Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link in this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
In honor of the 90th year since the repeal of Prohibition, Ross & Squibb’s Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which hit store shelves last month, is the seventh in the line of releases by Master Distiller, Ian Stirsman.
The history of Ross & Squibb (known better as MGP) meanders. In 1847, on the property that now is home to Ross & Squibb, George Ross founded Rossville Distillery before passing away only a few years later. Rossville survived Prohibition by transitioning to the manufacture of industrial solvents. Ownership of Rossville passed through Seagrams before being acquired by MGP in 2011. MGP has acquired several brands in recent years, including Luxco and its brands (such as Yellowstone and Everclear).
The Squibb (and Remus) portion of the name comes from William P. Squibb, who founded W.P Squibb & Co. Distillery in 1869. George Remus purchased W.P Squibb & Co. in 1921. Today, the distillery calls Remus the “King of the Bootleggers.” He used legal tactics to skirt the Volstead Act and sell his spirits as medicine during Prohibition. His success was mixed, though, as the FBI ultimately seized the distillery before it was sold to Old Quaker Co. The label went defunct in the 1980s, when Old Quaker went out of business.
In honor of these two distilleries which sat on either ends of the current campus, MGP renamed Rossville to the Ross & Squibb Distillery, thus combining the legacy into one brand. The property boasts low-sulfur and low-iron, limestone-filtered water from the underground Great Miami Aquifer. The distillery claims that this offers up the “bold, spicy flavor no other region can replicate.”
Today, the Ross & Squibb distillery crafts several releases under the Remus line, including this Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII Straight Bourbon. The Reserve is a blend of five bourbons, or a “medley” to use their elegant word choice. The bourbons all have a high proportion of rye, which I think is where MGP shines, broadly speaking.
The blends are as follows: 6% 2007 bourbon with 21% rye; 26% 2013 bourbon with 21% rye; 21% 2014 bourbon with 21% rye; 26% 2013 bourbon with 36% rye; 21% 2014 bourbon with 36% rye. That’s a lot of numbers, so to put it in a bit more perspective: the mash bills range from 21-36% rye and are mostly nine- and ten-years-old.
This promises to be a decedent dram. According to Stirsman, you can expect notes of “caramelized pecans, candied cherry and maple syrup,” with plenty of follow up riffs on the palate and “lingering notes of vanilla, caramel and oak.”
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Tasting Notes: Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII Straight Bourbon
Vital Stats: A blend of bourbons from 2007, 2013, and 2014 aged in new American oak, 50% ABV, mash bill: various, SRP $99.99/ 750ml bottle.
Appearance: This whiskey is a pale mahogany in color.
Nose: Although this whiskey doesn’t fill up a room with its aromatics, there’s a lot going on in the glass. On the nose, I pick up notes of dried fruits such as prunes and figs alongside aromatics of warm snickerdoodle cookies. I’m suddenly craving dessert. On revisiting the glass, I find more layers of raisin-studded brioche, toasted pecans, and chocolate milk. It’s funny how concentrated the notes are but only when you have your nose to the glass. I want to slather some butter on this and eat it warm.
Palate: The body is moderate but oily with a dash of grippy tannins and a poised balance to the alcohol. It seems to coat my entire mouth like cream but without the weight or cloyingness. The flavors are similar to the nose with notes of Red Hots candy, snickerdoodle cookies, and homemade marshmallows. There’s a hint of caramel candies to the finish.
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