Rebel 10 Year Single Barrel Review

In-Depth Review 

                  It’s been 5 years since Lux Row distillery dropped the “Yell” from its iconic Rebel brand to avoid association with its Confederate roots. And while “Rebel Yell” no longer adorns the bottle, it feels like the Rebel brand has been going through a larger revamp over the last 5 years than just its name. The latest Rebel lineup has now expanded to include 6-year age statements, single barrel store picks, and even rye whisky. It feels like Lux Row (who was recently acquired by MGP), is on a mission to bring back the love for Rebel as a flagship brand.

                As part of the expanded lineup, Lux Row has continued to pump out the Rebel 10 Year Single Barrel expression – a once-a-year limited release expression that has used sourced whiskey (reportedly from Heaven Hill) for years. Bottled at 100 proof, this particular barrel #6624658 was filled on 10/24/13 and was aged for a minimum of 10 years before bottling. It was gifted to me from my brother earlier this year so it could be up to 11 or almost 12 years old, but there’s no way to be sure. He paid around $85 (A far cry from the $60 it used to be) with the upcoming 2025 release now featuring an MSRP of $100. For years this was a highly allocated release that was often found with a significant markup. But in 2025, is Rebel 10 Year Single Barrel still a bottle to chase? Let’s dive in and find out.  

 Age: 10 Years

ABV: 50%

Cask: New Oak

MSRP: Around $99

Distillery Name: Lux Row (Likely sourced from another distillery)

Review Date: 8/8/25

  

Color: Medium caramel

Nose: The nose starts with all the classic Kentucky notes you’d hope for: soft oak, light toffee, and a solid punch of peanut brittle. The nose runs a bit lighter than expected as it settles in the glass with sawdust, peanut shells, and a touch of sour apple poking through.

 Palate: The palate is solid oak with an undercurrent of toffee sweetness and tamarind paste. On the second sip, its coffee grains, dusty milk chocolate, and gentle grain notes throughout. There isn’t as much rich leather or tobacco notes as I was expecting from something of this age and instead this feels right down the middle of what you’d expect from a Kentucky 100 proof bourbon. The mouthfeel is medium bodied but can edge close to thin at times - leaving a bit to be desired.  

Finish: Medium length finish that features a sharp sweetness from artificial vanilla cream before it moves into a drying oak. The finish here is simple and straight forward, with very little fanfare before it fizzles out.

Final Thoughts: It’s hard to believe that Rebel’s 10 Year Single Barrel expression was once an allocated darling that people would happily pay over retail for. This latest iteration (or at least my specific single barrel) just felt – fine. It featured a classic Kentucky style, with a right down the middle nose and palate that never edged into the realm of remarkable. Instead, I was left with a fleeting sense of disappointment – this felt like another sign that the whisky boomed fueled by fantastic offerings and great price points is over. This barrel of Rebel 10 comes off as a bottle struggling with its character definition - still a solid pour but struggling against its own reputation. Rebel 10 may have once been a bottle that punched above its weight, but with prices soon reaching $100, I won’t be in a hurry to pick up another one of these anytime soon.

Score: 85

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