So it looks like this is going to be a regular thing: Annual releases drawn from a single rickhouse on the Wild Turkey Camp Nelson campus. After building C in 2022 and building F last year, now we’re turning to building B — and not just that, all the whiskey in this release was matured on the sixth floor of that rickhouse (in other words: high up). That makes this the highest proof whiskey to bear the Russell’s Reserve name to date. As with the other Camp Nelson releases, it’s also a 10 year old expression.

Need the backstory again? Here ya go.

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.”

Boldly woody on the nose, this is an intense whiskey with aggressive notes of barrel char matched by punchy, toasted marshmallow character, giving the bourbon both an earthiness and a smoldering, campfire-adjacent sweetness. Against a heavy peanut quality, plenty of fruit becomes evident — baked apples, flambeed banana, even some prosciutto-wrapped melon. It’s biting and hot but tempered with a vanilla and brown sugar rush.

On the palate, many of the same elements continue to dominate. Cloves and cinnamon are aggressive and backed up by ample cayenne — but again a boldly fruity quality is impossible to ignore. Big red apple notes pair well with the cinnamon to create a Halloween candy apple feel, with intense vanilla syrup and chocolate notes building as the whiskey develops on the back of the tongue. There’s a butter creaminess to the whiskey that is at first a little elusive due to the ultra-high abv, but a splash of water brings things into clearer focus. The finish evokes banana cream, lightly touched with mint.

This is a really delightful whiskey that is hard to put down — especially when it’s been tempered with a healthy splash of water, and it stands alongside Camp Nelson C as co-favorites of the series. The more I sip on it, the more I want a slice of banana cream pie to enjoy alongside. That’s not asking for too much, is it?

120.2 proof.

A / $300 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

Russell's Reserve Bourbon Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson B (2024)

$300

9.5

Rating

9.5/10

BUY IT NOW

Related posts:

Review: Russell’s Reserve Bourbon Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson C (2022) Review: Russell’s Reserve Bourbon Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson F (2023) Review: More Whiskeys of Starlight Distillery: Carl T. Huber’s Bonded, Rickhouse Select Single Barrel, and Old Rickhouse Double Oaked Review: Nelson Bros. Rye Whiskey and Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey Cask Strength