‘Five-star liquid’: New Kentucky bourbon a chance to taste lost piece of Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey fans, get ready to go hunting because the Lawrenceburg distillery is releasing a first: A Russell’s Reserve limited edition from a single rickhouse.
It’s the first of a new Kentucky bourbon series, the Single Rickhouse collection, but this one is a release that can never be repeated because the rickhouse was torn down in 2021.
Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson C will debut in October and be available to buy at select retailers nationally, according to the company.
Aged for over 10 years, this bourbon is from only 72 barrels aged in the warehouse called Camp Nelson C. It’s non-chill filtered, bottled at 11.2 barrel proof and has a suggested retail price of $249.99.
Master distiller Eddie Russell said the result is a “five-star liquid” and a long, silky finish.
The seven-story tin-clad timber rickhouse known as Camp Nelson C was built in 1946 on top of a hill next to the Kentucky River. Russell selected the barrels for this special release from the center-cut, also considered the sweet spot, on floors three and four of the warehouse.
His father, master distiller Jimmy Russell and Eddie’s son, Bruce Russell, agreed that the final flavor profile of Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson C is an unexpectedly rich and unique take for the brand, according to a news release.
“Tasting through our barrel stock as our whiskies age and determining which are right for each release is one of my favorite parts of the job,” said Eddie Russell, in a statement. “When I tasted this liquid from Camp Nelson C, I knew it deserved its own place in Russell’s history. It’s a little different from what folks have come to expect from our whiskies, and even though we all personally enjoy different flavor profiles, Dad, myself and my son, Bruce all agreed instantly – this is a once in a blue moon kind of whiskey and deserving of being the first release in this special series. We hope everyone enjoys it as much as we do.”
According to the tasting notes, it has a nose of sweet vanilla, caramel, fruit and brown sugar. On the palate, the taste is thick, rick and sweet with notes of toffee, coconut and vanilla that transitions to apple, dried fruit, toasted pecan, chocolate and baking spices. The finish is silky with a balance of oak, baking spice and rich sweetness.
Future editions of the Single Rickhouse collection will be released annually as an expression of the location where the liquid is aged and the terroir of that aging environment.
The first bottles from this edition were donated by the Russell family to the Kentucky Bourbon Benefit to raise money for Eastern Kentucky flood relief.
