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In this week’s pour of Bourbon Bytes, Clifton dives into the hottest release yet from Wild Turkey: Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Bourbon is back — and this time, it’s clocking in at a blistering 123.8 proof. Is it the best Wild Turkey yet, or just another hard-to-find unicorn? We also explore the return of Stitzel-Weller with a jaw-dropping 24-year-old release priced at $1,600, and check in with Laphroaig’s 2025 Cairdeas — a cask strength version of their beloved Lore. Then, in this week’s Byte-Sized Review, Clifton finally uncorks the new Old Fitzgerald 7-Year Bottled-in-Bond wheated bourbon. Can this $60 Heaven Hill release live up to its decanter-clad cousins? 0:00 Welcome Back + Listener Shoutouts 2:11 Russell’s Reserve 13 Bourbon Returns at 123.8 Proof 5:38 Stitzel-Weller Launches 24-Year “Stitzel Reserve” 7:42 Laphroaig Cairdeas Lore Cask Strength Announced 11:50 Listener Q&A: Thoughts on the Nintendo Switch 2 14:09 Byte-Sized Review: Old Fitzgerald 7-Year Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon 20:05 Closing Thoughts + Byte Club Perks
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0:00
Today on the Bourbon Bites Podcast, Russell's Reserve 13 is back and at the highest proof ever
0:06
Stitzel Weller launches their first product in over 30 years. LaFroig is bringing a fan favorite whiskey to Cast Strength
0:13
And I review the new Old Fitzgerald 7-Year Bottled and Bond Bourbon
0:16
hello everyone and welcome back to the bourbon bites podcast i'm your host clifton and today
0:33
we have some really fun whiskey to review not only that but some breaking news stories from
0:39
across the industry we have to talk about but before i get into all that i wanted to take a
0:43
moment to say thank you to everyone who has shown their support for the relaunch of the podcast
0:49
It really means a lot seeing you guys get excited about it. I'm seeing it on discord
0:53
on Facebook, your reviews, and it just really means a lot to me. So it makes me feel like this
0:57
was the right decision to start this podcast back up. And hopefully you guys enjoy this season. So
1:02
if you missed last week's episode, it was my season two launch after about three years of
1:07
not making a podcast. And I am so glad to be back. I do want to shout out a couple people in
1:13
particular that left reviews on Apple podcasts. I know you guys listen across tons of different platforms, and if you ever see the option to
1:19
rate or review, it would mean a lot to me. It definitely helps get the word out by the channel and it helps boost it on the rankings
1:25
of that particular platform. And the first one of these reviews comes from our good friend, MC
1:30
She is a bourbon rancher on the channel. She says that when you need your whiskey news distilled down to 30 minutes or less, Clifton
1:37
is my go to fast and fun bites of news that fit into a short commute served weekly for
1:42
season two on Thursdays. I appreciate that Emily. Thank you so much. I'm so glad that you're
1:46
enjoying the series. I'm also want to give a shout out to Santiago. They say it's back. So happy the
1:51
podcast is back. Excited to see where it goes. So I really do appreciate your reviews, whatever
1:56
platform you guys are on. It does mean a lot and I'm always looking for feedback. So if you have
2:01
any suggestions, please feel free to review me on your favorite platform. But like I said, we have
2:05
lots of fun breaking news. Literally some of these just came in moments before recording this podcast
2:11
The biggest story of them all I think we all want to hear about is the new Russell's Reserve 13
2:17
Yes, they are making a second official release of Russell's Reserve 13
2:22
I thought that the previous batches were considered like the second and third and fourth releases, but those all did come out within the same year
2:27
So this is the 2025 Russell's Reserve 13 version 2.0. They actually considered a reimagining of the 2021 release
2:36
This one comes in at 123.8 proof. Of course, it's non-chill filtered and it is available coming soon
2:44
Particularly if you live in Kentucky, they are doing a gathering of whiskey connoisseurs
2:50
is what they're calling it, and they're inviting folks to come out on June 24th to
2:54
have a first taste of Russell's Reserve 13. There will be a cocktail reception and a following flight of all the Russell's Reserve releases
3:02
including Russell's 10, Russell's 10 single barrel, Russell's single barrel rye, Russell's
3:06
13 and a wild turkey private selection bourbon. So if you are in the area and you're interested
3:11
please go check it out. I would love to hear how that goes. Of course, I'm in Los Angeles
3:16
so not sure I'll fly out just for that, but it does sound like a wonderful evening to meet
3:20
the associate master blender Bruce Russell. But yeah, I'm excited to see Russell's 13 come back
3:26
It's been a while since I've reviewed it, but I remember it being just as good as everyone said
3:31
it was, especially that first batch. Luckily enough, I was able to get two bottles, both of
3:35
them at retail i definitely think it was some of the best wild turkey distillate i've ever had
3:39
and that's even to say compared to some masters keep i think russell's 13 exceeded the expectations
3:45
but they do say that this is their highest proof release yet with it being 123.8 proof it is above
3:51
the single rickhouse b release which was 120.2 and the wild turkey generations which was 120.8 so
3:58
it's the highest abv batch product from both the russell's and wild turkey lineups so that's pretty
4:03
exciting. And just as a reminder, the 2021 release was 114.8 proof. So we're we're jumping a good nine
4:09
proof points here. But I think what's most interesting in this news release is it sounds
4:13
like that all 13 year old labels moving forward will feature unique batch proofs and production
4:18
seasons. And based on that, it sounds like Russell's 13 is here to stay. I would love this to be a
4:23
permanent addition to their lineup. I think it is such an incredible bourbon. It's a real testament
4:28
to the distillate at Wild Turkey. I mean, I love me some Russell's Reserve
4:32
I love me some Wild Turkey 101. But getting high aged and high proof to me
4:37
I just think this is what sets them apart. And I think this release, if it is available
4:41
that's the biggest if. You know, we saw the 13 come and go. We saw it be extremely hard to find
4:47
I am seeing that the MSRP on it is $200. I think that's a fair price
4:52
It is high. I mean, you know, we used to say $10 per year
4:56
It's kind of what we thought was fair for bourbon. Now that inflation and all these things have happened I think is unfortunately a fair price if it as good as I remember it being from the 2021 batch This for me would probably be a try before I buy for the 2021 release I think I only pay like 130 something like that something relatively low for the two bottles I got at
5:17
retail. So jumping up to 200, unfortunately, it makes sense. If you've had a chance to try this
5:23
new release, like the 2025 batch, let me know how it is. Feel free to come drop a comment on
5:28
discord. We have a great discord community full of all whiskey and video game lovers. Would love
5:33
to hear your thoughts on it and would love to know if I should seek out a bottle or at least a pour
5:38
So not only is Wild Turkey releasing some high proof high aged product, but Stitzel Weller is
5:44
actually introducing a new product called Stitzel Reserve. Yes, you heard that right. Stitzel Weller
5:49
is coming out with a new bourbon. So this one's actually going to be 24 years old. It's going to
5:54
be a blend of nine different barrels from a single warehouse. It's actually the first product launch
5:58
from the Stitzelweller site in more than 30 years. And this blend was created by master blender Nicole Austin
6:04
and bottled at 123.4 proof. Now here's the not so good news
6:10
They're only gonna make 191 bottles of it. And it's gonna be sold exclusively at the distillery
6:14
for $1,600 each. And I know that that is a crazy high price
6:21
but it's also a crazy aged bourbon. And those of you that know the story of Stitzelweller
6:27
They created the whiskey that we know as Pappy today. Now, of course, that's, you know, from several years ago
6:33
They kind of haven't been producing lately, but they've been a tourist attraction since 2014
6:38
But this is the first actual release that they are launching in 30 years
6:42
I'm hopeful that this means that maybe, just maybe, they're going to start releasing other releases, maybe not 24 years old
6:50
It's the first time I've ever seen a Stitzelweiler product on the market. I came into bourbon in like 2018
6:55
So I had always heard the legend of, you know, vintage pappies having some stitzel juice in it
6:59
Never had the chance to try it. I'm sure it's just as great as people say
7:04
But, yeah, I probably won't be getting my hands on a bottle of this. You know, even if given the opportunity, this is one that I think is for real hardcore collectors
7:11
Maybe people that are nostalgic for that stitzelweller taste. Now, 24 years old, that's putting up there basically at pappy age
7:18
It's interesting that they're using their own label behind this to put out this new product
7:21
I'm curious to see one who's going to buy it because only one hundred ninety one people can get it
7:26
And to what it tastes like, because we're talking about barrel proof for 24 year old bourbon
7:31
It could be a hot mess or it could be a delicious mouth experience
7:36
So if you have the funds to purchase it, let me know how it is and maybe send me a sample
7:41
Now, we also have some news from across the pond in Scotland where the new Lafroig car just released was just announced
7:47
if you don't know lafroig is a isla region scotch distillery they make a lot of really delicious
7:53
peated whiskey i'm a huge fan of them and they release lafroig cargis once a year and they're
7:59
all different casks they're different finishes they have a really wide variety of what they do
8:03
with their cargis release so i was really excited to see what this one was all about for 2025
8:07
and this one actually caught me by surprise because it's a cast strength version of one of
8:13
the products they already have in the market. So this one is called Kargis Lore Cask Strength
8:18
Now, I actually haven't had Lafroig Lore before, but it's one of their higher end bottles. Usually
8:22
on retail, it goes for around $120 and it blends some of their oldest casks they have available
8:27
So I'm looking at a listing of it from back in 2017, and it says Lafroig Lore is a blend of up
8:33
to 21-year-old bourbon casks, nine-year-old full-term quarter casks, along with a few
8:38
European Oak Sherry casks for fun. And I really do love what Lefroy does with their cask aging
8:45
They really highlight the cask, especially the PX one that came out a few years back. There's also
8:50
the wine and port casks. I've really enjoyed every card just released some more than others
8:55
especially ones that are focused on wine casks. To me, those are so, so good. So this new release
9:01
they say they are marrying five of their all time favorite casks. They say that lore is a fan
9:06
favorite and one of their most complex layered flavor profiles with this special version we can
9:11
enjoy it just like our whiskey makers do at cast strength now it's currently not showing up as
9:15
available again i just saw the news of this coming out today i will say it is 59.6 abv i found that
9:22
it really shines at cast strength it really brings out all the layers of the whiskey behind it so
9:27
you're not just overwhelmed with the peat you're getting this really robust flavor blast and uh i'll
9:33
definitely be keeping an eye out for this one i've bought every card just release uh for the last
9:37
five years or so um so i'm very excited to see uh what they've done with this cast strength
9:42
allure now all three of these news stories feature whiskey that i'll probably not get my hands on for
9:48
a while at least um but hopefully you guys will stay tuned to the youtube channel i'm most likely
9:53
to review them and compare them there to other releases for those of you that listen to the
9:57
podcast exclusively um i go live on thursday evenings on youtube around 7 p.m pacific 10 p.m
10:02
Eastern. And I'm doing things like whiskey flights and interviews and fun things like that
10:07
If you want to tune in, say hi, let me know you're coming from the podcast. We'd love to see you there. By the way, I decided on Thursdays for the release
10:14
You guys said Thursdays and Fridays work best for you. I think Thursday makes the most sense because I going to be doing my live stream anyway So what better way to kick off your day with me and then end your night with me The Cliffy Bus is taking you all over town morning and evening And if you want to support filling up the Cliffy Bus
10:30
I don't know where I'm going with this ogy. You can support the channel for as little as $2 a month
10:35
But tiers like the $5 tier gets you access to our monthly movie night, which we are having this Friday
10:40
We are watching UHF, the Weird Al film from 1989. So, so excited for that
10:45
I've never seen it, but I've been a Weird Al fan since I was a teenager. he was really the inspiration behind a lot of my song parodies i used to make on youtube
10:53
in another life we're not gonna we're not gonna dig those up right now i thought about maybe playing
10:58
some clips here because i'm like oh he was really big inspiration for me but like no i'll leave that
11:02
for you guys to find just don't google me too hard but anyways you get access to our movie night at
11:07
the five dollar tier ten dollar tier you get access to our after party hangout which is a private
11:12
hangout on discord after every thursday night live stream of course higher tiers get you things
11:16
like our exclusive monthly tasting where I will send you five samples that I've been enjoying
11:20
lately and we'll taste them together. Just so that this past weekend with Todd and Fred who are
11:24
currently at that tier, we tried five different whiskeys from the Game of Thrones collections that
11:28
came out from Diageo several years back, but it was really fun to visit those and see how different
11:33
these whiskeys were. If you're curious about this and you want to support the channel, you can go to
11:37
bourbonbites.com and join the Bite Club there. You can also offer your support on Patreon, although
11:42
bourbonbytes.com more of the funds go directly to me there's less overhead fees plus you can buy
11:47
some merch there and get discounts for being a member now before i get into this week's bite
11:51
size review i did ask my discord community if they had any questions they'd like me to answer
11:55
on this week's podcast and i got a great one from our moderator brandon he asked did you get a switch
12:02
too and my partner and i didn't pre-order it mainly because we wanted to see what the reviews
12:07
were like, we did preorder the PlayStation five and got it at release. But there was a long period
12:13
of time where there really wasn't much content that was exclusive to PS five. The games were kind
12:18
of meh at launch and none of our friends had it. So we couldn't really play with them either
12:22
And we kind of didn't want to repeat of that. I know people have been loving the new Mario Kart
12:27
world game, but I think I'm OK waiting, not necessarily for a sale, but just an opportunity
12:31
to get it where I'm not spending hours refreshing a web page because I've done that for other things
12:37
and it is extremely stressful and time consuming. I'm not in a huge rush to get it
12:42
Honestly, I'm seeing some reviews where people are saying that like they missed their OLED screen
12:45
and their Switch, the previous Switch. I have an OLED one and I agree, it looks beautiful
12:50
I know they have some other technology in there, but people say when they go back to the OLED screen
12:54
it's a big, big difference. Now, of course, graphics quality is better and all that for the Switch too
12:59
But at this point in time, I really don't see the need to rush out and get one
13:03
Maybe at this rate, I'll wait till Black Friday. Maybe they'll have a certain bundle. Instead of doing discounts, they typically do an exclusive bundle for Black Friday or the holiday season
13:12
So I'll wait it out and see how that goes. But honestly, the most use my Switch gets is playing classic games like the ones available from Super Nintendo
13:21
That's where I typically go. That's what I pay for my Nintendo membership for mostly
13:25
So to me, having a new processor doesn't really affect me on vintage classic games
13:30
But maybe I'm the exception because we do already have a PlayStation 5 and I typically game on my PC
13:35
So I do have other equipment to play some of the higher end AAA games
13:41
I don't necessarily need it to be on my Switch, but I do see the appeal of having one console and having all your favorite games on it
13:47
So we'll see. Maybe the Switch 2 will become the console to rule them all. But thank you, Brandon, for your question
13:52
If you guys ever have topics or questions you want me to discuss on the podcast, please let me know
13:57
You can post them on Discord or you can drop them in my email contact at bourbonbites.com or slip into my DMs on Instagram
14:04
You know where to find me. If you don't, just go to bourbonbites.com. You'll find all my links there
14:08
Now, don't go anywhere yet. We are about to enter our bite-sized review. All right, so I actually had planned a different whiskey to review on this week's episode
14:28
but I walked into BevMo earlier today to pick up a mobile order just for some standard stuff
14:33
from my bar cart and I saw this bottle sitting on the back shelf. Now, if you saw the thumbnail for
14:39
this podcast, you already know what it is. But this is the new Old Fitzgerald seven year old
14:44
bottled and bond weeded bourbon whiskey. Now, this is a permanent addition to the Heaven Hill
14:49
lineup. This isn't the Old Fitzgerald that comes in the really fancy decanter, although I will say
14:53
this bottle is really, really nice looking. And I remember being teased about this release way back
14:59
at New Orleans Bourbon Festival in 2024. Bernie Lovers was sharing his love
15:03
of the Heaven Hill Bottle and Bond bourbon release that's been out for a while now
15:08
And he did hint towards a Old Fitzgerald release coming soon. So we finally have it
15:13
So as with the Heaven Hill Bottle and Bond, this follows all of the rules and regulations
15:17
behind the Bottle and Bond Act. But this is their weeded bourbon mash bill
15:21
So it comes in at 100 proof and seven years old. Now, this does include the distilling season
15:25
on the neck tag of the bottle here. This was distilled in spring of 2018 I imagine as these continue to come out that going to increase with time Now mash bill wise this one is 68 corn 20 wheat and 12 malted barley It looks like retail on this is actually
15:43
So great price for a seven year bottle and bond. And this bottle features their brand new logo
15:48
They're calling it your key to hospitality. And it has a really nice logo on the front
15:52
This bottle is just gorgeous. I mean, if I had to give an award for best bottle design of the year for a new release
15:57
this would absolutely be a contender. Well, one of the first things I noticed about this whiskey as I poured into my glass is that is a very, very deep, rich color
16:07
I mean, seven years isn't crazy in the terms of aging, especially after some of the news stories we heard today
16:12
But it is respectable. I think, you know, they could have easily released like a four or five year old product
16:17
But no, they saved it for seven years and priced it at an exceptional price
16:23
Let's go and give it a nose. Oh, man, that's actually surprisingly easygoing
16:29
And I think that happens a lot with weeded whiskeys. It's like you're used to the rice spice kind of coming out in the nose and kind of attacking your nostrils
16:36
But this one, no, it definitely doesn't nose hot. There's a good amount of sweetness there, but it's like a darker, like a brown sugar sweetness on the nose
16:44
Now, with Heaven Hill products, I almost always compare them with bakery items
16:48
It's just an overwhelming note that I get across their entire lineup
16:52
And this fits right in there. Now, even though it does have that dark brown sugar note up front, there is a brighter, fruitier note
16:58
once you kind of get in there and nose it a little deeper. The first thing that comes to my mind is
17:03
like a lemon tart. It's funny because last week I was comparing the whiskey to a donut. Now I'm
17:08
comparing it to a lemon tart. But if you know me, you know, that's the norm when we're talking about
17:11
Heaven Hill products. I got to find a bakery item to compare it to. Well, I could nose this all day
17:17
but you guys want to know what I think of it. So let's give it a taste. Cheers. Oh my goodness. Yes
17:23
that is everything i want it to be it is viscous it has a great mouthfeel you can tell that this is
17:30
a very well aged and well blended product it's sweet it's oaky it's not spicy in any way but the
17:36
best part about it is it isn't grainy i've noticed with a lot of weeded bourbons and wheat whiskeys
17:41
there's a really strong grain note where it kind of tastes like either like the raw grain a little
17:45
bit of a dusty quality or even just like bread which don't get me wrong i love a bread note on
17:50
whiskey but I don't want that to be the only note I'm getting. This goes the other direction. This
17:55
one is a very rich decadent whiskey and being only 100 proof that kind of blows my mind how good this
18:01
is. The brown sugar sweetness is the most prominent note. I got it on the nose but I definitely get it
18:06
on the palate. I'm losing a little bit of that fruitiness that I was getting on it. I feel like
18:10
the finish does end a little early. It doesn't have that long of a finish but on the tip of the
18:15
tongue and like the mid palate this whiskey just really really impresses me. So I had to go through
18:19
my collection and see if I could find the old fits that I had in the past. I actually reviewed
18:23
both the spring and fall 2023 releases, but the fall 2023 was an eight year. So I'm actually going
18:29
to pour it and do a little side by side with this new bottle and bond seven year color wise. I'm
18:35
actually surprised that the eight years a little bit lighter. Now I am reading that this new release
18:39
was in level three charred barrel, so maybe a little bit extra char compared to the eight year
18:44
I'm wondering what that did to palate. Oh, wow, man. I forgot how good that was
18:50
That one to me. I mean, OK, here's what I think. I think that the old Fitzgerald that I had just
18:55
tried from fall 2023 hits a very specific flavor profile. It's very oaky, especially for an eight
19:01
year old bourbon. To me, I am a big fan of that flavor profile. So for me, I'm drawn towards that
19:06
one. I think it has a longer finish. I think it tastes a little bit more meticulously crafted
19:10
however that bottle was also much more expensive than this one um so let me go back to the seven
19:16
year and do a little comparison to the taste yeah the seven year is a lot less complex but that
19:21
doesn't mean that it's not any good it's a really rich flavor but it doesn't necessarily take me on
19:26
the same journey that the uh decanter release does at least this example and for me i think it's quite
19:32
a bit more sweet and it definitely doesn't um spike in any directions like oaky kind of like
19:36
this one did. But with that being said, this is a fantastic whiskey at the price point. I could see
19:43
myself buying this regularly, just like I do the Heaven Hill Blue Label Bottle and Bond. I think it
19:48
would be fun to do a little comparison between those two, maybe for a live stream coming up
19:51
If you guys are interested, let me know. But I'm always excited to see a new affordable addition
19:56
to a brand that I love. And this is no exception. They really nailed it with this great price
20:01
great bottle. Yeah, that's a winner in my book. All right. Well, I think that does it for this
20:06
week's episode. I know I kind of went through those news stories a bit quick, but still trying
20:10
to get my pacing down right with this being around 20 ish minutes. Thank you guys so much for
20:15
listening. Again, if you guys want to leave a rating or review on your favorite podcast platform
20:19
please do. And if it lets you leave a comment under each episode, please feel free to leave
20:23
your feedback. I'd love to hear it. I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of the whiskeys I
20:26
featured this episode. Take care. I'll see you guys on tonight's live stream. Those of you that
20:31
are listening on release day and otherwise I will talk to you next week. Cheers
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