Remus Repeal Reserve VII, 2023

I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Ross & Squibb Distillery for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Ladies and gentlemen, today's whiskey review comes to you with a twist, as I find myself under the weather and unable to fully indulge in the delightful experience of tasting Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII. But fear not, as I've enlisted the help of artificial intelligence to guide you through this introduction and provide you with a glimpse into what makes this particular bourbon so intriguing.

Remus Repeal Reserve Series 7 is the latest installment in a prestigious line of bourbons that pays tribute to George Remus, a legendary figure from the Prohibition era. Known for its exceptional craftsmanship and a commitment to recreating the essence of that bygone era, this series has consistently captivated whiskey enthusiasts with its unique blends. This seventh edition promises to continue that tradition, offering a carefully curated blend of aged bourbons that promise a symphony of flavors and aromas.

Though I may not be able to savor the nuances of this whiskey today, I'm excited to embark on this virtual journey with you. Join me in exploring the legacy and craftsmanship behind Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII, as we delve into its history, tasting notes, and what makes it a notable addition to the world of bourbon. Cheers to the power of technology and the enduring spirit of whiskey appreciation!

Yeah…that’s right. I have a massive headache brought on by either a minor cold or severe allergies. No clue as to which, so I asked ChatGPT to write the intro to this one. If you want to read a more in-depth history of the brand's namesake, George Remus, look no further than the review of the initial release of Remus Repeal Reserve back in 2017. I think it still holds up.

This 2023 edition of Remus Repeal Reserve is a medley of five different bourbons from the MGP stocks. These come from both their “21% rye” bourbon mashbill (75% Corn, 21% Rye, and 4% Barley Malt) and their “36% rye” bourbon mashbill (60% Corn, 36% Rye, and 4% Barley Malt). The five bourbons include:

• 6% “21% rye” bourbon distilled in 2007

• 26% “21% rye” bourbon distilled in 2013

• 21% “21% rye” bourbon distilled in 2014

• 26% “36% rye” bourbon distilled in 2013

• 21% “36% rye” bourbon distilled in 2014

And luckily for you, I came down with whatever this is (gestures broadly at his head) after I did the tasting for this week. So let’s dig in and see how this one tastes (or more accurately, tasted earlier this weekend before I got sick).

Remus Repeal Reserve VII, 2023

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $99.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.66

Nose: Brown Sugar, allspice, vanilla,

Mouth: Caramel, cinnamon, allspice, green apple, leather, and oak.

Finish: Medium in warmth and length. Notes of leather, oak, cinnamon, and green apple.

Thoughts: As usual, this is delicious. I’m really digging the baking spice notes. The green apple that came out during the tasting in Glencairn glasses is not nearly as prominent out of a rocks glass, which I actually like. It was just a bit too prominent in the original tasting. It's still there, but it's much better integrated. All in all, this is a delicious release. Aside from last year’s, I’ve reviewed every edition right back to the beginning. And this is right up there quality-wise with all the rest. If you’ve liked it in the past, you probably still will. I know I do.

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Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey, 2023

I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Ross & Squibb Distillery for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Well, hello there, neighbor. I was just sitting down to learn more about Ross & Squibb’s latest rye. Would you like to learn about it, too?

Ok, that’s enough with the Mr. Rogers thing. So, I’m still working my way through the massive number of samples that arrived while I was on vacation, and the next on the docket is one of a couple from Ross & Squibb, formerly known as the retail brand portion of MGP.

Rossville Union Bottled-in-Bond is a six-year-old Bonded Rye distilled in March 2017. It uses their 51% rye / 49% malted barley mash bill. They produced 3,000 6-bottle cases. And the suggested retail price is $49.99. Quoting from the Press Release:

“I’m proud to continue Ross & Squibb’s tradition of creating high-quality rye whiskey that dates back to 1847. Since that time, we have worked to perfect our craft, giving our rye whiskeys unmatched character,” said [Master Distiller Ian] Stirsman. “For our Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey we combined our industry leading rye expertise with a new high malt mashbill to create something truly special.  We then let the barrels mature for a minimum of 6 years, resulting in aromas of sweet malt, dark chocolate, raisin and saddle leather with tasting notes highlighted by caramel and mocha with a rich, candied-fruit body, followed by a slight green-apple, malted-chocolate and cinnamon finish.”

So, they mention that this is a new mash bill. Looking back on past reviews that I’ve done for Rossville Union, I see that I mentioned this mash bill, as an aside, back in 2018 when I reviewed my first bottle from the brand. But I no longer see it on the MGP product sheet, so either they stopped making it and are using up the stocks or pulled it for in-house use. After tasting it, I’m guessing the latter, but that is just a guess.

Now onto the important part, how does it taste?

Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey, 2023

Purchase Info: This sample bottle was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $49.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: 50% ABV. 6 years old. Mash bill: 51% rye, 49% malted barley.

Nose: Cedar, spearmint, and a touch of vanilla.

Mouth: Sweet and spicy with notes of spearmint, caramel, oak, stone fruits, apple, and cinnamon.

Finish: Sweet, warm, and long with notes of spearmint, cinnamon, and stone fruit.

Thoughts: With just rye and malted barley, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. Corn can help add a nicer mouthfeel to a rye, and I wondered if this would be an issue here. But nothing to worry about in that respect. This is a pretty damn good rye! I'm enjoying the heck out of it. It’s sweet and spicy with a very prominent spearmint note. It has really nice fruit notes. If you like a well-balanced rye, pick this one up. $50 for a limited release is a pretty good price.

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Remus Highest Rye Straight Bourbon Whiskey

I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Lux Row for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Well, I’m officially on vacation. The last pup went home today. The last bit of client work was finished, and tomorrow is that glorious day when I just have to finish the last few thin…oh who am I kidding? The day before vacation is the most stressful time of the entire trip. I don’t know about you, but I can’t help thinking, “What if I forget something?” The rational answer is, of course, “Well…they have stores in Washington, Oregon, and California. You can just go buy something to replace the (probably small) thing you forgot.” But humans, as you might have discovered, are rarely the rational creatures we pretend to be.

But before I head out on vacation, we need to talk about the new bourbon from Ross & Squibb.

Remus Highest Rye Straight Bourbon Whiskey is taking naming very literally. With a mashbill of 51% corn, 39% rye, and 10% malted rye, there is no mathematical way that a bourbon could have more rye in the mashbill and still be bourbon. At 49% rye, it is two percentage points from being a rye whiskey. We talk about the Kentucky-style “barely legal” rye all the time. But this might be my first “barely legal” bourbon. The 109° proof bourbon is a permanent, year-round line extension and will be sold nationwide for a suggested retail price of $54.99.

Now, let’s dig in and see if it is any good.

Remus Highest Rye Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Purchase Info: This bottle was sent at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $54.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.67

Details: 6 years old. 54.5% ABV.

Nose: Mint, almond, and a touch of cinnamon and oak.

Mouth: Sweet with a vibrant heat that sneaks up on you as you hold it in the mouth to tease out notes of honey, oak, mint, and cinnamon.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Notes of cinnamon red hot candies, honey, and a sharp oak.

Thoughts: This is a killer bourbon at $55. It is sweet and warm, but even at 109° proof, it is very drinkable neat. I am not picking up much influence from the malted rye, but for me, that's a good thing as I don't really care for the flavor that malted rye usually brings. This will undoubtedly be part of the rotation of bourbons I occasionally pick up after I see it land on local store shelves.

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Obtanium Bourbon Whiskey

At one point in my life, the Fourth of July weekend was my favorite time of year. I’m ethnically redneck, so there is a part of me that likes to “blow some shit up.” And I spent many a happy holiday weekend during my childhood and early adulthood doing just that. Once you add in the large fireworks displays, well, that was all it took for me to be happy.

These days though, I spend a lot of time as a dog sitter. This means that I comfort pets who are pretty sure that my neighbors have started a war outside. And as an empathetic human, it breaks my heart to see these poor pups so scared. But we try to make it calm and soothing, and fun to distract them from the chaos outside.

So though, I will never tell someone not to blow some shit up—because, damn, that’s fun—please be considerate of your local pets and also your local veterans who could also be suffering due to the noise as well.

Now onto the whiskey. I grabbed this one a while ago and have been sitting on it for a few weeks. As you will see below, my local liquor store had been sitting on it a for a while. That said, it is a wonderful example of a brand that we looked at back in 2021 for their Light Whiskey. As I stated back then:

Obtainium is a line of sourced whiskey from the Cat’s Eye Distillery in Bettendorf, Iowa, one of the five Quad Cities that span the Iowa/Illinois border (yes, there are 5 cities in the Quad Cities…I’d make an Iowa joke, but I’ll just leave it at that). In any case, these guys seem to be doing the sourced whiskey thing right.

What I especially like about the brand, other than never finding one bottle that wasn’t delicious, is that they give you as much information as possible about the whiskey. Back on that old Light whiskey, they named the predecessor of MGP as the distiller. On this one, they called out which MGP bourbon mash bill that is in the bottle. Just very cool transparency with these guys.

So even though it looks like they aren’t currently selling an Obtainium bourbon, let’s take a look at this so you can see if you are interested in picking one of their other products up if you run across it.

Obtainium Bourbon Whiskey

Purchase Info: I bought this at Viking Liquor Barrel in Prior Lake, MN, for somewhere around $50. I lost the receipt, so I can only get that close.

Details: Distilled 8-5-15. Bottled 1-30-21. Five years old. MGP 21% Rye mash bill. 53.4% ABV.

Nose: Sweet, caramel and vanilla, baking spices, and oak.

Mouth: Spicy cinnamon notes without being too hot. Caramel, vanilla, and a bright floral note.

Finish: Medium to long and warm. Finish follows the mouth with cinnamon, oak, and floral notes.

Thoughts: This is a good solid cask-strength bourbon for a decent price. And being a fan of MGP bourbon, that's a great combo for me. Being as this was bottled in early 2021 and isn't currently on their website, availability may vary. But I've liked everything I've bought from this line, and this is no exception. So if you see the brand, give it a shot.

Have a safe and Happy Independence Day. Come back next Thursday with all your fingers and toes, ok?

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Penelope Barrel Strength Bourbon, Batch 14

This is part two of a two-part series on Penelope Bourbon and their recent purchase by MGP. On Tuesday we talked about Penelope Bourbon and why they are currently in the news. Today, we are going to take it easy and jump right into the tasting notes. We are coming up on a holiday weekend after all and I’m sure you are all busy.

In backup, this bourbon is very similar to the 80° proof Four Grain. It is still blended from three different bourbons from MGP. The final composite “mash bill” percentages work out a little differently at 74% Corn, 16% Wheat, 7% Rye and 3% Malted Barely. Guessing that is due to a slightly higher percentage of the MGP Wheated bourbon being used in this one. The proof is obviously different, what with it being barrel strength. The batch I’m looking at is batch 14 and that has a proof of 112° proof. This batch has also been aged for 4 years instead of 26 months.

On Tuesday, I said the following about the 80° proof version:

Thoughts: This is a well crafted bourbon. I can see why MGP would want to pick this brand up, especially since it seems like the blender is staying on. That said, I doubt I will be picking it up again. For almost $40, I want more than "26 months" in the barrel and 80° proof. Hopefully the new owners will adjust the price -to-value ratio a bit, though I'm realistic enough to have my doubts. That said, in a vacuum, it's a tasty bourbon... as long as you are the one buying.

So now that my two largest issues with the bourbon have been addressed, let’s see how it tastes.

Penelope Barrel Strength Bourbon, Batch 14

Purchase Info: $63.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.27

Details: 4 years old. 56% ABV. Batch 14. Blend of three bourbon mash bills combining to the ratio 74% Corn, 16% Wheat, 7% Rye, and 3% Malted Barley. Barrels have a #4 char, the heads have #2 char. Non-chill filtered.

Nose: Milk chocolate, red fruits, and caramel.

Mouth: Sweet with vanilla and chocolate, spicy cinnamon, and strawberry jam.

Finish: Medium length and warm. Notes of caramel, raspberry jam, and cinnamon.

Thoughts: Wow! What a step up from the 80° proof version. The nose is like a delicious dessert. That continues into the mouth with chocolate and a delightful jammy note. And then it continues again with a sweet and spicy finish. I'm actually shocked at how good this is. I'm going to keep an eye out for another bottle from this batch for the ol' whiskey closet. I really like this one.

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Penelope Four Grain Bourbon

So the big news in the whiskey world over the last few weeks is that MGP is buying another of their customers. This is a trend for them. They started the entire customer facing push by buying the George Remus brand a few years ago. Then they bought an entire liquor producer in Luxco. I’m sure there have been others, but the one we are focused on today is Penelope Bourbon. According to MGP, the acquisition is part of their “premiumization strategy.”

Started in 2018 by Mike Paladino and his wife Kerry, along with their friend Danny Police, Penelope was named after Mike and Kerry’s baby girl. Along the way, their MGP sourced bourbon has won quite a few awards over the years. Which it should, MGP makes damn fine bourbon. The big news these days is that the founders are now about $100 Million richer than they were back in 2018. I’ll let the MGP PR folks tell the tale. They get paid more to write than I do, might as well let them do it.

MGP Ingredients, Inc. (Nasdaq: MGPI), a leading provider of distilled spirits, branded spirits, and food ingredient solutions, today announced that its Luxco, Inc. subsidiary has reached a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the equity of Penelope Bourbon LLC (“Penelope Bourbon” or “Penelope”) and its related assets. Founded in 2018, Penelope Bourbon is a family and founder-owned and operated American Whiskey company with a diverse portfolio of high-quality whiskeys in the premium-plus price tiers.  The acquisition includes all intellectual property and inventory of bottled product, as well as Penelope’s aging whiskey inventory on a debt-and-cash-free basis. The upfront consideration is $105.0 million in cash to be paid at closing, with further potential earn-out contingent consideration of up to a maximum cash payout of $110.8 million measured through December 31, 2025 if certain performance conditions are met, reflecting the brand’s current growth potential.

Not going to lie…since MGP was the one making the whiskey, this seems like an awful lot to pay for a few labels. But heck, that’s why I am a dog sitter who writes about whiskey for free and not someone who has the extra cash to acquire a bourbon company, right?

So based on the fact that this news was big enough to even land in Chuck Cowdery’s latest newsletter, I decided to go pick up a couple of these oh so prettily named bourbons. I do love the name Penelope, after all. Up first is the “affordable” option. The 80° proof Four Grain Bourbon. Penelope blends three different bourbon mash bills from MGP to form their bourbons. They don’t say but based on the math, I’d guess it includes one of the “ryed” bourbon recipes, the 45% wheat recipe, and maybe the 99% corn recipe? No idea but they say that the final mash bill of this one is 75% corn, 15% wheat, 7% rye, and 3% malted barley. So based on the math I think we can eliminate MGP’s 49% malted barley bourbon.

In any case, let’s get to why we are here. How does this hundred million dollar baby taste?

Penelope Four Grain Bourbon

Purchase Info: $38.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.60

Details: Blend of three bourbon mash bills combining to the ratio 75% Corn, 15% Wheat, 7% Rye, and 3% Malted Barley. Barrels have a #4 char, the heads have #2 char. Non-chill filtered. 40% ABV. 26 months old.

Nose: Grain-forward, vanilla sugar, mint, and nutmeg.

Mouth: Thin and gentle with just enough spice to keep you interested. Notes of nutmeg, almond, and a touch of mint and orange zest.

Finish: Gentle and on the shorter side of medium length. Light notes of cinnamon, bitter citrus, and oak.

Thoughts: This is a well crafted bourbon. I can see why MGP would want to pick this brand up, especially since it seems like the blender is staying on. That said, I doubt I will be picking it up again. For almost $40, I want more than "26 months" in the barrel and 80° proof. Hopefully the new owners will adjust the price -to-value ratio a bit, though I'm realistic enough to have my doubts. That said, in a vacuum, it's a tasty bourbon... as long as you are the one buying.

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Ezra Brooks 99 Proof Straight Rye Whiskey

Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone for their well-wishes while I recovered from a mental health emergency. Knowing that I wasn’t letting people down by not publishing helped me to not worry and allowed me to get back to a stable spot a little quicker.

A few months ago, I started getting comments from readers that the standard Ezra Brooks 90 proof was disappearing from shelves. The Lux Row PR guy I talked to reassured me that it hadn’t been discontinued. But then, a few months later, the shoe dropped, and it was removed from the Ezra Brooks site. I know that a lot of folks were disappointed in that, but honestly, I almost never bought the 90-proof version. Especially once the 99-proof version became readily available.

So it wasn’t a huge surprise when I saw this bottle of 99-proof Ezra Brooks rye sitting on the shelf of a local liquor store instead of the former 90-proof version. Of course I grabbed it, thinking that it might be fun to compare it to the Rebel 100 Rye that we looked at a couple of weeks ago. Especially since they are both coming from the same producer. It was the cheapest thing I bought that day.

Now you might be asking yourself: ok, so what is the difference between Ezra Brooks 99 Rye and Rebel 100 Rye? And to that, I can confirm…one proof point. Beyond that is just speculation on my part. There isn’t a lot of info out there other than the website. I’m guessing they didn't do a big rollout of this one since they just did the Rebel 100 rollout. The one thing that I would love a little clarification on is the mash bill. The website contradicts itself. It says that the mash bill is 51% rye, 45% corn, and 4% malted barley. It also says that the ingredients are rye and barley. No corn was mentioned. Since this comes from their corporate cousins at MGP, I’m not sure which is the typo, as MGP makes both kinds of rye. So, for the time being, let’s just look at the juice in the jug, and I’ll update the post if I hear back from the PR folks. I had a huge email outage over the last few days, so who knows what got lost.

(UPDATE 05/15/23: I just got the press release for Ezra Brooks 99 Rye and the juice is the 51% rye mashbill. Their website has also been updated.)

Ezra Brooks 99 Straight Rye Whiskey

Purchase Info: $26.99 for a 750 mL bottle at South Lyndale Liquors, Minneapolis, MN

Price per Drink (50 ml): $1.80

Details: 2 years old. 49.5% ABV. Distilled in Indiana.

Nose: Mint, cedar, honey, and coriander.

Mouth: Cinnamon, mint, honey, and cedar.

Finish: On the longer side of medium. Herbal with additional notes of baking spice and black tea.

Thoughts: Though all signs point to this being pretty much the same as the Rebel 100 Rye that we looked at a couple of weeks ago, there are subtle differences. However, it is hard to know if that is due to Rebel 100 being from the bottom of the bottle versus the Ezra Brooks 99 Rye being from the top, if it is in my imagination, or if there is an actual difference in the barrels that are chosen for each. As I said, the differences are subtle, with the Rebel 100 Rye being sweeter when I taste them side-by-side.

That said, though, this is a tasty rye. I'm digging the herbal notes I'm getting throughout. I even had to raid my spice rack to find the Corriander on the nose. Works well in cocktails too. This one gets a smile from me.

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Rebel 100 Rye

I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Lux Row for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Hello everybody and Happy 4:20 to those who celebrate where it is legal (and to those who allegedly do so where it is not). Tonight we have something to talk about that I really love: a new and inexpensive rye whiskey. You know that I love exploring new whiskeys. Especially those that come in with a price point where I don’t reflexively feel the need to apologize when I cover them.

Rebel 100 Rye is the latest offering from Lux Row Distillers. It complements the 100 proof offering of the Rebel 100 bourbon, one of my favorites in the Rebel Whiskey line-up. As an aside, I find it a little odd that the Rebel line is made up of a wheated bourbon and a rye whiskey, but no bourbon with rye in it. That said, I guess if the whiskey is good I guess I don’t really care how the combine the constituents of the brand. This is distilled and aged in Indiana at Lux Row’s sister distillery, MGP/Ross & Squibb using their 51% Rye Mash Bill of 51% rye grain, 45% corn, and 4% malted barely. It is two years old and will sell for a suggested retail price of $19.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

“Based on the continued success of both Rebel 100 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, we’ve elevated the proof of its rye counterpart,” said Eric Winter, brand manager for Rebel. “Rebel 100 Rye drinkers still will enjoy the award-winning smooth, spicy rye flavor of Rebel Rye at a proof level that amplifies its taste profile and stands out even better in classic cocktails.”

Let’s see how it tastes.

Rebel 100 Rye

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $19.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $1.33

Details: Two years old. 50% ABV. Mash bill: 51% Rye, 45% Corn, 4% malted barley.

Nose: Toffee, mint, and a touch of black tea and citrus.

Mouth: Cinnamon, dried grains, dill, mint and honey.

Finish: Warm and of medium length. Notes of cinnamon, mint, bubblegum, dill and honey.

Thoughts: If you are a fan of the Kentucky-style "barely legal" rye. This is a tasty, and inexpensive, example of that. I probably won't buy it too often because usually when I'm looking for rye, I go with one that has a higher percentage of rye in the mashbill. If I'm looking for something with less "rye" flavor, I go with a high-rye bourbon. This flavor profile sits in that no-man's-land for me. That said its still very good, even at only two years old, and I will happily finish the bottle. I also quite enjoy it in an old fashioned using orange or cherry bitters.

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