Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve Bourbon

I’d like to thank Ross & Squibb and their PR partners for sending this bottle with no strings attached.

Hello, friends! It’s a lovely rainy day here in Minnesota’s Twin Cities metro area, and I couldn’t be happier! You see, I have a very large outdoor job ahead of me. I need to finish my front flower beds. But today the rain decided to come in early enough that I didn’t have to do any of it. And that makes me happy. My back is still pissed off after moving all the rocks, putting the new edging in, and laying down about half the landscape fabric. It could use the day off.

Instead, I get the opportunity to write about another of the samples that have been piling up in my office. Which is not a bad problem to have, let me tell you. Tonight’s bourbon is from Ross & Squibb and is the sequel to their Remus Babe Ruth Reserve from previous years. This year they are honoring Lou Gehrig, another dominant baseball player from the early 20th century. Because he died of ALS (often known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), Remus Bourbon is also adding a couple of charitable elements to the launch.

Accompanying the launch, Remus Bourbon will donate $9,665, one dollar for each of Gehrig’s career plate appearances, to the Live Like Lou Foundation, an organization dedicated to funding research and supporting families affected by ALS. The brand will also extend the initiative to consumers through a social media campaign, donating an additional dollar for every like and comment on Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve launch content shared via Instagram (@remusbourbon), up to $2,130 in honor of Gehrig’s iconic consecutive games played streak.

But back to the bourbon. This is a blend of four MGP bourbons. The first is a bourbon distilled in 2016 with 44% rye in the mash bill (14% of the blend). Seventy percent is a bourbon distilled in 2017 with 49% rye in the mash bill. And at 8% each are a pair of bourbons distilled in 2019, one with a mash bill containing 99% corn and another with their 36% rye mash bill. The final blend is bottled at 109 proof and carries a suggested retail price of $129.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Let’s see how it tastes.

Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve Bourbon

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided at no cost for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $129.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $8.67

Details: 54.5% ABV. Blend of four mash bills: 14% - 44% rye bourbon distilled in 2016, 70% - 49% rye bourbon distilled in 2017, 8% - 99% corn bourbon distilled in 2019, and 8% - 36% rye bourbon distilled in 2019.

Nose: Nutmeg, caramel, mint, and oak.

Mouth: Sweet and spicy with a nice mouthfeel. Notes of caramel, mint, cedar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and oak.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Lingering notes of caramel, mint, cinnamon, nutmeg, and oak.

Thoughts: This is such a delicious bourbon. It's hitting all the notes I want in a bourbon: sweet, spicy, good oak, and a wonderful mouthfeel. I really, really like it. It's going on the special shelf so I don't go through it too fast. If you are one who likes to keep the bottles (like my wife) the bottle is very pretty as well.

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Penelope Architects of Golf, Hole 3

I’d like to thank Penelope Bourbon and their PR partners for sending this sample with no strings attached.

Good evening, friends! It’s a holiday weekend coming up, and some of you will be out on the golf course as you celebrate your time off. As such, I thought it was thematically appropriate to feature tonight’s bourbon in anticipation of the upcoming holiday.

It’s no secret that I’ve been a fan of Penelope whiskeys for about as long as they have been available. There is some top-notch blending going on there. And using MGP stocks as the basis of the blend doesn’t hurt either. In this case, they are featuring the impact of stave finishing on the blend. As the story goes, they came up with the idea for Penelope on the golf course, so they decided to honor that with the naming of this limited-edition series of three bourbons: Hole 1, Hole 2, and Hole 3. The expressions are all bottled at 94 proof, and the suggested retail price is $59.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

The bottle I received was Hole 3. So let’s dig in, shall we?

Penelope Architects of Golf, Hole 3

Purchase Info: This bottle was sent to me at no cost for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $59.99 per 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.00

Details: 47% ABV. 6 years old.

Nose: Vanilla, bubble gum, mint, caramel, and oak.

Mouth: Cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla, mint, caramel, maple, and oak.

Finish: Medium length. Gentle at first, then blossoms after a moment. Notes of almond, cinnamon, chocolate, and oak.

Thoughts: Soft in the mouth. It reminds me a bit of Maker's in terms of mouthfeel. Although it starts off a bit gentle, the spice builds as you sip it. Good flavors of baking spices, mint, and sweet oak-influenced notes of caramel, chocolate, and maple. Overall, I like this one a lot.

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Penelope Blackberry Old Fashioned

I’d like to thanks the folks at Penelope Bourbon and their PR team for sending this sample with no strings attached.

Hello my friends! It is time for a bonus post. I was planning to do this yesterday. I always do bonus posts on Friday, but I just plum forgot.

Tonight’s subject is actually something I didn’t plan to review. It was sent along to me by mistake as I had already turned down the sample thinking that you folks might find it a bit outside the norm for the focus of the site. But when it landed on my doorstep, I figured what the heck? I mean I’m not going to force y’all to read this, you are grown adults and can make that decision on your own.

So what is it? Well, it is a premade, bottled, cocktail. You open it up and pour it over ice. And while I know that an Old Fashioned is basically the easiest cocktail to make outside of two ounces of whiskey in a glass, they put a nice spin on it by adding blackberry to the mix. But before we get into the review, let’s let the producer talk about this one since they were nice enough to go through the effort of writing the press release. And since it is Saturday and I want to get back to relaxing.

Crafted for easy enjoyment, from backyard gatherings to relaxed evenings with friends, Penelope Blackberry Old Fashioned features a blend of straight bourbon and rye whiskey, orange bitters, and blackberry simple syrup for a vibrant, fruit-forward take on the classic cocktail.

So let’ss ee how this tastes.

Penelope Blackberry Old Fashioned

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided at no cost by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail cost is $29.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.00

Details: 38% SBV

Nose: Strong blackberry with a nice sweetness.

Mouth: Thick and viscous with notes of blackberry syrup, baking spice, and a floral sweetness.

Finish: Strong blackberry

Thoughts: For the tasting notes above, I initially tasted this chilled from the fridge and undiluted as that was one of the ways the bottle mentioned serving it. But because I wanted to make the photo pretty, I also made one with a large chunk of ice and a mint garnish. When neat, I found the Penelope Blackberry Old Fashioned to be way too sweet for my tastes. But take that with a grain of salt. Due to my lack of sweet tooth, I tend to use much less than the amount of sweetener that a cocktail recipe recommends. Basically I find every cocktail to be too sweet if I’m not the one making it. In this case, it almost reminded me of Grape Kool-Aid, if it were thicker and had a bit of a kick to it. Now, the pretty version over ice with a garnish was much better. The ice knocked down the sweetness and the mint sprig garnish added freshness to the nose which really enhanced the experience. Even with the added dilution, I still think it was too sweet for me but, if I went to a bar and was served something that tasted just like this, I'd be happy with it. So yeah, I like it. Now, since it is Saturday, I'm going to go enjoy the rest of this drink out on the deck.

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If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Penelope Bourbon Cooper Series: Riviera

I’d like to thank Penelope Bourbon and their PR partners for providing this sample with no strings attached.

I love being proved wrong. In fact, I embrace it. Especially when it comes to opinions. The main reason for this is that I love learning. Especially things about myself. I love grinding my preconceived notions under the boot heel of truth.

Case in point, I used to think that Light Whiskey was no good. You distill it to such a high proof that there is barely any flavor left? Who wants that? Flavor is the major point of differentiation between whiskey and vodka. But then I had an aged Light Whiskey sourced from MGP that was one of the more delicious things I’d tasted that year. I used to think that blends of different styles of whiskey were somehow lesser whiskeys. But then I made an infinity bottle of 2 ounces of every whiskey I reviewed in a year. It was amazing. Rosé wine used to be my favorite style when I was young. Then I found that I much preferred fruity, crisp whites and dry, robust reds and no longer really liked the sweet rosé wines I had enjoyed previously.

Of course, there are a lot more things I learned about myself and my tastes over the years, much more important things. And each of these things replaced ones that I “knew” about myself. Ones I struggled to give up on. They were strongly held beliefs that I had a hard time coming to terms with changing. But the more I learned about things, the more I learned about myself, the happier I was. Until now, if I can learn something new that upends my worldview, I get excited. I love that. Inject that shit right into me. Make me the Captain America of self-reflection. Just super serum and strange radiation and new learning muscles and …

What were we talking about? Oh yeah, whiskey somehow…

So, yeah, that got a bit odd, but I mention those learning experiences specifically because of tonight’s whiskey. Penelope Bourbon Cooper Series: Riviera is a whiskey created by blending a straight bourbon and an eight-year-old Light Whiskey and then finishing that in rosé wine casks sourced from Spain. According to the press release, “designed with spring and summer in mind, Riviera brings a coastal-inspired, lighter take to the lineup while continuing the brand’s focus on innovative cask finishing.”

So all good. While I don’t necessarily like rosé wines, I know enough about how whiskey works to know that what I like in a barrel finish isn’t always what I would like on its own. Just like I know enough about cooking to know that while I may not want to eat an ingredient like, say, black pepper on its own, a little in my meal just hits right.

So let’s see how this one tastes. At the end of the day, that’s the most important thing to learn about any whiskey.

Penelope Bourbon Cooper Series: Riviera

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided to me at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $79.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.33

Details: 8-year-old Light Whiskey and straight bourbon finished in Spanish rosé wine casks. 47% ABV.

Nose: Floral vanilla, a little mint, red fruit, and baking spice.

Mouth: Floral, with notes of vanilla, cotton candy, cinnamon, leather, and oak.

Finish: Warm and long. Notes of cinnamon candies, vanilla, caramel, and oak.

Thoughts: I'm going to level with you. When I realized that this was finished in rosé wine casks, I figured that I would not like this one. I was already trying to soften the wording I thought I’d be typing below (because I really dislike being a dick, not because I would have felt the need to lighten the “score”). But honestly, this is delightful. It is really quite good. It's got a delicate sweetness that isn't cloying. It's floral without being perfumy. Lots of baking spice without being hot. Honestly, this is just a masterful job of blending and finishing. I am very pleasantly surprised, and gladly so. I like this one.

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If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Redemption Bourbon (2026 Revamp)

I’d like to thank the folks at Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits and their PR partners for providing this sample with no strings attached.

Do you remember a couple of weeks ago when we were doing the BourbonGuy Brackets? I had one matchup where I said both of the competitors were “products in transition.” Well, shortly after I published the results of the bracket competition, I got an email from the producers of one of those products, completely coincidentally. They were announcing the new bottle and proof of Redemption Bourbon—an announcement that I had apparently scooped by looking at their website.

I immediately asked for a sample to be sent to me. I was very interested to give the proof bump a thorough look. When it arrived, I noticed that it also had a higher stated age than previously, having gone from a 2-year-old at 88 proof to a 3-year-old at 92 proof. All good things, especially since it is still distilled in Indiana (assuming MGP) and there is some fantastic bourbon coming out of there even at a younger age.

I am not a reporter. I don’t break news, hell I don’t even really report it. But it tickles me that they reached out days after I published my accidental “scoop.” I like fun coincidences—they make life interesting. Anyway, here’s what the brand has to say about their revamp:

At the heart of the relaunch is Redemption’s new bottle design. Dramatic and symbolic, the refreshed packaging features an eagle in mid-flight, formed from rye with its wings spread wide. More than a design evolution, the eagle represents courage and ambition—leaving the safety of the ground for the unknown horizon. It embodies Redemption’s refreshed brand philosophy: Choose Redemption. Rise Above. A symbol of resilience and forward momentum, the new bottle captures the spirit of Redemption’s next act: fearless, confident, and rooted in the attitude and soul that defines its rye-built whiskeys.

Prompted by a trademark dispute initiated by a competitor a few years ago, Redemption took the opportunity to reimagine its brand identity, beginning with its packaging. Rather than looking backward, the brand chose to move forward, transforming a challenge into a catalyst for reinvention. The new bottle stands as a visible symbol of that transformation.

While the new packaging makes an immediate visual statement, the evolution extends beyond aesthetics. Redemption’s refreshed portfolio includes its signature Rye, High Rye Bourbon, and Straight Bourbon expressions, with the bourbon now bottled at 92 proof to deliver a bolder, more balanced profile.

Ok so now that we know why and how the bourbon has changed, let’s see how it tastes.

Redemption Bourbon

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided by the producer at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $29.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.00

Details: Distilled in Indiana. 46% ABV. 3 years old. Mash bill: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley. Batch #1.

Nose: Nutmeg, vanilla, mint, a touch of red fruit, and a little oak.

Mouth: Almond, vanilla, mint, and just a touch of oak and baking spice.

Finish: Medium in both warmth and length. Lingering notes of cinnamon, mint, and fruit.

Thoughts: This, while young, is a perfectly fine bourbon. It’s got a nice spice, along with some mint and fruit notes that I’m enjoying. I’d drink this one neat or in a cocktail, personally. It doesn’t really handle dilution well in my experience, but if you’re making a cocktail that’s built in the glass with minimal dilution—like an Old Fashioned—it performs well. For what it is, I like it.

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If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Remus Master Distiller Experimental Series No. 2: Straight Wheat Whiskey

I’d like to thank the folks at Ross& Squibb and their PR teams for sending this bottle with no strings attached.

Spring has sprung here in Minnesota, and you know what that means. Yep, it was 80 degrees last weekend, and it’s looking like there’s a chance of snow this coming weekend. In spring, Minnesota gets a taste of all the seasons at once: summer, winter, mud, road work—even football if you follow the NFL Draft or the spring game for the local college. You don’t get to experience all of them in their full force (for example, even at 80 degrees, I didn’t turn on my AC for more than a test run, and the Draft/Spring Games are poor substitutes for real games), but you do get the opportunity to remember what you can look forward to and what you are leaving behind.

It seems that, much like living through a Minnesota spring, MGP—producer of tonight’s whiskey—is also currently trying to decide what to leave behind and what is coming in the future, as they announced the “temporary idling” of the stills in their Lux Row and Limestone Branch facilities, affecting 33 employees. Not something you ever want to read if you are a fan of American whiskey. They will, however, still be bottling and running the visitor centers at each location.

However, we aren’t here to do economic reporting. We are here to discuss the products that are actually in front of us. And tonight, that is MGP/Ross & Squibb’s first wheat whiskey. It was created using their 95% Wheat Whiskey mashbill. The liquid was finished in a combination of Tawny Port, White Port, Oloroso Sherry, and Ruby Port casks before being bottled at 56.5% ABV, or 113 proof, as the second release in the company’s Master Distiller Experimental Series. Here is what they have to say about the series:

Building on the acclaim of Experimental Series No. 1, including its gold medal win at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the second installment continues the annual limited-edition program. Originally designed as an outlet for creative exploration, the series gives Master Distiller Ian Stirsman a blank canvas to push beyond traditional boundaries by exploring new heirloom grains and unique barrel finishes. The result each year is a one-of-a-kind expression defined by unconventional flavor profiles, depth, and innovation that is made for adventurous whiskey connoisseurs and collectors.

The whiskey is available in limited quantities nationwide for $69.99 for a 700 mL bottle.

Remus Master Distiller Experimental Series No. 2: Straight Wheat Whiskey

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $69.99 for a 700 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.00

Details: Distilled in 2017. 56.5% ABV. Wheat whiskey finished in a combination of Tawny Port, White Port, Oloroso Sherry, and Ruby Port casks.

Nose: Wintergreen, stone fruit, caramel, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Mouth: Spicy, hot, and sweet. Cinnamon, caramel, vanilla, red fruit, honey, and oak.

Finish: Hot and long. Notes of cinnamon, mint, honey, oak, and red fruit.

Thoughts: Hot, sweet, with a great mouthfeel. That sums it up neatly. It is really delicious, especially neat. Unlike most whiskeys of this proof level, you want to be judicious with adding water. It really doesn’t take it very well, bringing out more grain notes and suppressing many of the rich notes. Even so, I really like this one. It is much more complex and satisfying than other straight wheat whiskeys I’ve had, probably due to the proof and the barrel finishing. If you see it for around the suggested retail, it’s a decent splurge, should you be able to swing it.

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If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Fiddler Bourbons from ASW Distillery

I’d like to thank ASW Distillery for providing these review samples with no strings attached.

ASW Distillery in Atlanta, Georgia sent me an email a little over a month ago asking my favorite whiskey—and then saying that they hope they can compete for the title. I loved that confidence and told them to please send a sample over. And they followed through with four! I’ve been sitting on them for a couple of weeks now because trying to find time to taste four whiskeys in a week, when things like a clean palate are a consideration, is difficult (especially when one of those weeks included Thanksgiving). But I finally have them done and am ready to go.

ASW sells a combination of in-house distilled whiskey, whiskey sourced from Indiana, and blends of the two. We received one in-house-distilled bottle and three sourced-and-finished bottles. I’ll start with the in-house and move on to the sourced after.

Fiddler Soloist

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided at no cost for review purposes. MSRP is $74.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.00

Details: Batch 25-02. Mashbill: 55% corn, 17% Malted Barley, 14% Malted Wheat, 14% malted rye. 6 years old. Batch size four barrels. 50% ABV.

Nose: Oak, leather, red fruit, caramel, and nutmeg.

Mouth: Caramel, red fruit, malted grains, cinnamon, nutmeg, and oak.

Finish: Somewhere between gentle and warm. Medium length. Lingering notes of caramel, cinnamon, malted grains, chocolate, and nutmeg.

Thoughts: If I had only had one sip of this, it would have had a neutral rating. That first sip was strong on the malted grain notes, which aren't my personal favorite flavors. However, as we progressed through the tasting, the malted notes receded and integrated with the caramel, oak, and baking spice notes. At the end of the tasting, I can honestly say that I really enjoyed it and can't wait to try the others. I like this one. I’m still not 100% sold that I would personally buy it because of the malted grain notes, but it is a very well put together whiskey that those that enjoy malted grain notes will enjoy.

Fiddler Georgia Heartwood

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided at no cost for review purposes. MSRP is $79.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.33

Details: Indiana-distilled wheated bourbon (presumed MGP) finished with Georgia oak staves. 59.2% ABV. 7 years old. Batch size: 4 barrels.

Nose: Oak, maple, caramel, almond, and cinnamon

Mouth: Sweet and spicy with notes of cinnamon, oak, maple, almond, caramel, and vanilla.

Finish: Warm and long. Lingering notes of Caramel, Vanilla, and oak.

Thoughts: This is really good. Very sweet, which works nicely with the spicy notes. Not much to say here—this started with the good bones of a (presumed) MGP bourbon, and they enhanced it. I'm enjoying it a lot.

Fiddler Wheated

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided at no cost for review purposes. MSRP is $39.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.67

Details: Distilled in Indiana. 46% ABV. Batch size: 4 Barrels. Mash bill: 51% corn, 45 % Wheat, 4% barley. Blend ages: 50%-7 years, 25%-6 years, 25%-7.5 years. 50% of the batch is "double oaked."

Nose: Oak, brown sugar, cherry, and baking spice.

Mouth: Brown sugar, allspice, cherry, and oak.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and caramel linger.

Thoughts: This is pretty good. I like it. It’s the lowest proof offering they sent over, and I think that is to its benefit. It is sweet and flavorful with no need for water or ice to tame it. I like it. The price is nice, too.

Fiddler Antique

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided at no cost for review purposes. MSRP is $99.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.67

Details: 8 years old. 55.4% ABV. Mash Bill: 51% corn, 45% Wheat, 4% barley. Batch size: 4 barrels.

Nose: Caramel, cherry, oak, and vanilla.

Mouth: Caramel, cherry, oak, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Notes of cinnamon, red fruit, and oak.

Thoughts: This is a cinnamon bomb on the finish. Similar to the Fiddler Wheated in taste, but amped up due to the proof. The mouth is full of caramel and oak. Like the others, this is really good.

Overall thoughts: While these did not unseat my favorite bourbons of the year (for the record, those are the Four Roses Single Barrel Red Label bottles that were announced late last year), they are very good whiskies. Some of these are getting close to the luxury spending point in terms of cost, but if you have the scratch, they are very good. As I’m a big fan of MGP bourbons and not a fan of malted grains, I gravitate toward those personally, but if you are a malted grain fan, the Soloist is really good. My favorite of the bunch is the Georgia Heartwood. All in all, if you visit, you should grab a souvenir at the price point you can afford.

This post was updated to reflect newly provided pricing from the producer. As the pricing was lower than what was available online, this has changed a few of my thoughts in the final paragraph as well.

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If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Remus Gatsby Reserve, 2025

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

Look at that photo above. Can you believe that was taken in mid-November in Minnesota? I mean, we have a reputation as one of the coldest places in the continental US. Our winters are feared in southern states. So much so that when it was 50 degrees and damp in Kentucky one fall, I was teased by friends who thought I would have been used to it. (Not likely in early September.) But no, we are still doing great. I finally had to dig out a light jacket to take a pup for a walk today, now that the temps are consistently under 50 degrees in the afternoon. With climate change, Minnesota winters just aren’t what they are reported to be.

Ignore this post of mine from 2019 entitled: “HOLY F**K! IT WAS COLD LAST WEEK!” where I froze bourbon solid by leaving it outside overnight. Yep, don’t even pay attention to that one. So now that the weather report is over, let’s move on to sports… er… the bourbon report. (Though seriously, if an adult from further south than Missouri has a star football player in their life who is afraid to play college football in Minnesota because of the weather, you should especially ignore that damn post above.)

Tonight we are taking a look at the latest special release in the George Remus line. This one is the 2025 edition of Remus Gatsby Reserve. We last looked at this one back in 2023, and I said of it: “This is as close to a heart rating as I can give based on the price. It is tasty enough to get a heart when judged without context… That said, if I were to put 5 ‘reallys’ in the statement ‘I really like this,’ it would sum up my feeling accurately.” So when they offered a sample to taste, I jumped on it. Here is what the producer had to say about it:

Released to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s legendary novel, “The Great Gatsby,” Remus Gatsby Reserve is bottled at 102.8 proof (51.4% ABV) and will be offered in ultra-limited quantities in October at a minimum suggested retail price of $199.99 per 750mL bottle.

“2025 marks the centennial of ‘The Great Gatsby,’ so we wanted to make this year’s expression of Remus Gatsby Reserve absolutely epic,” said Ross & Squibb Distillery Master Distiller Ian Stirsman. “We hand-selected our finest 15-year-old straight bourbon whiskey barrels from our reserves and expertly blended them to create a legendary pour. This year’s release showcases Remus Bourbon at its best.” 

Let’s dig in.

Remus Gatsby Reserve, 2025

Purchase Info: This sample was sent at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $199.99 per 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $13.33

Details: 51.4% ABV. 15 years old.

Nose: Caramel, oak, cherry, and vanilla.

Mouth: Spicy with notes of oak, cinnamon, cherry, caramel, and vanilla.

Finish: Medium length and spicy with notes of cherry, vanilla, oak, and baking spice.

Thoughts: This is delicious. If I were willing to spend $200 on a single bottle, this would top the list. As it is, I will stand in front of it and debate whether I want to spend that much until my wife vetoes the purchase on principle. It really is just so good. It has a thick, rich mouthfeel, nice spice levels, and the cherry/vanilla notes are complemented beautifully by the oak and cinnamon. All in all, this is another fantastic bourbon from Ross & Squibb.

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If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.