Sipp’n Corn Bourbon Review – Rebel Yell Single Barrel 10-year

Wait, wrong image…  Still, in remembrance of the November 10, 1983 release of the Rebel Yell album, it’s high time to review the newest member of the Rebel Yell Bourbon family.

I haven’t been a particular fan of Rebel Yell in the value Bourbon segment.  Years ago I had a small pour of old Stitzel-Weller / Ed Foote Rebel Yell, and that was excellent.  But I haven’t been impressed lately, even with the upgraded Rebel Reserve.  Being the eternal Bourbon optimist, however, I was intrigued by a new release this fall by Luxco of an age-stated 100 proof Rebel Yell.

Bourbon:	Rebel Yell Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery:	Undisclosed (possibly Heaven Hill)
Age:	10 years
ABV:	50% (100 proof)
Cost:	$49.99

Tasting Notes

Appearance:

Deep amber.

Nose:

I really liked the nose.  It goes far beyond the one-dimensional noses of many wheated Bourbons, with more honey and somehow a creamy sensation reminiscent of fresh pancake batter and butter (in addition to the standard caramel and vanilla).  It also has prominent oak and leather, and a tell-tale dark cherry aroma found in some of the classic wheated Bourbons.

Taste:

The ten years of aging appears to have done wonders for Rebel Yell.  It picked up the right amount of brown sugar along with the forecasted dark cherries, caramel, and vanilla, followed by oak, cinnamon, and more leather/tobacco.  Like the nose, it was such a relief to not find one-dimensional flavors.  There’s a lot going on here.

Finish:

The finish was impressive too.  The age is more pronounced here with more oak, char, and leather, and it is more savory than sweet.

Bottom Line

I knew from the first sip that this was going to be a great Bourbon, and now I’m ready to declare Rebel Yell Single Barrel the best new brand of 2016 (non-limited edition special release).  I just hope that Luxco has the stock to keep up so that this doesn’t turn into a limited edition. 

Score on The Sipp’n Corn Scale:  4.0

The Sipp’n Corn Scale:

1 – Swill.  I might dump the bottle, but will probably save it for my guests who mix with Coke.

2 – Hits the minimum criteria, but given a choice, I’d rather have something else.

3 – Solid Bourbon with only minor shortcomings.  Glad to own and enjoy.

4 – Excellent Bourbon.  Need to be hyper-critical to find flaws.  I’m lucky to have this.

5 – Bourbon perfection.  I’ll search high and low to get another bottle of this.