The original rebellious, Wheated Bourbon now louder and more fun.
The story goes that Billy Idol was doing shots with the Rolling Stones at a party. Keith Richards just loved him some hard liquor and he was fond of Rebel Yell — the brand that Rebel Bourbon was sold under at the time. Billy liked the name Rebel Yell and asked the gents if he could borrow it for a song. You know, the one where Billy is asking for more, more, more. If you are a music fan like we are, that’s reason enough to buy it right there.
The original Rebel Bourbon Whiskey was made by the W. L. Weller & Sons Company. And though that distillery popped into existence in 1849, it wasn’t until the mid-1900s that they started bottling American Whiskeys under the Rebel Yell brand. Anyway, the name was passed around from company to company for a bit, garnering awards left and right, their Wheated Bourbon proving a hit. Since the early 1980s, the label has been lovingly tended to by American Whiskey-lover David Sherman’s beverage company, Luxco, and today, it's known as Rebel Bourbon. Despite the name change, the rebellious spirit is the same.
Rebel Bourbon started life as a wheated Bourbon, and their core Bourbons still are today. The mash bill follows one of Heaven Hill’s recipes at 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. It’s aged in medium #3 char casks at 125 proof. But where the original Bourbon is bottled at 40% ABV, Rebel 100 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is bottled at 50% ABV for the perfect combo of heat and smoothness. The extra power puts the "Yell" back into the bottle in all the best ways.