Remus Repeal Reserve Series 1 (2017)

A little background

With my reluctance to dip into my ever-dwindling stock of aged MGP bottles I began digging through my collection recently hoping to find some long-lost source of the ever-pleasing Indiana distilled nectar of the gods.  Luckily, I came across a bottle of George Remus Repeal Reserve Series 1 that I bought back in 2017, not only is it MGP but also barrels hand picked by the distillery for their own label.  Series 1 is a blend of 85% MGP “low rye” and 15% “high rye” bourbon distilled in 2005 and 2006.  It was priced around $75 and bottled at 94⁰.

Nose

Furniture varnish, leather, sweet tobacco, cinnamon, maple syrup, and candied plum. (Nice “dusty” quality)

Palate

Strong cinnamon leads the way with the maple syrup layered below creating a pleasant sweet and savory experience. The candied plum from the nose does not show up on the palate.

Finish

Long and warm with the return of sweet tobacco and leather notes. Oak presence is noticeable but completely balanced with the other notes.

In closing

Like many I am a big fan of aged MGP distilled bourbon and have been spoiled over the years due to living close to Smooth Ambler Spirits.  But all good things must come to an end and with Smooth Ambler switching over to mainly Dickel sourced bourbon, of which I am not a fan, and other sourced MGP bourbon reaching ridiculous prices on secondary it was nice to find this bottle hiding in my cabinet.  I really enjoy this release and hope I can find a bottle of Series 2 soon.

*Note: The Availability rating is based on the number of bottles originally released and the fact that it can still be found on shelves.