Rebel Distiller's Collection Bourbon ("Rebel King" Liquor King Store Pick)

So… I created this one because the sticker is awesome, and clever (liquor king… rebel yell…. Rebel king… yeah, I enjoyed that immensely). First time ever trying a Rebel store pick, and was thoroughly impressed. Was a huge fan of bottom shelf Rebel Yell in college, but never understood why. As my palate and knowledge improved, I learned it was originally created by the legendary William Larue Weller as Stitzel-Weller wheated. It’s been a long time since the brand held that kind of quality, being considered an easy mixer from the very simple and low-heritage “Luxco Brands,” but it was still a fun whiskey for a young 22-year-old to chug with coke on Friday nights… and Saturday afternoons… and Monday through Thursday mornings before class… Moving on, this is an amazing revival of the brand. The development of cask strengths, 99 proof small batches, and the highly customizable store picks have energized the Luxco brand in all the right ways. Enter this guy. Big, bold, wheated 113 proof KSBW with all the smooth, easy-going sweet corn, and caramel butterscotch toffee, but that nice lingering spice of a big, beautiful bourbon that you can tell someone put a lot of time and effort into creating. So why do I like this so much? Because it shows redemption, pride, and consideration for a brand that has definitely fallen from grace to the bottom shelf and is now rebuilding itself, one shelf at a time. At under $50, I’m a buyer every time! Thanks for coming to my TED talk.