Pairing Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel with Fromage

The Whiskey: Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel

Following the theme from last month’s pairing, we’re taking a look at another single barrel offering. This pour is a Russell’s Reserve barrel pick from a local store, Gomer’s of Kansas. Reviewing single barrels can be finnicky, since by nature it’s going to be different than the bottle a reader might try, but Russell’s Reserve is a consistently quality brand with a storied distillery behind it. I’m confident almost every Russell’s Single Barrel is going to deliver.

On the nose, I’m initially struck by waves of classic bourbon flavors – rich caramel and vanilla, baking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and some light chocolate. These notes have incredible depth to them, especially the caramel and vanilla – way more than your average bourbon. I also find some really unique notes like butterscotch in there, as well as marshmallow and cherry cola. Those unique notes really add to the tapestry of flavors here and make this pour stand out.

On the palate, the richness of the caramel and vanilla continue on in waves. I can’t stress enough how strongly these flavors stand out – it might be easy to dismiss these notes, as they’re found on basically every bourbon you could drink, but this pour deserves credit for how distinct the caramel is, followed by vanilla. Really tasty. I also find that the marshmallow note continues on in the palate, with the cherry cola note lurking in the background. It has a good medium-long finish that lets you really appreciate the full picture of flavors being presented. 

All in all, this is a pour that hits all the classic bourbon notes well while delivering some new twists. Great pick Gomers!

The Game: Fromage

A game about cheese that isn’t cheesy, Fromage is a relative newcomer to the market that was released to much fanfare in 2024. Fromage puts players in the seats of cheese business owners in France, competing to create the dominant cheese brand. Players do this thematically by sending workers out to get their cheeses into restaurants and stores, selling in the fairs, and creating the largest market share in each region of the country. Players also need to manage their home dairy well, building structure, growing fruit for their cheese, and utilizing livestock. 

In many ways, Fromage plays like your classic medium-light euro: it has worker placement, a few resources to manage, and several clear ways to score points, but its rulebook is concise and easily grasped and it isn’t cutthroat. If that’s all it was, it would be just fine – the game does these things well. However, that kind of euro is a dime a dozen. I’ve played many a game like that, enjoyed it, then promptly forgot about it. What makes Fromage stand out is a few new mechanisms. The board is a rotating circle, with each region being presented to a player on their turn, then rotating away. It takes four turns for a region to circle back to you, so players must carefully plan their moves and make sure the use their workers wisely. Additionally, players all take their turns simultaneously, which doesn’t sound like the biggest deal but makes the game super snappy and urgent -feeling. This has the effect of giving the depth of a medium-weight game in about 45 minutes, which is fantastic. Finally, the amount of time your workers stay on the board is determined by the strength of the action you took – some actions are really strong and beneficial, but hold your workers for a full three turns. Alternatively, less effective actions may hold your workers for one or two turns, releasing your workers faster but accomplishing less. These new mechanisms combine to really elevate the experience of this game into something that can be enjoyed by pretty much anyone but appreciated by gamers looking for more meat.