Today we are sipping on Rebel Yell Small Batch Rye. This is the slightly more expensive, Rye version of the Wheated Bourbon Rebel Yell. We reviewed the regular Rebel Yell and gave it pretty good marks considering it sells for around $15 for the 750ml bottle. We will see if swapping the Wheat for Rye is worth the price upgrade. Ironically, Wheated Bourbons are typically more expensive to produce.
Rebel Yell Small Batch Rye (meaning less than 100 barrels in the batch) comes in the same medicinal looking, synthetic corked bottle as the rest of the RY lines. It is bottled at 90 proof, sells for around $23 for the 750ml bottle and is fairly available. Regrettably, it is only aged 2 years, while there are exceptions, we have not found very many good, 2 year old juice.
A side note, please read our review of the original Rebel Yell for some interesting trivia about the name and its history.
NOSE
Ron: Strange, I get wheat and corn on the nose, not Rye. Also get a nice aroma of pear and some slight scents of citrus and almonds. The nose was somewhat elusive for me, didn’t get a lot and what I did get took patience.
Todd: While I catch more Rye than Ron, it does seam to smell more like a traditional Bourbon than a Rye. A smell that reminds me of a candy of my childhood, Bit-O-Honey, was the most prevalent. This was followed by spice, citrus and some kind of black fruit.
TASTE
Ron: On the tongue I get that big hit of Rye that eluded my nose. Also taste the citrus and pear that I did get on the nose. Secondary flavors included spice, malt and honey.
Todd: Definitely the spicy Rye is prominent along with a nice bit of sweet caramel. Didn’t really get much more.
FINISH
Ron: A medium finish with some more malt and spice.
Todd: Medium-long with a nice sweet finish with just a touch of mint.
OVERALL
Ron: Not a bad buy for the price. I have to say, this Rye tastes older that 2 years.
Todd: Pretty much just have to echo what Ron said. Good buy for the price and tastes older than 2 years. I would buy again.
Nose 3.5 out of 5
Taste 8.5 out of 10
Finish 4 out of 5
Total score 16 out of 20 barrels.
Well we both think that this is a pretty good drink, especially considering the price. Not too bad neat, nice on the rocks and the 90 proof with the strong Rye makes for a decent cocktail. It has a nice price point that is a little above Rittenhouse Rye and a little below Bulleit Rye.
Final verdict, if you like Rye, go ahead and give Rebel Yell Small Batch Rye a try. If if you don’t like Rye, give it a shot anyways, maybe it will change your tune.