Kyle Busch 108 Single Barrel Rebel Bourbon Review

 

For the last several years, distilling brands have been sponsoring NASCAR drivers. It is an easy way to get exposure with an almost built-in fanbase. Rebel Bourbon sponsors Richard Childress Racing (RCR), which boasts over 50 years of racing, earning more than 200 victories and 16 championships. One of its legendary drivers was Dale Earnhardt, who won a half dozen himself!

 

One of RCR’s drivers is two-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle “Rowdy” Busch, who drives the No. 8 Chevrolet ZL1. Kyle recently had the opportunity to pick barrels of Rebel Bourbon with the assistance of Master Distiller John Rempe. It is called Kyle Busch 108 Single Barrel Bourbon.

 

“This sponsorship really is about living a life with a rebellious spirit, and I had fun picking barrels on my own terms for this special-limited edition release. I’m proud to have my name on every bottle and excited for fans nationwide to experience something new from Rebel Bourbon and RCR.” – Kyle Busch

 

Distilled from Rebel’s classic wheated mashbill (68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley), it aged four years in new, charred oak barrels. There are 30,000 - 750mL bottles available nationwide, which means that, obviously, several barrels were selected. Packaged at 54% ABV (108°), its suggested price is $39.99.

 

The label does include the barrel number and fill date. Mine is from Barrel 336493, which was filled on 5/10/2020. I appreciate Rebel Bourbon for providing a sample of this limited-edition Bourbon in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and explore all it has to offer.

Appearance: I poured the Bourbon into my Glencairn glass to drink neat. It was bronze-colored, forming a microthin rim and discharging a combination of fast, pencil-thin and slower, medium-weighted tears.

 

Nose: Almost immediately upon filling my glass, it smelled like a rickhouse. Oak and cedar permeated my nostrils. I let the whiskey rest for about ten minutes before approaching it further. Then, I discerned cherries, ripe plums, butterscotch, and milk chocolate. Notably missing was any hint of those wood notes!

 

When I drew the air into my mouth, it was like eating a fistful of caramel squares.

 

Palate: The first provided had a thick, creamy texture, and the whiskey was quite warm. The second offered the same mouthfeel, yet a few degrees tamer. The front of my palate encountered vanilla, brown sugar, and honey. I tasted tobacco leaf, leather, and toffee at my mid-palate. The back included clove, cinnamon, and barrel char.

 

Finish: While the second sip had somewhat muted the warmth, it all came racing back (and then some) on the finish. Leather, tobacco leaf, charred oak, clove, and cinnamon Red Hots ramped to a spicy crescendo that lasted 3:52, making it incredibly long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: These days, a $40.00, 108° Straight Bourbon is pretty darned affordable and a good buy, assuming the whiskey is any good. Kyle Busch 108 Single Barrel drank about a dozen points above its stated proof and did a decent job of numbing the roof of my mouth. While the wood vanished during the nosing, it blew past the checkered flag on the finish.

 

I’ve had various private barrels of Rebel Bourbon Distiller’s Edition (I’ve picked several myself). That heat component is expected despite Kyle Busch’s version being a lower-than-average proof.

 

Some of you may wonder why there are so many rye-like flavors with the wheated mashbill. First, distilled wheat is flavorless; it makes for a denser mouthfeel and enhances the other notes, many of which come from the oak. If this were proofed down another ten or twenty points, those would likely fall off.

 

I tend to gravitate toward spicier Bourbons, and Kyle Busch 108 Single Barrel certainly fits that profile. I loved it. I believe you will as well. For the price, this can’t be beat. It takes my Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.