TATER YOUR OWN BOTTLE - Rebel Style!

If you aren’t yet familiar with Lux Row Distillers it’s definitely time to get acquainted! This company has quietly built a portfolio that is quickly becoming one of the worst kept secrets around! Dollar for dollar, they are putting out some of the best whiskey around. You will recognize such names as Rebel (Yell), Ezra Brooks, David Nicholson, Daviess County and Blood Oath. The man behind the barrel is Master Distiller John Rempe.

Ever approachable, John can often be found at the distillery, willing to sign a bottle or two. He boasts an impressive bio: “A certified food scientist with a bachelor’s degree in biology from St. Louis University and over 20 years of experience in distillation of spirits, has been at the forefront of crafting world-class bourbons in the company’s award-winning portfolio.”

So it should be no surprise that when Taters was offered a chance to participate in a barrel selection of Rebel Cask Strength we jumped at the chance. Even better, we were able to partner with our great friend Robert at Ossian Tavern to make the Taters bottle a reality.

Robert and his fine team of Taters met up with Master Distiller John Rempe for the pick. Three barrels were offered, but one barrel clearly stood above the rest with it’s rich and robust flavors that aren’t always prevalent in a wheated whiskey. Not all too surprising were notes of vanilla, caramel and rich brown sugar. However, this barrel boasted flavors of dark fruit and spice coming through as well. Fans of Maker’s Mark RC6 will appreciate the underlying fruitiness in this wheated bourbon!

We know the juice is good, but let’s be honest, this bottle needed a good tatering. After all, we are Taters! In this instance, Billy Idol and Rebel Yell were no brainers for this piece of work. But this was to be the first Taters bottle following the launch of the nonprofit charity. So it was go big or go home. The programming committee opted for a TYOB event: Tater Your Own Bottle. With appropriate stickers, a wax seal stamp and the best wax around, Taters took over Ossian Tavern for our release. What follows was one of the most unique tatering experiences around! We’ll let Matt Hakey’s pictures speak for themselves!