Remus "Repeal Reserve - Series IX" Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey

The stupendous Remus Repeal line has been the benchmark yearly release for the Ross & Squib distillery, which we still ALL call MGP. There was a period back in the heyday of bourbon growth where MGP had a bad name, due to its customers making not so authentic claims about the sources of their juice, but it's since become a darling. But what MGP never did well was sell old bourbon at really low prices under their own label. This was how so many of the legacy distillers built their brands and many still offer incredible prices on high quality aged bourbon if you can get access to it. For $100 Remus Repeal is a pretty good whisky. For $50 it's probably the best deal in the store. Old MGP has so much damned character and is so unique, there's very little that comes close in terms of the drinking experience at this price point and those that do are simply impossible to get. Let's have a go. A classical auburn (1.5). The dense old school nose jumps out here with dark oxidized nutty character layered over dark chocolate and caramel sauce. There's a twinge of funky warehouse stuff which gives it the feeling of being rather old school and the dense rye character cuts through still with sharp menthol and baking spice. On the palate it's full of nutty sweet burnt sugar, earthy old school oak, funky fruit and spice. This isn't the oldest whisky in the world, but it sure as heck feels pretty mature and isn't a simple easy sweet thing like so many modern bourbons are. At this price there's nothing more fun in American whisky on the shelf today.