Rebel Cask Strength - BourbonSphere

OHLQ Announces Lux Row Distillers Exclusives – Arriving This Week (September 11th)

The Ohio Department of Liquor (OHLQ) has announced the availability of 18!!! exclusive Lux Row expressions, hitting shelves this week (Week of September 11th). The two expressions are Rebel Cask Strength (10 barrels worth @ $54.99 + tax) and Ezra …

Rebel Cask Strength Barrels

Barrel #5703 - 126 Proof - Aged 4 Years - Fresh, woody nose; caramel leads on the palate, with spicy undertones, before it returns in style for a caramel explosion on the finish.
Barrel #5709 - 126 Proof - Aged 4 Years - Tropical aromatics with notes of banana bread; baking spice meets a hint of sweetness on the palate bringing a slight burn with an ideal finish.
Barrel #5713 - 124 Proof - Aged 4 Years - Sweet nose with notes of fruit; raisin, vanilla, and caramel commingle on the palate with a short finish.
Barrel #11290 - 120 Proof - Aged 4 Years - Caramel on the nose; mellow, syrupy flavor with a nice hit of spice on the back of the palate.
Barrel #11407 - 124 Proof - Aged 4 Years - Woody nose; sweet cinnamon pleases the palate with a long, warm finish.
Barrel #11408 - 124 Proof - Aged 4 Years - Toasty on the nose; vanilla and caramel notes on the palate with nuttiness on the finish.
Barrel #11409 - 124 Proof - Aged 4 Years - Bright and fragrant aroma; sweet tasting notes on the front palate with a medium finish.
Barrel #7756243 - 124 Proof - Aged 5 Years - Citrus and apple aromatics; cinnamon and clove light up the palate prior to a long spicy finish.
Barrel #7757171- 126 Proof - Aged 5 Years - Citrus and licorice on the nose; cinnamon flavor with a hint of sweetness rides through to a short finish that’s spicy and sweet.
Barrel #7757233 - 126 Proof - Aged 5 Years - Minty aroma; flavor profile features mellow spice and a buttery mouthfeel with a long finish.

Ezra Brooks Cask Strength Single Barrel

Barrel #14423 - 126 Proof - Aged 4 Years - Caramel and honey on the nose; spicy cinnamon on the palate with a medium finish revealing hints of pepper.
Barrel #14761 - 124 Proof - Aged 4 Years - The nose has notes of honey and citrus; caramel flavor with a touch of acidity leads to lemon on the finish.
Barrel #14763 - 124 Proof - Aged 4 Years - Leathery and toasted wood on the nose; spicy rye and clove on the palate with a light and smooth finish.
Barrel #14780 - 126 Proof - Aged 4 Years - Nutty and woody aromatics; buttery mouthfeel and a smooth finish with cinnamon and maple undertones on the palate.
Barrel #14796 - 126 Proof - Aged 4 Years - Light on the nose with sweet honey and vanilla tones; vanilla extract defines the flavor profile.
Barrel #15107 - 124 Proof - Aged 4 Years - Grassy notes in the aroma; notes of vanilla and undertones of spiciness on the palate pivot to a mellow finish with a hint of syrup at the end.
Barrel #15123 - 126 Proof - Aged 4 Years - A nutty nose with notes of licorice; the flavor leaves you rye and dry before mild spice and cinnamon on the finish.
Barrel #15454 - 126 Proof - Aged 4 Years - A complex nose with notes of fresh wood, honey, and baking spice; hints of sweetness and licorice on the palate move on to a medium finish with rye spice.

You can check here (Ezra Brooks, Rebel) to see if there are any available where you live.

My Take

This is the second year in a row with a Rebel Cask Strength release. The good thing is that the price didn't go up so that's a positive. Additionally, the State has 10 barrels this year compared to 7 last. This is also a repeat of the Ezra Brooks Cask Strength Single Barrel with the same price, but additional quantities this year (8 barrels compared to 6 last year). Given the sheer quantity, these bottles should be pretty easy to track down. The price seems fine for a 4 or 5 year single barrel at cask strength. My issue is that Ezra Brooks and Rebel don't move the needle enough for me to hunt this down. If this was an Old Ezra release, I'd be refreshing hourly to see if any pop up near me.

What do you think? Drop a note in the comment box below.

Source: OHLQ

OHLQ Announces Rebel Cask Strength – Hitting Shelves Week of 8/22

For the second time this month, the Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced the release of a selection of Rebel… this time with the release of Rebel Cask Strength appearing on shelves the week of August 22 at a price of $54.99 + tax…

For the second time this month, the Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced the release of a selection of Rebel... this time with the release of Rebel Cask Strength appearing on shelves the week of August 22 at a price of $54.99 + tax.

The Distiller's Collection is a highly wheated bourbon recipe that is aged four years with a mash bill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malt. Since these are single barrels cask strength, each barrel will have a distinctive flavor. All are bottled at 120 proof (60% alcohol). The State has 7 barrels worth of product available at a first-come-first-serve availability. The tasting notes for each barrel are:

Barrel #7755813 - Aromas of butterscotch and vanilla, opening to a full-bodied flavor that melts across the palate with rich notes creamy brown sugar caramel
Barrel #7755945 - Notes of buttered toffee and toasted marshmallow, balanced with savory hints of candied bacon and maple sugar
Barrel #7755947 - Soft vanilla nose, opening to a smokey, robust palate with hints of leather, evocative of an “old Kentucky dusty”
Barrel #7784632 - Aromas of drizzled wild honey, opening to a classic “wheated” flavor profile; soft and approachable from start to finish with cascading hints of orchard fruit and ripe fig
Barrel #7755778 - Soft aromatic notes of maple, opening to a warm, nutty profile, layered with overtones of wild honey and dried tart cherry
Barrel #7755794 - Aromas of warm vanilla and toasted oak give way to decadent, creamy flavors of creme brulee and caramelized sugar
Barrel #7755942 - Traditional “Stitzel Weller” aromas of sweet honey and caramel, with creamy overtones of toasted oak, brown sugar, and buttered popcorn, giving way to a long and lingering finish

It isn't known how many bottles are available, but to locate a bottle, use the OHLQ bottle finder.

My Take

I'm very confused how the Rebel Cask Strength is different than the Rebel Distillers Collection that was released two weeks ago so let's take a closer look.

Rebel Distillers Collection - $39.99 + tax, 113 proof, age - 4 years, wheated mash bill
Rebel Cask Strength - $54.99 + tax, 120 proof, age - 4 years, wheated mash bill

As you can tell, the two product drops are nearly identical except for the slight difference in proof and the Rebel Cask Strength costing 38% more per bottle for some reason. With that, I'm going to pass on the Cask Strength because I feel like it's an overpriced variation of the same thing that was sold earlier in the month.

What do you think? Drop a note in the comment box below.

Source: OHLQ