Russell’s Reserve Unveils 2024 Single Rickhouse Bourbon
For its third expression in its single rickhouse concept line, Wild Turkey has released Russell’s Reserve Camp Nelson B. This follows the 2022 release of Camp Nelson C and 2023’s Camp Nelson F, and is the highest proof release of the entire brand to date. Each release in this series is crafted from a small batch of rare stocks sourced entirely from a single rickhouse, with the aim of highlighting the unique characteristics that a given rickhouse can even, even relative to another located right next to it.
Built in 1946 and still standing tall today, Camp Nelson Rickhouse B is centrally located on the Camp Nelson grounds. The seven-floor rickhouse benefits from higher elevation and increased sun exposure, compared to the rickhouses of the previous iterations that sat closer to the Kentucky River and its shady treeline. The hot environment was integral in developing the whiskey’s oaky profile, and a major contributing factor to its impressively high proof point of 120.2. It is not only the highest proof entry in the Single Rickhouse Collection to date, but the highest proof of any Russell’s Reserve bottling ever released.
For Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson B, Master Distiller, Eddie Russell, and his team selected barrels from the sixth floor, where the climate is generally warmer. “The higher we went, the hotter it got, and the more oak we were getting on the whiskeys. For Camp Nelson B, we wanted to make sure we were really showcasing the rich, dark honey and char notes that we tend to get from that rickhouse, and we had a feeling that the bourbon we were looking for was sitting up there, enjoying the sun,” said Eddie Russell. “To me, this bottling of Single Rickhouse embodies the essence of Russell’s Reserve and I couldn’t be prouder of the final product – it’s truly one of our best.”
Russell’s Reserve Camp Nelson B is priced at $300 a bottle.