Fred Minnick, the renowned “whiskey authority” (Forbes) leading the spirits industry, tasted more than 700 whiskeys in 2021. On a livestream tasting last night (1.5), Minnick revealed the No. 1 whiskey of the year -- Russell’s-Reserve 13 Year Bourbon. Watch the full stream, here: youtu.be/lKjUfemKfSI.

"During my blind tasting, Russell’s-Reserve 13 Year Bourbon showed power and elegance in a single glass," says Minnick, co-founder of the American Spirits Council of Tasters. "It is layered with so many flavors that I would love to sip this every day for the rest of my life. Of course, given the greatness of the Wild Turkey Distillery as of late, I am not surprised the Russell family and their team made this. It's a once in a lifetime bourbon."

During the livestream event, Minnick blind-tasted his Top 10 whiskey picks for 2021, assessing the color, nose, palate, finish and uniqueness of each spirit.

Minnick's Top 10 picks for the year include the following:

Angel’s Envy Madeira Finish

Bardstown Bourbon Company Triple Stave

Barrell Seagrass

Eagle Rare 17 Year

Jack Daniel’s 10 Year

Kuiper Belt 8 Year Kentucky Bourbon

Little Book Chapter 5

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon

Remus Repeal V

Russell’s-Reserve 13 Year Bourbon

Making strong showings in the Top 10 were Barrell Seagrass, whose 2018 BCS release won Minnick's Whiskey of the Year that year, and Little Book Chapter 5 coming in second and third respectively. Buffalo Trace Antique Collection's Eagle Rare 17-year-old took fourth place, while Remus Repeal Reserve V Series earned fifth and Old Forester Birthday Bourbon sixth. Angel's Envy Madeira Cask Finish finished seventh and E40's Kuiper Belt Bourbon, 8, with Bardstown Bourbon Company Triple Stave and Jack Daniel's 10-year-old rounded out the Top 10 at eight and nine respectively.

See Minnick's full rankings for the Top 100 whiskeys of 2021, HERE.

Minnick notes the historic achievement of the eighth-place finisher stating, "celebrity owned bourbons are all the rage these days, but so many of them miss the mark. Rapper E40's bourbon is a legit 8-year-old Kentucky Bourbon that went toe to toe with the best of the best."

More than half of the Top 100 list consisted of smaller distillers and independent brands. Minnick believes that this trend is here to stay.

"When you look at brands like Garrison Brothers in Texas and Leopold Brothers in Colorado, both of which cracked my Top 25, you're seeing their production standards resonate with consumers, and they're making great whiskey," Minnick adds. "These smaller brands have found their footing and American whiskey is no longer a big brand game. They have proven they can compete for shelf space." 

On January 20th, Minnick will host a one-of-a-kind blind bourbon tasting in the Pittsburgh area at Jergels in Warrendale, PA. Click HERE for more information.

ABOUT FRED MINNICK:

Minnick continuously revives the age-old traditions and cultures of Bourbon and spirits through his media empire which includes the Bourbon Pursuit Podcast, DASH Radio's "Minnick Minute” show and his Hermes Creative Awards Platinum-winning Podcast The Fred Minnick Show (PodcastOne), which features interviews with musicians, athletes and other celebrities including Peyton Manning, Ludacris, Lindsay Ell, Terry Bradshaw, Ashley McBryde and more. Minnick, a Louisville, KY-based father of two, is also an avid music fan. Minnick and Danny Wimmer Presents co-created the Bourbon & Beyond festival which has welcomed acts like Lenny Kravitz, John Mayer and Stevie Nicks to its stages. He has authored several books including Wall Street Journal best seller Bourbon Curious.

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