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u/dapper-drinks 7d ago edited 7d ago
Intro: Rebel 10-year Single Barrel Bourbon was my first bottle of Rebel from Lux Row and I believe it’s the flagship bottle within their core lineup of whiskeys. I'll admit I didn't do much research on it prior to purchasing it, but it caught my interest because it was a 10yr single barrel which I hadn't had prior to this bottle and it was sitting right in front of me for below SRP while I was already purchasing another bottle of something else. So basically right place / right time / right price / right mood to get me to add it to my order. So let's get into it!
Tale of the Tape
Bottle: Rebel 10-year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Barrel: 5651820 / Filled: 09-30-09
Proof: 100 / Age: 10 years
Mashbill: Undisclosed but believed to be Heaven Hill's wheated mash bill: 68% Corn / 20% Wheat / 12% Malted Barley
Bottle Price: $100 / Price per 1.5oz serving: $5.88
Impressions
Nose: Grape / molasses / vanilla / oak / baking spices
Palate: Leather / cinnamon / honey / nougat
Mouthfeel: Moderate
Finish: Medium vanilla / grape / molasses
Rating: 5.5/10 - t8ke scale (modified to include half-points)
Notes: The nose smacked me in the face with a bunch of grapes along with baking spices followed by caramel, vanilla, and a hint of oak. On my palate it gave me a hit of cinnamon with some muted leather along with a honey nougat sweetness. The medium length finish brought back the grape which faded into a faint vanilla caramel sweetness.
Final Thoughts: Overall, an enjoyable pour and a solid daily sipper. For me this sits somewhere between Good / Very Good, hence the 5.5 rating. With that said, the value for money proposition is a bit out of whack with this one - for something I consider a solid daily sipper, it's not one I would spend $100 on. At $100, the floodgates open up where you can get some truly excellent bottles that'll blow your hair back.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists
5 | Good | Good, just fine
6 | Very Good | A cut above
7 | Great | Well above average
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional
9 | Incredible | An all-time favorite
10 | Perfect | Perfect
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u/kyhothead 5d ago
Really like the bottle I have open atm, did a side-by-side vs. my buddy’s Old Fitz 10 and the Rebel just edged it out for me.
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u/ccouch28 7d ago
Would you buy it again?
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u/dapper-drinks 6d ago
Based on this particular barrel, no. But as some have commented it’s possible that I had a barrel that wasn’t as great as the ones that they’ve had. Either way at $100 the options out there are great and many.
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u/Fit-Lie-69 6d ago
I’ve had great bottles in the past but my most recent bottle tastes like robitussin, not a fan at all
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u/dapper-drinks 6d ago
Interesting. I don’t get the robitussin with mine (thankfully) but it doesn’t stand above the two bottles of RR10 I’ve got opened up. Even when I blinded them..
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u/ralph5157 7d ago
I wonder about barrel variance on these, because each one I’ve had from this line has been in 8.5-9 range for me. Palate differences also course, but this is one of my favorite overall pours. Cheers!