Rebel Yell 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon

It’s 2020. It’s December. Let’s shut this year down with a brand new whiskey (or whisky) every day. It’s my own personal whiskey advent calendar. +6! Dec. 10, 2020 A little over a year ago I bought this bottle with the unapologetic intent to treat it like currency. I confess, I haven’t always been one of the good guys. For some reason, this never happened, and tonight, there it was—sitting behind a few store picks I’ve been working on, with a giant number 10 on it. It was asking for it. If it’s the kind of thing that interests you, here’s the specifics: Barrel #: 5008669 Aged Since: 02/06 Nose is amazing. It’s gentle, but full of classic bourbon notes. Sugar, caramel, lemon, honey. Then chocolate, cinnamon, red delicious apples. The lack of astringency really lets you get some time with it, and there’s no dominant scent muting out the others. Body is hotter than I expected given that gentle nose. I’m getting chiefly dessert on this body. Heavy chocolate and caramel. Leather. Sugar too, but mostly the chocolate. Finish has something I don’t love, and it’s something I’ve always struggled with explaining. It’s somewhere between licorice and latex rubber, and it’s always ruined Russell’s Reserve products for me. Once I notice it, it’s hard to ignore. Luckily, it’s a minor note here, as there’s also cinnamon and vanilla on the tail of this one. This finish is also relatively long for a bourbon, and I don’t hate that. Overall, this dram has a special feel to it. I know that may sound dumb, but something about the color and the legs and a promising nose made me objectively excited when I picked up this glass. $200 bourbons can lack it, and $30 bourbons can have it. It’s an X factor, and this one has it. I have no love nor hatred for the Rebel Yell brand (and this isn’t in my top 20), but I’m surprised by how much I’m enjoying it. This is nothing like the RY standard issue nor the RY100. The jump in quality from that main line to this upper tier is one of the more remarkable instances of this phenomenon in the bourbon world. I’d highly recommend bourbon fans hunt the shelves for this one if you haven’t already done so, and I’m happy I withdrew this one from the ATM. It is currency no more. ‘Tis the season. I’m day-to-day on my whiskey selection, so if you’re reading this and there’s something readily available out there you’d like me to enjoy/suffer through this holiday season, leave it in the comments. Merry whiskey to all, and to all a beer flight!

For ages i have been trying to taste this very interesting bourbon, that has a "Rock" name, and that is something great in my books, since i consider myself a Rock Warrior. Rebel Yell 10yo Single Barrel Wheated Bourbon, is considered an overly aged american whiskey, since most bourbons never get to be 10 years old. Also, is important to define what a "Wheated Bourbon" is; which is actually a term for a Bourbon that has a mashbill that uses wheat instead of rye for a "non-classical" flavor. This type of whiskies are not super rare, but it is not the standard for most bourbons, where the mashbill is usually composed from 70% corn whiskey (legally they only need 51%, but 70% is often used), 20% rye and 10% Barley. This is a single cask release, the number of the cask was handwritten in a very poor way, that is why i can't decipher the exact number, but is a long 7 digit one. 50%abv. On the nose, starts with some sweet cherry jam, acid prunes and raw rice. Strong alcohol note on the nose. On the palate, incredibly nice cherry syrup; Hershey's strawberry syrup. So sweet and jammy. Cotton candy. Aftertaste is not overly complex; Raw rice, prunes and a pepper bomb. Overall, this was incredibly sweet, way too simple but fun enough to be enjoyed every now and then. Not very impressive; the wheated part of this gave me the rice notes, which i found interesting. My score for this one is 80/100.

For my 100th review, a bottle I’ve been wanting to get my hands on but never had the opportunity to until now. Rebel Yell 10 Year. Actually this bottle is more of a 14 yr. (Barrel # 4765301. Barreling date 02/06) On to the review! Nose is very soft. Mostly fruity with apple, peach, and fig along with some floral notes of honeysuckle. If that sounds appealing, well it is. Palate opens with honey, vanilla, apple, and baked sugared peaches before transitioning into a mid-palate of cinnamon, clove, and pepper, and those flavors also carry into the medium length finish. Earthy undertone (mushroom?) as well in the finish. After everything else fades you’re left with a lovely lingering aftertaste of caramel flan. Pretty complex. I do love a whiskey that can go from sweet to spicy to sweet again and this delivers with a smooth, cohesive ride. Mouthfeel is creamy and on the delicate side. So yeah, as my first wheater of this age I do get the phenomenon; the softness is real, but yet the flavors are fully actualized and not lacking in depth at all; no easy feat. Reminds me a little of EH Taylor Single Barrel with regards to the flavor integration and earthiness. At $70, it’s a little pricey but I feel the quality to cost ratio is about right. I’d buy it again for that price if the opportunity presented itself. Anything less than that and it’s a steal.

Barrel No. 5651852 Barrel Filled 09-30-2009 Open 11 months Nose - Toasted marshmallow, peanut shells, caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, barn hay, cardamon, vanilla, lemon peel, cheap cigar smoke, and light ethanol. Palate - Maraschino cherry, caramel, toast, dry oak, clove, cinnamon, wet leaves, old peanuts, bitter cocoa, and black pepper. Finish is medium with drier oak tannins, anise, clove, musty vegetation, rotten wood, campfire ash, bitter dark chocolate, and light ethanol burn. I only bought this because it is sought-after and I thought I might be able to trade it locally. I've never been a fan of Heaven Hill wheated bourbons, so I was hoping to get rid of this but nothing truly enticed me. In retrospect, I would've gladly taken the 1792 FP pick or ECBP, both are way more enjoyable. To me this is just bad, the palate has too many musty wood and vegetal flavors that drown out any spices, fruit, or peanut notes. Considering you can get cask strength or nearly cask strength Rebel picks for much less money, I wouldn't touch this for $80. I don't think the 10 years is kind to this bourbon, I like it better at younger age statements. Hopefully my friend will take my half bottle off my hands.

Neat. Opened a year or so. I had Larceny barrel proof earlier and it really opened up or my palate was just in a place that liked it. I have had a love hate relationship with Rebel Yell so decided to experiment with this wheater next. The oak on this is really blasting through. It’s a nice fresh oak, not sweet or musty. Just fresh. Cinnamon and clove, lots of baking spices. Decent amount of ethanol coming off the glass for just a 100 proof. Hint of mint. Little vanilla. Really just not getting anything too exciting off this nose. Little thin on the tongue but oily enough to coat. Cinnamon sugar and oak on the tongue. Man. There is this wheater funk. The sweetness just takes a left turn in a direction I don’t like. Trying to place it... Maybe like a super over ripe banana. It’s not brown on the outside yet but you open it and it’s mushy and gross. I must have bad luck on Rebel Yell 10. People love this and I just can’t relate. I think it is my least favorite wheater. It just has to be a poor barrel.

At last I have brought this bourbon home after years of searching. This stuff is good. I recommend if you like wheater profile. Poured neat(well a drop really opens it up) the nose brings sponge cake batter, caramel, old library books and baking spice with a seasoned oak. Buttered cinnamon rolls and dusty oak plow through palate catching melted sugar, strong dose of vanilla caramel with yeasty bread dough along the way. Mouthfeel is typical wheater but does not take away from the flavor delivery. Finishes dry oak and spice with the sweet bready notes and raw vanilla hanging on. Quite a good pour even with price tag. Need to do side by side but pretty sure it bests Makers 46 handily. Maybe slightly overpriced but its single barrel 10 yr age stated ......86/100......one of the better wheaters out there if you can find it........I may be scoring a bottle of Weller 12 yr so I will do comparo if I get it