Rebel Reserve is the relatively uncommon upscale version of Rebel Yell wheated bourbon. It is sold at a more concentrated 45.3% ABV and is stated on the bottle to be "aged a bit longer" without saying how much so, than is the standard Rebel Yell, which is assumed to be 4 years old. The reviewed bottle is from batch # 649, bottle 27336, and has been open for two years, with perhaps 90% of the bottle remaining
Colour: darker than is Rebel Yell, early intermediate in shade for a bourobn
Nose: moderate intensity very pleasant wheated bourbon nose: wheat, vanilla, some oak, and carnations
Taste: good taste translation, though still with rather moderate flavour intensity, as wheated bourbons go. Easy, mellow, at 2 years, though, less mellow than it was originally. This is nice, but will not wow
Finish: moderate-length finish, vanilla, oak and wheat stay with,... more intense after two years than when originally opened. Good, but once again no wow factor
Balance: This is a nice understated wheated bourbon which is perfectly acceptable and quite cleanly cut, but there is nothing here to get a person excited. It is a big step up from standard Rebel's Yell, at least my recent bottle of Rebel Yell, but it is still nothing to get too excited about. Try it for the experience of it, but unless it gets a little more strongly flavoured in the future, I don't see a good reason to buy a bottle of it
With this bottle open nearly 6 years now, this Rebel Reserve is still very drinkable wheated bourbon. I would rate this now at least at the level of the original review and possibly 2 or 3 points higher. Rebel Small Batch Reserve (the updated name) is really a very good choice and a very good value for those who like the wheated bourbon flavour profile and a more mellow flavour intensity. Where it is stocked it is not in the scarce allocated category as are the Weller Buffalo Trace products.
In the US I consider Rebel Reserve to be a best buy for the money at $ 20 to $ 30. $ 36 at MOM is a very decent price too, for those in the UK. But you have to like the smooth and mild-mannered stuff, and not be after the high intensity high proof thrills.