Rare Allocation of a 10-Year-Old Wheated Bourbon

Rebel 10 Year Old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon (750ml) ($89.99)

The Rebel brand was originally produced at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville. When the distillery was sold, it along with many other brands were sold off and the Rebel brand (at the time called "Rebel Yell") was sold to the predecessors of the current Luxco Distillers. Since then Luxco has built the gorgeous LuxRow distillery in Bardstown, but this recipe was always produced at the Heaven Hill Distillery. It would have been the same exact mashbill as the Old Fitzgerald brand and eventually the Weller, Larceny, Van Winkle, and Maker's Mark brands. Aged 10 years and bottled at 100 proof, just like the Stitzel-Weller Rebel Yell, this is extremely high quality wheated bourbon. If it was in a decanter with a retro label like Old Fitzgerald it would command significantly higher prices, but very little old wheated bourbon is available on the market at any price. While we have it now, it won't likely last. Grab it if you want the sweet Kentucky hug in that special wheated way.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 21, 2024

Wheated bourbon is still all the rage and when you dive into the category you realize that all of it goes back to one place, Stitzel-Weller. The most interesting thing about wheat is this misconception that because the whisky is lacking in rye spice, maybe it's better young. Theoretically the less intense spirit would mean maturation takes less time, but after many years of tasting all sorts of wheated bourbons at various ages, I think the opposite is true. It's counterintuitive, but the less robust spirit, lacking in the intense rye character, actually soaks up the oak more readily and needs more time to soften up to offer the full spectrum that its capable of. Don't tell them that at Maker's Mark, they have a different perspective. I love older wheated bourbons and so did the founders of the Stitzel-Weller distillery as we know they were marketing primarily 8-12 year old bourbons and bottling many old expressions as well. Here we have a modern analogous to those great bourbons bottled at greater age "Exclusively for Connoisseurs of Fine Bourobn" as the Old Fitz label used to read. Bottled as a single barrel no less. Let's have a taste. The color is an attractive tawny (1.3). The nose is sweat and maple driven with flecks of whole cinnamon stick, sweet black cherry, caramel sauce and gorgeous old wood. On the palate, the oak and spice pick up in a big way and the rich texture is apparent. There's a lovely dusty old wood note that reminds me of the old style of Old Fitz in the best way. The finish moves back toward the dark red and black fruits and lingers with a smoldering cinnamon. This is top tier wheated stuff that easily plays with the big boys. The fact that we have enough to open and taste right now does not reflect an opening of the market on this product, but instead just a lucky circumstance of corporate innerworkings. Mostly a right place right time situation. Once we're through with this stock we'll be back to getting it doled out 6 bottles at a time a few times a year.