Butterscotch | Caramel cream candy | French oak | Vanilla | Cream soda

Toffee | Vanilla | Sweet oak | Blackberry | Plum | Touch of charred oak

Seasoned oak | Rye spice | Root beer | Tobacco | Black cherry | Dark chocolate | Aged oak | Slowly turns dry | Managable heat | Exceptional

Remus Repeal Reserve is MGP’s annual limited edition bourbon series under the George Remus brand, created to commemorate the repeal of Prohibition on December 5, 1933. The series debuted in 2017, with the first release blended with high aged MGP bourbons and named after George Remus, the Prohibition-era Cincinnati bootlegger known as the “King of the Bootleggers.” This year marks the Remus Repeal series’ 10th anniversary and, for the first time, includes a rye release along with the usual bourbon release.

Remus Repeal Reserve Series has been an interesting brand to follow over the years. MGP has always been a little reluctant to venture deep into their rickhouse and pull out their oldest barrels to blend. When the company started citing Master Distiller Ian Stirsman as the creator of the blends in 2022 for Series VI, the ages started to creep up. Perhaps a coincidence or an effort by Stirsman to explore what high aged MGP can offer in the company’s premier annual release.  

Series X matches last year’s release by featuring an 18 year old bourbon in its blend, except this year it now accounts for 14% of its blend, double that of last year’s release. That differentiation is instantly noticeable.

The aroma opens with butterscotch and caramel cream candy, but rich French oak quickly takes over. This is the first clue that this bourbon will hit with considerably more impact than previous releases. The palate is the weakest part of the sip, but only because an exceptional finish follows. Toffee and vanilla quickly turn to blackberry and plum before sweet oak turns to charred oak. At this point, the bourbon kicks into high gear. The finish begins with rich seasoned oak, accented by rye spice, before root beer, tobacco, black cherry, and dark oak take command. The bourbon ends on a lingering and rich blend of dark chocolate and aged oak that slowly turns dry, and manageable heat kicks in.

Over the years, countless non-distiller producers have offered MGP bourbons, typically well under 10 years old, and many have grown bored with it; not because it’s bad bourbon, but simply because so many brands offering from the same source distillery translates to a lack of differentiation. Even many of the Remus Reserve releases have struggled to fully convey what MGP can offer. Series V often gets cited as the pinnacle of the series (though I respectfully disagree); I can confidently say we have a real competitor to its reign with Series X. Thanks to its incredible finish that is every bit as rich, robust, and memorable as one would want - especially at only 107 proof - Series X is a must-have and a steal at $80.