Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 93 |
| Style |
Bourbon American Whiskey Whiskey |
| Produced In |
Indiana United States |
| ABV | 50.5% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $99.99 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Reviewed | 2024-10-18 |
Remus Repeal Reserve VIII Bourbon Review
Though it’s known by many as a major contract and sourced whiskey supplier, Indiana’s MGP-owned Ross & Squibb distillery has been leaning into its in-house brands and releases of late. One such bottling is Remus Repeal Reserve, an annual blend of the distillery’s choice bourbon stocks — and frankly a semi under-the-radar bottle many bourbon nerds pride themselves on seeking out.
While last year’s release wasn’t my favorite in the lineup, in my experience, these are almost always pretty good, and sometimes fantastic. The expression is named after famed bootlegger George Remuss, and it’s released every September to “honor the repeal of American Prohibition.” To some observers, it’s a semi-controversial naming; Remus murdered his wife in 1927 and was acquitted based on an insanity plea.
Back to the whiskey at hand. Traditionally, the Remus Repeal Reserve lineup is bottled at 100 proof. This year, Ross & Squibb master distiller Ian Stirsman’s team has bumped that up to 101. And while we’re used to these containing four or more components, version VIII is a more straightforward blend of bourbons ranging from 10 to 17 years old:
- 9 percent 2007 bourbon (75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, 4 percent malted barley)
- 24 percent 2014 bourbon (75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, 4 percent malted barley)
- 67 percent 2014 bourbon (60 percent corn, 36 percent rye, 4 percent malted barley)
In a press release, Stirsman called out two additional tweaks, including an increase in rye content as well as the lack of chill filtration. "We increased the proportion of the high-rye recipe bourbon compared to previous editions and returned to non-chill filtration to keep the viscosity and mouthfeel intact.”
Let’s see how this latest version tastes!
Remus Repeal Reserve VIII Bourbon: Stats and Availability
Remus Repeal Reserve VIII Bourbon carries a suggested retail price of $99.99. It’s a limited, allocated release that is distributed nationwide. Fortunately for bottle hunters, this is one that (generally) doesn’t command too much of a retail markup, and I often see it at or just above MSRP, even in large metropolitan markets.
Remus Repeal Reserve VIII Bourbon Review
As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
On paper, a blend containing 9 percent of 17 year-old bourbon might not seem like it skews old. But that highly aged component shines through on the nose, kicking off an immediate interplay between oak and black walnut oil; it’s woody, fatty, and nut-forward in a way that actually reminds me of some older Jim Beam distillate.
Walnut transitions to roasted peanuts with some additional time in the glass. That’s paired with a very light whiff of Pine-Sol, vanilla extract, and leathery tannins. That high-rye bourbon shines with plenty of baking spice, but that influence stops short of the green, vegetal components some rye-heavy mashbills can bring.
But we’re not done yet, and those astringent notes are again followed by a heavy dose of Luxardo cherries. The back half of the nose ultimately starts smelling like a sweet riff on a classic Manhattan, and I’m certainly not complaining.
There’s a composed narrative on this nose, starting with oaky/nutty, moving toward tannic, and then into dark fruit and syrup. So far, Stirsman and his blending team are showcasing some real prowess.
Taste
A first sip is sweet and (again) nutty, more fresh nut brittle than peanut butter. On a second sip, flavors evolve to salted caramel as nuts fade slightly and sugary sweetness becomes noticeably darker. Oak folds in gradually, building across sips but never quite dominating the palate, which allows for sweeter flavors to shine quite nicely at almost every juncture. I wonder if more of the 17 year component would have brought on the oak too quickly.
Dark cherry accumulates at the midpalate along with sweet vermouth, orange bitters, and medjool dates. There’s unsurprisingly a hefty dollop of baking spice here, which hits a high at the midpalate and then plateaus all the way through the finish. It’s the sort of lingering spice one hopes for in a high-rye bourbon, though I wish it hit just slightly earlier on the tongue.
I’m digging the viscosity, which certainly feels like a step up from last year’s release. (Which, I might add, I found to have a pleasant-enough mouthfeel.)
Finish
The finish veers back toward walnut and toasted oak, the vermouth-like flavors moving back from sweet to dry. Spice remains and leather builds, leading to a final act that’s just a touch more astringent than I expected. Thankfully, that continued spice influence keeps things flavorful enough that a slightly dry finish doesn’t quite feel over-oaked.
Remus Repeal Reserve VIII Bourbon Rating
93/100
Recap
Remus Repeal Reserve VIII isn’t quite my favorite of the line. (That designation still belongs to version V.) It is, however, a subtle if noticeable improvement upon last year’s blend. Of course, it’s almost impossible to quantify all the factors that make that possible: a more balanced blend, a return to non-chill filtration, and a very slight increase in proof probably all contribute. Whatever the case, Remus Repeal Reserve VIII is a bottle I’ll happily search out at retail, and a solid exemplar of what Ross & Squibb is capable of.
*Image retrieved from Ross & Squibb Distillery
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