Rebel Rabbet launches ‘category-defying’ spirits

London Distillery Company’s Matt McGivern and Dylan Bell have launched a new “experimental” spirits line under the company’s Rebel Rabbet brand, which is “not constrained by category restrictions”.

Rebel Rabbet’s spirits range is targeted at a new generation of drinkers

McGivern and Bell have launched the first two expressions in the new range, called Rebel Exile Spirits (RES), which has been created in collaboration with London-based brewery Anspach and Hobday.

Saison yeast is used to ferment a 103-year-old Irish mash bill recipe, which is then triple distilled into new make spirit.

The blend of oats, special b, extra pale maris otter and rye creates a “creamy, fruity and bold wash”.

RES1: The Holy Trinity is described as a “fusion of brewing, whisky distilling and gin rectification”. The triple-distilled new make spirit is blended with quince, vanilla, pink pepper, cassia bark, coriander seed and liquorice. The expression is said to take the “humble Whisky Sour to another level” when mixed in a cocktail.

RES2: Misconception has been aged for three months in Bourbon barrels that previously contained triple sec. It is said to taste like an Old Fashioned.

A new spirit will be released each month, with a total of 13 lined up for the series and all scheduled for release by the end of 2019.

Once the series is completed, the whole collection will be auctioned with proceeds donated to a chosen charity.

Rebel Rabbet will be distilled over an eight to 10 part series, with the remaining batches at the “early development or ideation stage”. Each batch will be limited to 50 bottles.

Prices range from £60-£70 (US$76-US$90) and can be purchased online at www.rebelrabbet.com.

“The most important factors were pushing our spirit ideas as far as we could take them and building our spirits from the grain up,” said Bell.

“That’s why collaborating with local brewers, designers and producers was vital in the development of the RES series. We want to revive forgotten spirits and recipes in the most authentic way possible but also not take ourselves too seriously.”

McGivern, the CEO of Rebel Rabbet, is a chemist and distiller and has worked at William Grant & Sons where he gained his spirits knowledge. At London Distillery Company, he helped to launch London’s first whisky in more than 100 years.

Bell has also worked at William Grant & Sons as a digital producer for Monkey Shoulder and currently works as business development executive for The London Distillery Company.