It’s been barely three years since Russell’s Reserve debuted its acclaimed Single Rickhouse series. The bourbon is bottled to showcase the naturally occurring microclimates in the brand’s warehouses. (In Kentucky, folks call warehouses rickhouses.)
The brand just unveiled a fourth entry in the line, Camp Nelson E. At a staggering 128-proof it’s the strongest Russell’s Reserve ever bottled. And with a suggested retail price of $300, it’s among its priciest, too.
Courtesy Russell’s Reserve
A standard bottle of Russell’s, aged for no less than a decade, can be yours for under $50. This one asks six times that amount and bears no statement of age. So, what gives? Well it turns out those microclimates are quite impactful, indeed.
This bourbon comes from a historic 79-year-old warehouse positioned parallel to the Kentucky River, along the forested edge of Wild Turkey’s Camp Nelson campus in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. (Russell’s Reserve was created to honor Wild Turkey’s long serving master distiller Jimmy Russell who has worked at the distillery since September 10, 1954.) The building receives consistent shade throughout the year and has a dirt-floor basement—which means it’s a significantly cooler and damper climate than other rickhouses on the property.
“Camp Nelson E is one of the most interesting aging environments we have,” according to master distiller Eddie Russell. “It’s completely different from where we’ve pulled from in the past. The barrels from the fifth floor have this beautiful balance of dark fruit, baking spice, and rich oak that felt true to Russell’s Reserve, but also completely its own.”
He might actually be downplaying the decadence on display here in this bourbon, which pops with aromas of cherry cola, maple syrup and marmalade. It is molasses-like in color and body, brushing the palate with even more burnt sugar, before finishing with a s’mores-inspired sweetness and a lingering minty note.
Look, I’m never going to be mad at any Russell’s release. But if you’re balancing this one against the aforementioned flagship, don’t bother. It’s like comparing cafeteria custard to Michelin-caliber creme brûlée.
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And while the marketing material for this release credits the warehouse’s cooler environment with “slower, more nuanced flavor development,” let’s not forget that it came from near the upper reaches of a seven-rick warehouse. Through a Kentucky summer, liquid at this level is subjected to scorching temperatures (as illustrated by this super nifty interactive graphic from a competing brand). In hotter, drier climates, alcohol levels increase as barrels mature—and the infusion of wood sugar fueled flavors is accelerated. This explains how Camp Nelson E can clock in at 128-proof in the glass, despite initially entering the cask at 115-proof.
My hunch after sampling the spirit is that it benefited from the best of both worlds. There might have been some slowdown to flavor development thanks to the location of this particular warehouse. But if it were that drastic, the whiskey would have taken well over a decade to find its footing, at which point you’d want to ultimately brag about the age on the label. This one is conspicuously non-age-stated. At any rate, if Single Rickhouse was launched to showcase the “sweet spot” of any specific warehouse, this one achieves its objective in syrup-drenched spades.
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For an added pour of bourbon history, it’s worth noting that Booker Noe helped popularize the notion of rickhouse sweet spots when he launched his eponymous line of barrel-strength behemoths back in 1992. Noe was famously best friends with Jimmy Russell, Wild Turkey master distiller for 71-years-strong. The Booker’s brand even released a bourbon in Jimmy’s honor last December. Today, Jimmy’s son Eddie is the one making a strong case for the concept with the runaway success of this nascent series.
Carrying the torch further still, Eddie’s son—associate master blender Bruce Russell—will host a special vertical tasting of all four expressions in the Single Rickhouse Collection, in Kentucky on October 27th. The event will allow ardent bourbon enthusiasts to experience just how appreciably different each one drinks. “It’s exactly what this series is about,” adds Eddie. “Celebrating the uniqueness of each rickhouse and how it helps shape the whiskey we love.” Not to mention celebrating that sweet spot with the friends and family you love.
