Barrel and Brew is a whiskey review blog dedicated to tasting and reviewing a wide variety of whiskeys. This rye is a straightforward sipper that isn’t overly complex, with a moderate flavor profile of well balanced earthy rawness. I would recommend Rebel Yell 100 to anyone who enjoys wheated bourbons and is looking for something with a little extra kick.

SCORE: 85/100 (B) *Disclosure: This Rebel Yell 100 was graciously sent to me by the company for the purposes of this review. All reviews are evaluated within the context of their specific spirit classification as specified above. Rebel Yell would begin being distributed nationally in 1984 after the Stitzel-Weller merger became broken up.The caramel and vanilla balances nicely with the bitters and the citrus in the orange for a beverage that works. This selection has an alcohol content of 50% by volume and it is 100 proof making it a very potent variety offered by the company.

An approximation of the yell can be heard in the 1951 film The Red Badge of Courage, starring Audie Murphy. After the Stitzel-Weller company broke up in 1972, Rebel Yell was purchased by David Sherman Corporation, now known as Luxco.The goal of a whiskey mule is to have the bourbon add something to the drink besides the alcohol content — something to hold its own against the ginger beer, in a complementary way. Another claim is that it derived from the screams traditionally made by Irish and Scottish Highlanders when they made a Highland charge during battle. The water used in the production of Rebel whiskeys tends to be limestone-filtered water however it can vary to spring water depending on the specific blend and flavor being made. Kentucky Mule: Combine 2 oz Rebel Yell 100, ½ oz lime juice, and ginger beer in a copper mug filled with ice. The Rebel Yell brand wasn’t introduced until 1950, however, by Charles Farnsley, the mayor of Louisville at the time.

Rebel Yell 10 Year Single Barrel bourbon has lightly peanut-y caramel nougat, peanut brittle, vanilla, dried citrus, baked apple, roasted oak, cinnamon, cocoa powder, nutmeg, clove, and hints of prunes with not much heat.The only downside here is that a lot of those flavors that we started with have tailed off and disappeared. It has flavors and tastes of sugar and caramel which add to the main root beer flavor that you experience while drinking this selection. To top it all off, this blend has a rather dry finish making it one of the harsher selections in the lineup. The stronger oak presence for me is a nice addition, but more than I expected, adding a solid cinnamon and nutmeg spice kick. That’s not even remotely a fair comparison, but the point is that Rebel Yell 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon smells quite good but isn’t outstanding.