Rebel 10 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

I encountered Rebel 10 in my locale for the first time, compelling me to purchase it. Reviews I'd encountered for this varied significantly, making me question if my $90 was well spent. My concerns were unfounded! It's a 2024 bottling, aged "only" 10 years, though I'm aware older bottlings exist. Additionally, I suspect this is a wheated Heaven Hill product, possibly akin to a cast-off Old Fitzgerald single barrel, which is quite neat. The aroma and taste are rather straightforward: wood, a hint of something like yeast or varnish. So far, acceptable but unremarkable. However, the moment the finish arrives, this spirit elevates dramatically. It consistently delivers notes of Luden's cherry cough drops. This is my preferred flavor profile. While the nose and palate are merely average, the finish is astonishing. I promptly acquired a second bottle from the same barrel. Relief. I'm fond of this, yet it feels unfinished without a remarkable nose or palate. But that finish - incredible. Your experience might differ.

Bought this because a shop employee suggested it. He wasn't wrong about how great it is. Delightful baking spice smells greet you. The taste is intricate when you start drinking. Bright citrus and orange peel led the way. Towards the finish, a nice mix of leather, mild tobacco, and warm vanilla remained. A hint of dryness/bitterness showed up in the finish. It's also incredibly easy to drink straight, especially for its alcohol content. Definitely worth the $80.

Aroma: subtle corn, honey roasted nuts, sweet oak, and orange Taste: oily, but almost invisible or indiscernible on the palate until after swallowing, then the flavors emerge in waves. Black pepper bursts all over your tongue, orange, burnt cinnamon stick, sweet caramel and oak, vanilla, and wheat Finish: after the waves of flavor subside, you are left with a tingling tongue, speckled with black pepper and a bright, bitter taste of raw walnuts and sweet oak

Aroma - a strong wheat character. Bubblegum, dark fruit notes (plums, blackberry jam), and a pleasant oak presence rounding out the aroma. It's not an immediate 'wow' factor, but it is quite intriguing. Taste - the wheat is very apparent again; I'm really enjoying the balance between the wheat and the oak. The dark fruit notes reappear, now with the addition of a subtle cherry hint. Overall - considering the price and that it's a 10-year-old wheated whiskey, it's fantastic.

A sample was traded for. Glass: Glencairn, sat for 15 minutes Color: Mid amber. Nose: Sugar and fruit. A little honey. Palate: Sugary, with sugar and fruit. Hints of baking spice and cinnamon. Finish: Lingering with moderate heat. Splash: No additional flavors emerge. Overall: 6.5/10 - a solid pour, at a decent proof, but likely not something I'd drink every day.

Aroma: vanilla, red fruit, cherry, caramel, cinnamon, apple pie Palate: soft, coats the palate but isn't long-lasting. It's sweet, cherry, some oak at the end of the palate and a hint of cinnamon. Finish: sweet oak, a decent finish that doesn't really reach your chest but warms the palate without lingering long.