Rebel Yell Distiller’s Collection Bourbon Review

Recently, the folks at Luxco released a cask strength single barrel program for their flagship whiskey: Rebel Yell Distiller’s Collection Bourbon. This particular bottle was picked by the good folks at K&L and I picked it up when I saw the notice come through a month or three ago and I’m just now getting to it. Though, it seems to be flying a bit under the radar because I haven’t seen much chatter about it.

It’s no secret I’m not a fan of the standard Rebel Yell. It’s weak, it’s harsh, it’s just all-around unappealing. But everything else they do, bourbonwise, like this Rebel Yell Distiller’s Collection Bourbon, or the Rebel Yell 10 Years is pretty darn good. Heck, even their old small batch, the Rebel Reserve is decent (as we just found out). The source is putting out good stuff, obviously, which makes the disparity between releases like this and the core so strange.

Rebel Yell Distiller’s Collection Bourbon – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Region: Kentucky, USA

Distiller: Undisclosed (Heaven Hill)
Mash Bill: At least 51% Corn + Wheat +Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 5+ Years (6/17/2015 – 2021)
ABV: 56.3%

Barrel: 7112073
Picked By: K&L

Price: $40

White background tasting shot with the Rebel Yell Distiller's Collection Bourbon bottle and a glass of whiskey next to it.

“For more than 150 years, Rebel Bourbon has been bridging the gap between its proud heritage and modern tastes to honor the rebel spirit that lives in each of us.” – Rebel Yell

Tasting Notes

EYE
Caramel

NOSE
Oak, caramel, cherry-heavy dried dark fruit, cocoa, leather, marzipan, baking spice, and a touch biscuity with some coconut.

Warm, heavy, dark, aroma that opens brightly with some light coconut notes that become more expressive with some water.

PALATE
Oak, corn sweetness, cherry-heavy dried dark fruit, leather, nutmeg-heavy baking spice, caramel, pepper and a bit of vanilla, coconut and earth.

Like the aroma, the Rebel Yell Distiller’s Collection Bourbon is heavy and dark on the palate and it picks up this earthy tone that sits a bit minerally, but not in a raw spirity way; somewhere between a pebble and a mushroom. A bit of water amps up the light coconut note, making it more prominent.

FINISH
Long -> Baking spice, leather, dried dark fruit and citrus fade to a nutty oaky profile with a touch of coconut.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Great balance, full-round body, and a warm velvety feel.

Rebel Yell Distiller’s Collection Bourbon – Overall Thoughts and Score

It’s good right out of the bottle but a little water adds some notes of hazelnuts alongside stronger vanilla and coconut notes on the aroma. Not overwhelming so, just so surprising that these notes went from faint to noticeably present so quickly. The palate has less dramatic of a transformation and just gets a bit spicier with a bit more coconut.

Bold, warm, dark, and fruity with a heavy oak profile, this is my kind of bourbon. I wasn’t expecting this tasty of a whiskey to come out of this bottle, but then David OG and the K&L gang rarely disappoint. It’s a warm, heavy bourbon that should appease the wheated diehards and the everyday whiskey aficionado alike.

This is something I want to sip, mix, share and save. Sure it’s 2.5x the price of the standard Rebel, but it comes across as 10x the whiskey. So much so that before I posted this review I bought another bottle because this Rebel Yell Distiller’s Collection Bourbon is something I want to be able to come back to. The curse of single barrels is they often disappear before you know how good they are but this time I’m getting ahead of the depletion!

SCORE: 4/5