EP 27: Don’t Forget to Eat Your Wheated Bourbon

The Friskey Whiskey Podcast

In this episode join MikeD and TI as we try some wheated bourbons!

What is Wheated Bourbon:
Typically, bourbon distillers use rye and malted barley in the other 49% of the mash bill. Wheated bourbon simply replaces the rye with wheat, either in whole or part. Wheated bourbons meet the requisite requirements for being a bourbon yet have their own distinct flavors.

Rebel Limited Edition Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon $54.99 120 proof. Mash Bill 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley
Barrel filled 3/22/17
Distilled by Lux Row in Bardstown, Kentucky
History:
The W.L. Weller & Sons company was founded in 1849 by William Larue Weller, who pioneered using wheat instead of rye in his mash for a lighter flavor than the older style of bourbons. The W.L. Weller company merged with the Stitzel distilling company (est. 1872) to form the Stitzel-Weller distilling company in 1910.
The "Rebel Yell" brand was created at Stitzel-Weller in the 1930s with the idea of distilling it in limited batches for exclusive distribution in the Southern United States.
Rebel Yell was created by Louisville mayor, Charles R. Farnsley, who teamed up with the Stitzel-Weller distillery.
Rebel Yell was a real icon back in the day, and ended up featuring in a few movies and even lend itself to a song and album by Billy Idol, Rebel Yell. Idol allegedly got the idea after attending a party with The Rolling Stones. It was, so it turns out, Keith Richards' favorite brand of bourbon.
In the early 1980s, after some changes of ownership following the break-up of Stitzel-Weller around 1972, the brand was purchased by the David Sherman Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri which later became Luxco
About 5 years ago it was renamed to just Rebel

*Nose: Clementines, fudge, black tea, vanilla, wheat bread* mint*
*Taste: chocolate, brown sugar, thyme, mint

Old Elk Wheated straight bourbon $79.99 117.6 proof Mash Bill: 51% corn, 45% wheat, 4% malted barley
Distillery Fort Collins, Co. Bottled in Indiana
1880 - Brand is originally created
1888 - Old Elk Trademark is registered by Stoll, Vanatta & Co
Prohibition Years - Old Elk is produced by Stitzel Distillery as a "medicinal spirit"
Post Prohibition - Stitzel-Weller Distillery continues production of Old Elk, without the "medicinal" moniker
1972 - Brand is sold to Norton-Simon who abandons it
2013 - Entrepreneur Curt Richardson resurrects the Old Elk brand, acquiring the trademark
2013 - Greg Metze creates a custom mash bill for Old Elk's signature bourbon
2017 - Old Elk launches in Colorado and California

Nose: Toffee, vanilla ice cream, caramel and floral notes
Taste: Cream, toffee, vanilla, toasted almonds, clove