Retired and dismantled last year, Wild Turkey’s legendary Camp Nelson C was a seven-story warehouse made from timber and tin. It sat on the top of a hill next to the Kentucky River, where it was used to hold bourbon whiskey barrels since 1946. An aging facility, or rickhouse, is an often-underappreciated facet of the bourbon-making process. Reliant on materials and an environment that help tailor the air surrounding the casks, these facilities are the last places where the liquor develops its identity prior to bottling.
Russell’s Reserve — an offshoot of Wild Turkey and named after the brand’s Master Distiller Jimmy Russell — is now honoring these storied warehouses with a new annual limited-edition series called Single Rickhouse. The inaugural release comes from 72 hand-selected barrels that have sat on floors 3 and 4 of the Camp Nelson C warehouse for over 10 years. The barrels were picked out by Jimmy, his son Eddie Russell, who’s the Master Distiller at his father’s namesake label, and grandson Bruce.
Coming in at 112.4 proof, the upcoming Single Rickhouse bourbon whiskey possesses a definite heat, but is complemented by vanilla, caramel, and oak on the nose. Gracing the palate are notes of toffee, coconut, and vanilla that give way to apple, pecan, chocolate, and a baking spice finish. Russell’s Reserve has already donated the first bottles of this 2022 expression to the victims of the recent floods in Eastern Kentucky.
750mL bottles of Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson C are expected to hit shelves this October online and at select retailers for $250.
