The Rebel Yell brand has been around since 1849 and used to be distilled out of the old Stitzel-Weller distillery before that closed in 1990's. Rebel Yell was acquired by Luxco and has undergone a label redesign along with a push to change it's bottom shelf status. Many have heard that this is the whiskey that inspired Billy Idol's album and song by the same name. That is quite true, however, the real story behind that inspiration has little to do with what's actually inside the bottle. While at a party with Rolling Stones, he noticed they had a bottle of whiskey with a confederate calvary officer on it, that was the label design of Rebel Yell at that time. Ironically, the Rolling Stones told him it was a bottle of Tennessee southern sourmash even though all the labels have always clearly stated "Kentucky." While Luxco never officially discloses the information, it is widely known that Rebel Yell is sourced from Heaven Hill. This is a wheated bourbon using the same mashbill as Old Fitzgerald: 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley. On the nose there's lots of ethanol, popcorn butter, honey, and saw dust at the very end. On the palate there's simple syrup sweetness, black pepper spice, golden raisins, and some oak. Finish is quick with more black pepper and slight bitterness. While not terrible, Rebel Yell is very simple and unremarkable in every way. The move to a higher price point is bewildering as well considering Ezra Brooks, which is also in Luxco's portfolio, is considerably better and priced lower.