Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI Bourbon Whiskey
Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI is in my top five new bourbons for this year. No one is more surprised than I am.
To be clear, I didn’t expect this to be bad. This is Ross & Squibb’s (formerly MGP) flagship limited edition, so much as I try to go in without preconceptions, I knew there had to be effort put into this to maintain the brand’s reputation. Series V (2021) was in the “very good if unspectacular” category for me.
Series VI is outstanding.
Using bourbons from Ross & Squibb’s vast inventories, five batches were assembled from 14-, 10-, and 8-year-old bourbons using the 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley mashbill and 10- and 8-year-old bourbons using the 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley bourbon mashbill.
Master distiller Ian Stirsman and his team use the Remus Repeal Reserve Series to showcase what the Ross & Squibb brand can do with well-aged bourbons through blending. If I’m taking away anything from this, it’s that the in-house team at Ross & Squibb has reached it’s own new heights in blending this year.
Why? Rossville Union Barrel Proof 7 Year Old.
The Rossville Union, which came out earlier this year, followed largely the same script as the Remus Repeal Reserve series but with rye. I heaped praise on the blending skill shown in that product (plus the history leading to the Ross & Squibb rebrand). What I didn’t see coming was that this year’s Remus Repeal Reserve would match that Rossville Union step by step, maybe even surpass it.
Image courtesy of GeorgeRemus.com.
Another shocker was how much I loved this at 100 proof. I’m an unabashed proof hound and, when in doubt, want my American whiskey at a higher proof (I’m less a proof hound with Scotch and other world whiskies). Bourbon in particular has little flavor for me under a certain proof. Yet here we are, with me writing that this is a dangerously sippable bourbon with a creamy, solid body and ever-evolving flavor.
As it has each year, the Remus Repeal Reserve Series is launching in September - today, as of posting - for National Bourbon Heritage Month. Unlike other limited releases that immediately sell out, there is a stronger chance you might just see this on the shelf or behind the counter. If you do, grab one. I know I seem to be saying that a lot recently, but I mean it. At $99.99 MSRP for 8-14-year-old MGP bourbon blended in-house, that’s a steal nowadays. Hell, they sent me a full bottle when I asked for a sample, and I plan to go get a second one. Call it putting my money where my review is - no better endorsement than that.
Thank you to Ross & Squibb and Byrne PR for providing this bottle for review purposes with no editorial constraint.
Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI Bourbon Whiskey: Specs
Classification: Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskies
Origin: Ross & Squibb Distillery
Mashbill: See chart above
Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Age: 8-14 Years Old
Location: Indiana
Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI Bourbon Whiskey Price: $99.99
Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI Bourbon Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: Black tea. Very thin rims and oily droplets.
Nose: Herbaceous, but not dilly - think MGP rye but not the 95/5. Green herbs, sweet and a little peppery. Mild proof hits the nostrils with oak creaminess and white pepper. Warm with a little funk underneath - not sure what that funk is but it’s not a bad funk, more an extra note for the profile. Walking into an old rickhouse. Old, oiled and worn-in leather.
Palate: Much sweeter than expected, honey in black tea when your throat is hurting. Dried fruit, black raisins and vinous notes abound. Hint of mint on the back-end, dark date spread on toasted brioche. Mouthfeel is medium-to-full, quite creamy. Green peppercorns, subtler than the white pepper on the nose. Oak rounds the entire palate into a shined edge but never becomes woody. Not too coating, but settles heavily under the tongue.
Finish: The fruit builds quickly, vinous and honeyed and still not too sweet. The oak fades to the back palate, a touch of pepper still there. Fruit leather, Fig Newtons, a long finish.
Overall: This is outstanding. Balanced, fruity and honeyed without going too sweet, just enough of that herbaceous rye and creamy, peppery oak to keep everything in check. Highly complex sipper that is also dangerously easy to sip, drinking right at proof.
Final Rating: 8.3
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary
8 | Excellent | Exceptional
7 | Great | Well above average
6 | Very Good | Better than average
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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