Veteran Bourbon Review: George Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey

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History – George Remus was a renowned bootlegger and mobster widely known as “King of the Bootleggers”. A little history on the distillery “Kentucky may be known for its bourbon, but no town does rye whiskey and high-rye bourbon better than Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Since the mid-1800s, “Whiskey City” has been synonymous with the world’s finest rye whiskey.

Nestled in between the Ohio River and Tanner’s Creek sits a monument to Lawrenceburg’s rich distilling history, Ross & Squibb Distillery. Our globally renowned tradition of crafting the finest ryes and high-rye bourbons continues today under the discerning eye of our Master Distiller, Ian Stirsman.

Aside from its prime trade location along the Ohio River, Ross & Squibb Distillery, and the distilleries that came before us, have benefitted from sitting atop the Great Miami Aquifer. Cold and pure, the water we use to craft our whiskey is naturally limestone filtered, lowering the sulfur and iron content that negatively affect a whiskey’s taste. The result is a bold, spicy flavor no other region can replicate.” – georgeremus.com

Value – The value on this is superb. At the $36 I bought this for on base on sale it is something that really is worth buying. It has all the making of what a very good bourbon feels and tastes like.

Appearance – Syrupy Brown. The photo on the bottle sporting his image is super cool and really is what drew me to the shelf space that it was sitting on. It’s a mean looking bourbon but really gives you the 1920’s vibe of prohibition.

Nose – Cloves / Mesquite Wood / Butterscotch / Toasted Almond / Caramel. The nose is wonderful and really makes you want to keep on sniffing. The toasted smell along with the cloves is so enjoyable and unique all in one.

Palate – Cinnamon / Toffee / Maple Syrup / Honey / Caramel. It has the typical bourbon flavors and makes a good argument for the kingpin bourbon flavors. It has a smooth body feel while holding a delicate tongue coating. You can tell there is some age to this bourbon and that it has been sitting in some wood for sometime. Though there is no age statement you cannot hide quality.

Finish – Caramel / Heavy Oak / Honey and a medium burn. Woah this is great and holds an outstanding finish. I love the thickness as it runs down the back of your throat.

Summary – This bourbon is impressive. I started with the mindset that it would be an average bourbon that has a really cool looking bottle. Ross & Squibb Distillery really knows how to do it. They took a great value and paired it with a legend in the bourbon industry while also making certain that it was something that if noticed enough through all the smoke and mirrors of more allocated bottles that it could fly off the shelf.

“Great value, complex and a caramel bomb all the way through to the end.“

Uniqueness- 1-10 – 5

Appearance- 1-10 – 10

Nose- 1-20 – 16

Palate- 1-20 – 17

Finish- 1-20 – 17

Value- 1-20 – 20