Rebel Yell Kentucky Straight Bourbon 100 Proof

pretty light nose. I hate allergies as my nose is somewhat blown tonight. As the review states, this has a decent amount of spice for a wheated bourbon. oak. Finish is medium with some lingering spice and leather.

Cheap but easy to drink

50 mL airplane bottle for $1.95 at NC ABC Nose - Spicy corn and freshly cut grass, honey and butterscotch, noticeable ethanol, light oak and light spice Palate - Surprisingly light on the tongue after the strong ethanol note, honey vanilla sweetness, barely ripe cherries, corn dust and grains, fresh bread. The finish is medium, which is long for a $20 bourbon. It is oily, coating the tongue with strong notes of oak, nuts, and grains. I wasn't a fan of David Nicholson so I've been avoiding other cheap Luxco products, but this is a winner at this price. As far as cheap wheated bourbons are concerned, this is miles better than Larceny. It is probably as good as Maker's but much grainier, while Maker's has that dominant sweet cherry cordial flavor. After tasting this I'm honestly perplexed why Larceny is considered a great value wheated bourbon, I think Maker's Mark and Rebel Yell are superior by a wide margin. I guess my taste buds are off.

This one is nostalgic for me. It's no longer from Stitzel Weller but tastes pretty much as I remember it 40-50 years ago if that's possible. It was the bourbon of choice for barely legal (maybe) drinkers. I was reintroduced to it a few years ago as I was excited to see it on the shelf. Put the bottle in my suitcase for a trip to France as it had very thick glass and should make the trip. The first night , I was disappointed. It was hot and disjointed. Two nights later, it had mellowed. There was warm maple on the nose and buttered honey on the palate. Almost no finish but I was looking forward to future tastings. Three nights later we were in Conques and there was a delightful Irish couple at breakfast. He was an Irish whisky fan that had never tasted bourbon so I offered a sample that evening. Decided to seek out bourbon when he got home and told me to look for Bushmills Black Bush. The bourbon was better that night but maybe because of the company. Alas, no more bourbon for the rest of the trip. I have become a fan of Luxco since then and have visited the distillery. Can't wait for their own distillate to make it to the bottle.