Rebel Yell 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon

Smooth, does not seem that harsh. I like it..

For me this is a more complex and spicy version of Weller SR. Nose has some sweet hay, notes of vanilla and oak, banana, and finally some caramel apple sweetness. Palate is full of spicy cinnamon and caramel apple sweetness, very smooth but also has character. Hints of banana and graham cracker round this one out. Body is nice and dry, mid linger, not too hot but the spicy tingle lingers.

I've had my eye out for this for a while, but have never actually seen it on shelves around here before now. Interestingly, the label says this was barreled in 2006, so I guess some cases of the original 2016 release were "lost" at the distributor for 2+ years before showing up in a store now (Sept 2019). Nose - First nosing was a little hot, but after a few minutes that faded and was followed by subtle notes of red apples, graham crackers, caramel, spices, and oak. Palate - medium bodied, the palate follows the nose with apples, a bit of orange citrus, caramel, and honey grahams. Drier and spicier on the back end than expected. Finish - quite spicy, with cinnamon, baking spices, and drying oak that trails off rather quickly. Adding a few drops of water didn't really change the nose, although it brought out some sweeter notes on the palate. This was a surprise to me. It wasn't as rich/sweet as Weller, Maker's, etc. Oak and spice played a much bigger part, and it was drier than I would expect even for 10 yrs of aging. It also didn't really have much of the character I expect from wheated bourbon (I always get graham crackers in the good ones, and bread dough in the not-good ones). While there was a hint of graham, I'm not sure I would have guessed this was a wheater if I'd tasted it blind. Of course being a single-barrel product it's hard to know if this bottle is typical for the expression or slightly off-profile. All in all it's pretty good if not exactly what I was expecting. I liked it, but found myself wishing it was a little richer and not quite as dry. At $60 I don't regret the purchase, but probably wouldn't buy another.