Rebel

Rebel Bourbon is a line of wheated Kentucky straight bourbons produced by Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, Kentucky, with a recipe lineage dating to 1849. The lineup includes Rebel 100 (100 proof everyday expression), Rebel 6 Year 100 Proof, Small Batch Reserve, Kyle Busch Single Barrel, and Cask Strength Single Barrel.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a wheated bourbon and how does it change the flavor compared to standard bourbon?

A wheated bourbon uses wheat as its secondary grain instead of rye — a distinction that produces a fundamentally different flavor profile from rye-forward bourbons. In a standard bourbon mashbill, rye provides the secondary grain character: spice, pepper, herbal and earthy notes that give bourbons like Jim Beam or Wild Turkey their assertive backbone. In a wheated mashbill, wheat replaces rye as the secondary grain. Wheat produces lower concentrations of the phenolic compounds that create rye spice, resulting in a softer, rounder, sweeter profile where vanilla, honey, caramel, and bread-like grain notes are more prominent. The tradeoff is less complexity in some drinkers’ estimation, but greater approachability and a profile that many find easier to sip without the peppery heat of rye. Rebel shares the wheated mashbill approach with Maker’s Mark, Pappy Van Winkle, and W.L. Weller — all of which are built on the same soft, honey-forward foundation that wheat contributes.

What is the difference between Rebel’s standard expressions and the Cask Strength Single Barrel?

The standard Rebel expressions — Rebel 100 and Rebel 6 Year — are blended from multiple barrels and proofed to their labeled ABV with water addition. The Cask Strength Single Barrel is drawn from a single individual barrel and bottled at barrel proof without water addition, meaning each batch has a different ABV depending on the specific barrel’s concentration. Single-barrel format also means no two bottles of the Cask Strength are identical — barrel position in the rickhouse, the specific fermentation batch, and individual aging conditions produce variation between releases. The wheated mashbill at cask strength amplifies everything: the honey and vanilla character becomes richer and more intense, and the heat at barrel proof (typically 110–125+ proof for Rebel cask strength releases) requires some water addition for most drinkers to fully open the aromatics.