The first Rebel Yell Single Barrel I tried was a few months ago in St. Louis. I was there for a Luxco event where myself and a bunch of other whiskey writers were invited to join a tasting panel for the company. We were chosen to taste through a bunch of different bourbons, blind, and tell them which ones we liked, didn’t like and why. We never found out what we were tasting or why – we just gave them our opinions and then we all hung out and ate and drank.
After the tasting panel we had a nice dinner followed by cocktails and the opportunity to drink some of Luxco’s new whiskeys which included the David Nicholson Reserve, Blood Oath Pact 2 and this lovely little gem. I enjoyed the DNR, I really liked the BO2, but this… this Rebel Yell Single Barrel stole the show. I didn’t write down which barrel number it was that enamored me that night, but it was magnificent and quickly became the only thing I wanted to drink for the rest of the evening. This barrel is no slouch either.
Rebel Yell Single Barrel Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
Bottler: Luxco
Mashbill: Corn, Wheat & Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 10 Years
ABV: 50%
Barrel: 4744359
Aged Since: 9/05
Price: $50*
Rebel Yell Single Barrel Review
EYE
Polished oak
NOSE
Oak, spice, complex dark sweets, cherry heavy dark fruit, vanilla whipped cream, blackberry licorice, oily nuts and light bit of salted brûlée. It’s a rich and complex bourbon aroma.
PALATE
Oak, chewy dark fruit, complex dark sweets, roasted nuts, vanilla and a touch of waxy licorice, spice and cocoa. This is the kind of thing I want to sip on while reading a good book with a dog on my lap.
FINISH
Long and filled with oak, caramel, vanilla, dark sweets, dark fruit and olde time candy.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Great balance, round full body and a heavy silken feel.
OVERALL
Holy crap… I can’t believe this is Rebel Yell. Seriously this Rebel Yell Single Barrel is leaps and bounds better than the standard release and represents a new era for the brand in which it’s finally earning its name. This is a whiskey to make some noise about and I wish all Rebel Yell was this good. I understand why it can’t be, supply and demand and all that, but it doesn’t stop me from wishing.
The strong oaky backbone on the palate gives it a rustic, comforting, flavor that pairs nicely with the sweeter notes and gives the whole whiskey a great sense of balance. The same essence runs through the aroma and finish. It’s a whiskey I want to drink all the time and between this barrel and the one I tried in St. Louis I’m excited to try other barrels in the future to see how they compare. This Rebel Yell Single Barrel is a great representation of a well aged bourbon, definitely worth trying.
SCORE: 90/100 (A-)
*Disclosure: This Rebel Yell Single Barrel was graciously sent to me by the company for the purposes of this review. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
Rebel Yell Single Barrel Review - Score Breakdown
Summary
Rebel Yell Single Barrel is great… at least this cask is anyway.
Overall
- Nose - 91
- Palate - 90
- Finish - 90
- Balance, Body & Feel - 90
Shhh, let’s keep this one our secret! :-)
Ha, will do ;) Cheers Bob!
Is anyone reading this while drinking the 9/2005 Batch in 2020?
Josh, you sold me! I’m heading over to my go to package store now : they have one bottle of the single barrel for sixty something. Looking forward to it!
Woah, that’s a nice price on that. I can’t spot them for under $100 in LA anymore. Hope you enjoy it!
I’m actually glad that it is out of my price range. Even with Josh’s great review and other positive posts, my brain tells me that buying any version of Rebel Yell would lead to regret.
Price wise you might, but tastewise you might not. It’s basically what’s going into the new Old Fitz Bonded that HH is releasing for $110!
This stuff is great! Wish it was easier to find but at the same time, makes it all the better when you do happen to run across a bottle. Will be stocking up on it when/if I find others. I overpaid at $65 but would gladly do it again. FANTASTIC whiskey.
$65 is a steal these days. I haven’t seen it under $110 lately!
Wow what a freaking great whiskey Lots of balance with tons of flavor and great oak backbone. I could easily drink this every day
95 pointd
Right? Cheers Chris!
I was initially unimpressed with my bottle. I found the nose interesting, but almost “savory”. Wild Turkeyish. Not that that’s a bad thing (I love the Dirty Bird), just unexpected. On the palate I found it one dimensional, oaky and HOT. You could almost detect the flavors trying to assert themselves but they were unable to get past the heat. The finish gave this away as Heaven Hill juice. That great Henry Mckenna 10 year Single Barrel lingering musty oak was there, but again way too much heat(did I mention that this one was hot?). But after adding a capful of spring water, this became everything I like in a bourbon. All the vanilla, oak and caramel with a nice soft pink bubblegum note. The finish still had that great lingering musty oak. This is a keeper and if I see another bottle at $42 I’ll pick it up.
I still haven’t seen a bottle sitting anywhere in CA, but I’m sure it’ll be $60 when it does. $42 is a great price. Cheers!
Just picked this up this past weekend after reading review after review extolling it’s virtues, and I’m still very surprised at just how good it is. I openly questioned that this started life as the same juice that goes into the awfulness that is the standard rebel yell. This stuff is liquid excellence. If it feels like I’m gushing, it’s because I am. They have a real winner on their hands here. This is a bigger leap in quality going from the standard to the single barrel than any other bourbon I’ve ever tried.
Couldn’t agree more. Cheers!
Sitting here doing a SBS with Weller 12 tonite – to my taste buds, there is no question that the RYSB10 is superior in EVERY way – nose, palate, finish, packaging, and price – not even close IMHO.
Wow! The “slinger” sounds like every man’s dream. I’d do it with fried eggs, t-bone, and a tamale on top. I kinda made something similar recently with chili & beans over two fried eggs and shredded cheese on top. Needed the hamburger or steak, but was pretty good.
Oh yeah, Rebel Yell SB! I love ECBP and all WT. sounds like I should grab one of these.
You definitley should. I plan on buying a couple once they hit the West Coast!
Thanks for this review Josh. I’m going to have to try this bourbon & I never would’ve given it a second thought without your review.
If you’re every in St. Louis again, there’s a diner a few blocks from Luxco caled Courtesy Diner serving a StL delicacy that is probably the best drunken food in the country. It’s called the slinger: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slinger
I’ll definitley be back in STL and I’ll give it try. Thanks Joe, Cheers!
I picked this up 3 weeks ago and thoroughly enjoy every sip. It blows the Small Batch Reserve out the water and makes this version a must have for you bar. Mine was barrel 4744361 and aged since 9-2005.