Russell's Reserve Small Batch Single Barrel Bourbon is made in Kentucky using a generations-old mash recipe. After the grains are harvested, they are mashed and fermented before being distilled to a lower proof than at other distilleries in Kentucky (meaning that less water is used in diluting the bourbon after it is matured).

Following distillation, Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon is aged in American oak casks that have been charred with a #4 char. Typically, the degree of charring within a cask is measured on a scale of one to four, with a #1 char referring to casks that have been slightly toasted, and a #4 char referring to casks that have been charred so heavily that the interior resembles an alligator hide (the latter are nicknamed alligator-charred casks). The heavy char contributes notes of vanilla and crème brûlée to Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon, and compliments its notes of oak and baking spices.

Following maturation, Master Distiller Jimmy Russell, along with his son Eddie Russell, hand-select the best barrels for bottling. As a result of being the product of a single cask, rather than a blend of casks, each bottle of Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon has its own unique characteristics, while still maintaining the rich and creamy style that is endowed by years of maturation in the Kentucky heat.

Once the casks have been hand-selected, the bourbon is non-chill filtered, which preserves the fatty acids and esters in the bourbon while removing any remaining sediment (while the fatty acids and esters may cause a slight cloudiness in the bourbon, they contribute to its overall natural taste and provide for additional complexity). Each bottle is then filled from a single cask before being labeled by hand.