Wild Turkey has a number of special bottles that they release annually, but this year’s release of Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse is the most interesting one from 2025, hands down. Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson E is unlike anything Wild Turkey has released in recent memory—and it’s delicious.
The Single Rickhouse collection was created to explore warehouse terroir—the idea that different parts of different warehouses create vastly different flavors in the same mashbill. Now in its fourth release, it has set its sights on the “E” rickhouse from Camp Nelson.
Camp Nelson E is a warehouse built in 1946. The building is “tucked deep among the trees,” and is located closer to the Kentucky River than others. It’s also affected by different wind patterns than other rickhouses. Combined with its dirt floor, the Russells say that this warehouse’s collection of variables creates “one of the coolest microclimates on the grounds—a stark contrast to the sun-drenched heights of Camp Nelson B from last year’s release.”
That might explain why Master Distiller Eddie Russell selected barrels for this release from the fifth floor; a location in the seven-story warehouse that tends to see higher temperatures than lower floors. Higher temperatures typically mean higher proof, and Camp Nelson E is the highest proof ever released in the series, at 128.
“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,” said Russell in a statement, “but also completely its own. That’s exactly what this series is about—celebrating the uniqueness of each rickhouse and how it helps shape the whiskey we love.”
A fifth-floor bourbon is going to tend towards higher proof points, so while 128 is undoubtedly a high bottling strength for the market, it’s not exactly an unusual thing to find in a warehouse. The flavor profile, however, is very different from typical Russell’s Reserve whiskeys. The typical rye spice and bold, cinnamon heat is muted in this bottling, and the whiskey is instead full of nougaty, fudgy flavors.
Bluntly, this is a weird bottle, but a good weird. It teases familiar Wild Turkey flavors without ever feeling like a Wild Turkey whiskey. It’s also essential that you add a dash of water (or even a large ice cube) to get the best of this bourbon—while the rye spice is modest, the heat from the proof is a little loud, and it can drown out some of those impressive, well-developed nuances.
With water, Camp Nelson E is nutty and surprisingly fruity, with notes of red berries and sweet cherries, and some minty oak spices that linger throughout. It also shows off big varnish and attic notes—that old wood character that lingers long into the finish.
At $300, it’s a somewhat expensive bottle for a non-age-stated whiskey, but you’re not really paying for an age statement. What you’re paying for is a core sample from one of the coolest warehouses in Wild Turkey’s possession—something that is typically only available to their blending and maturation teams.
Bottles like this are a must for Wild Turkey lovers, but even if you’re not a fanatic, this bottle still offers a tasty sipping experience—one you’re not likely to ever see again. If you like big proof and unusual batches, grab one of these as soon as you can.
G. Clay Whittaker is a Maxim contributor covering lifestyle, whiskey, cannabis and travel. His work has also appeared in Bon Appetit, Men’s Journal, Cigar Aficionado, Playboy and Esquire. Subscribe to his newsletter Drinks & Stuff for whiskey reviews and trends, perspectives on drinks, and stuff.
