Remus Repeal Reserve Series IX Bourbon Review (2025)

 

George Remus was an American icon. Oh, maybe not the best example of a decent person (in fact, he was one of the worst), but he was, nonetheless, an icon. He was known as King of the Bootleggers. Remus was a criminal defense attorney. Some of his clients were bootleggers, most of them were murderers, and he got a green tint in his eye watching his bootlegging clients making a fortune. One day, he decided he knew more about the criminal justice system than anyone else, and he could make a ton of money by using his legal knowledge to engage in illegal activities without falling prey to the authorities.

 

George was, indeed, very clever. He found a loophole in the Volstead Act that allowed him to buy distilleries and distill medicinal whiskey. He wound up buying most of the operating distilleries in and around Cincinnati, and his schtick was that his employees would hijack his finished product, which he would then turn around and resell on the black market.

 

George discovered that he wasn't as clever as he thought, as the government indicted him on thousands of violations of the Volstead Act, and a jury quickly convicted him. He was sent to the federal pokey in Atlanta.

 

The story gets even better. George buddied up to a fellow prisoner and bragged about how his wife controlled all of his money. What he didn't know was that this new pal of his was an undercover agent named Franklin Dodge. Dodge then resigned his position and started an affair with George's wife. The two “fell in love” and began selling off George's assets, leaving him with a mere $100.

 

But wait, there's more! George was on his way to court for his divorce proceeding when he chased down his ex-wife's car, got out, and shot her to death in true gangster fashion. He pleaded insanity, and the jury believed him, taking less than twenty minutes to deliver the verdict.

 

What a swell guy, right? Regardless, he was still known as King of the Bootleggers, and Luxco uses his name for its premium house brand: Remus Bourbon.

 

Remus Repeal Reserve is one of those annual allocated whiskeys I wait for with great anticipation. I’ve been blessed to have reviewed several Remus Repeal Reserve Bourbons. They range all over the place, but the clear standout (so far) has been Series V from 2021. It was so spectacular that it took my 2021 Best Bourbon and 2021 Whiskey of the Year award. The 2023 Series VII came darned close.

 

And now, the 2025 Remus Repeal Reserve Series IX has been released. It is non-chill filtered and weighs in at 52% ABV (104°), which is up 3 points from Series VIII. It costs the same as it did since 2022’s release, which is unusual in today’s environment.

 

I’ve talked a lot about George Remus and a bit about this year’s Bourbon. However, I’m sure you’re tapping your toes and saying Get On With It under your breath. We can #DrinkCurious once I thank Luxco for providing me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

• Whiskey Type: Straight Bourbon
• Distiller: Ross & Squibb Distillery (formerly MGP)
• Age: 10 years
• Mashbill: A blend of
• 2006 Bourbon: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley (7%)
• 2014 Bourbon:  60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley (26%)
• 2015 Bourbon:  75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley (44%)
• 2015 Bourbon:  60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley (23%)
• Cooperage: New, charred 53-gallon oak
• Alcohol Content: 52% ABV (104°)
• Price per 750mL: $99.99
• Non-Chill Filtered

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore this Bourbon neat. It looked like liquid caramel. A medium rim shed a curtain of fast, wavy tears.

 

Nose: I ignored the glass for about ten minutes before bringing it beneath my nose. Big, bold leather attempted to dominate anything else. I had to acclimate my olfactory sense and eventually was able to find cherry pie filling, brown sugar, allspice, and oak. When I pulled the aroma into my mouth, thick, dark chocolate rolled across my tongue.

 

Palate: Series IX possessed a dense texture, dispersing dark chocolate, cherries, and shredded tobacco on the front of my palate. The middle featured old leather, dried plantains, and brown sugar. I tasted dark-roasted coffee, clove, and dry oak on the back.

 

Finish: The duration seemed to run forever as it slowly faded. In actuality, it ran 2:36, with plenty of leather, dark chocolate, brown sugar, toffee, and cherries.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I thought Series IX was dreamy. It ticked all the right boxes, and I even felt saddened when my glass was empty (thankfully, there’s more). The added proof brought this up a notch or so, and it was perfectly balanced. I loved the nose, mouthfeel, and taste. The long finish didn’t hurt, either.

 

But how does it compare to the standardbearer, Series V? Thankfully, I still have some in my whiskey library to answer that. Whereas IX’s nose was both sweet and spicy, V was mainly sweet. The palate on V was super fruity, while IX was more savory.

 

If you prefer sweeter Bourbons, then Series V is still king of the hill. If a higher rye influence is more to your liking, then IX is going to satisfy your every desire. I love both of them, and I am unable to tell you which is better; these are easily two of the very best out of the Remus Repeal line, and the others aren’t even close.

 

For $100, you’re getting an exceptional, twice-in-a-decade Bourbon that deserves every bit of my Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit, but begs you to do so responsibly.