a rich wave of caramel and butterscotch, two hallmarks of good old Wild Turkey bourbon. Returning the nose to glass produces dank barrel funk, black pepper, and allspice. It's surprisingly leathery and oaky for its age, but I'm nearing the bottom of my bottle, and typically the Russell's single barrels I have reviewed in the past have only gotten better with time and air. This release seems to be following suit. Deep inhales are surprisingly forgiving for an uncut, unfiltered Kentucky bourbon such as this. While the glass led with the familiar, it is slowly developing into something completely different. Ripe pineapple and guava tones produce a vibrant, summery profile I wouldn't ever peg as a Wild Turkey profile from any of their aging campuses. While I've had some wonderfully fruity and floral whiskeys from Camp Nelson's warehouse E, this is something in a class of its own, perhaps elevated from some additional aging time in Rare Character's Lexington-based barrel house. The wood spice tones continue to proliferate in the glass, offering a distinct connection to earthy tones that keep this whiskey grounded and real, while a bright lemon frosting tone offers strong differentiation from the profile I started with. Deep inhales after a long rest offer aromas of vanilla saltwater taffy and patchouli. I like this nose quite a bit.
After a few sips, the glass never changes in character, but the enjoyment factor continues to skyrocket as the creaminess prevails over all else. Think 'the richest buttercream frosting you've ever smelled' with this one. Just before the last sip of the glass is vanquished, I find subtle complexities of cherry and apple pie, both freshly baked and cooling next to each other on a wire rack. Get that vanilla bean ice cream ready... As I sit and reminisce on this pour, I find the empty glass the most moving from a quality perspective. Everything about this pour was clean, but the evolution was thoroughly complex, and particularly so on the nose. In the liquidless glencairn I find caramel and cashew melded into a sweet and crunchy brittle that once again tricks my brain into a level of perception that goes far beyond just sipping whiskey. This is what thoughtful tasting is all about.
Palate: My first sip is a tapestry of sweetness: vanilla bean ice cream, honeysuckle, and lemon cake instantly delight. Another sip is even more pervasive with a rich mouth coating that reminds me of a gooey cinnamon roll covered in icing. The linger is sweet and easy, a siren song of sorts, where the brain could nearly be convinced it was snacking on a sweet treat instead of sipping bourbon. Lemon buttercream frosting is the unique differentiator that sets this apart from your typical Russell's single barrel pick. Savoring a long sip and swish never puckers or punches but reveals lovely peach tones, orange zest, and a lovely cinnamon-clove medley that zings right up the sides of the tongue. It's an expressive whiskey, one that is not shy about dominating your taste buds, but it's never overbearing or hot. My last sip is as delightful as the rest with level oak, a lovely medley of fruit and floral tones, before oozing into a tingly, long finish of caramel, raisin, and expressed orange peel.
TL;DR: What an unbelievable nose... if you can sit with this for a while, you'll surely be rewarded
Rating: 4.5/5
Absolutely delicious. Enthusiast grade pour.
If you've ever sat down to pick barrels with someone with a truly great palate, you know what they're looking for and what they're avoiding—they'll tell you. Having sat down with Pablo Moix to select both a bourbon and rye from Jack Daniel's (alongside his dogs and JD's own Nacho Libre, of course), I can see Pablo's palate at work here with Pride of Anderson County. This is a nuanced, differentiated whiskey that deserves to be elevated beyond a standard Russell's label. Tasting it next to a really great Russell's single barrel pick, I stand by my statement. This Pride of Anderson County is a cut above the rest and worth the splurge in my book. I'll certainly be hunting for another bottle!
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