I tried Rebel 100 a month or two ago and was impressed by what it delivered for about $20/bottle. I found it a very easy-drinking, sweet wheated bourbon. While I am anxious to try the Rebel 10 Year product, I’m not so eager to drop $100 on it so when I saw their Small Batch Reserve for about $35, I jumped on it.
The Rebel website says this whiskey “spotlights barrels handpicked by master distiller, John Rempe, each with standout honey and vanilla flavor notes unique to the original, time-honored wheated bourbon recipe created in 1849.” Rebel is made by Lux Row in Bardstown, Kentucky, and is bottled at 110 proof (55% ABV).
In the glass, the Rebel Small Batch Reserve was a medium-reddish-amber color. I got aromas of vanilla, molasses, and a touch of oak. When sipped, it takes your palate on a bit of a journey, coming off sweet with hints of orange and chocolate on the tip of the tongue. When it hits the middle of the palate, it burns with spice, mostly due to the higher proof point, but then the finish features a slowly fading spice along with a beautiful resurgence of sweetness and the drying influence of oakiness. I’m going to say that this bourbon definitely outperforms its price tag. Enjoy it with your favorite medium-bodied spicy cigar.
