I've Tasted Hundreds of Whiskeys. This Might Be the Best Bourbon of the Year

Russell’s Reserve is firing on all cylinders. Earlier this summer, I wrote about its limited-edition 15-year-old bourbon , and I wasn’t mincing words when I said it was one of the best whiskeys I tasted all year. As we near the end of 2024, I still stand by that statement. But now, the very same revered Kentucky whiskey brand is making me reconsider with the release of Single Rickhouse Collection: Camp Nelson B.

In just its third annual iteration, the Single Rickhouse Collection has already established itself as a cult classic. It has all the makings of such: full-flavored juice at high proof, released in small quantities and backed by a good story. About that last part, as you might have surmised from the name, each offering is pulled from a single rickhouse—or barrel warehouse—on the grounds of the Wild Turkey distillery in Lawrenceburg, KY.

Eponymous whiskey maker Eddie Russell actually zeroes in on a narrow sliver of the seven-story aging facility in order to showcase its associated terroir. Even though they all contain the same whiskey within, aged in the same sorts of barrels, no two regions of barrels sip the same.

This year, Russell and his team climbed up to the sixth floor of the Camp Nelson B rickhouse to make something sensational. It’s a candied fruit bomb, with notes of cream soda on the nose and brimming with cherries and raisins in its richly textured body. Charred oak elements aren’t discernible until the finish, where they’re adjoined by a mentholated freshness. It’s powerful, yet powerfully complex. At 120.2 proof, it’s not just the highest ABV entry in the series—it registers as the booziest Russell’s Reserve release across the entire portfolio.

"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,” says master distiller Eddie Russell. “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. The higher we went, the hotter it got, and the more oak we were getting on the whiskeys.”

As a limited run one-off, Russell’s Reserve’s Single Rickhouse 2024 arrives on shelves this month at a suggested retail price of $300. By comparison, the 10-year-old flagship of the brand typically fetches around $40 per unit. But if you’re a fan of revered whiskies, you know all too well: you gotta pay to play.

Related: I've Reviewed Hundreds of Whiskeys. This Classic Bourbon Is Affordable, Delicious, and Versatile