Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve Bourbon Is Delicious, But Is It a Homerun?
Loads of caramel envelop vanilla, cinnamon, charred marshmallow and dried roses. Subsequent sniffs deliver spice that hints at a more powerful presentation than claimed in its 109 proof.
Bottle Details
- DISTILLER: Ross & Squibb Distillery
- TYPE: Bourbon
- MASH BILL: This blend of four Bourbon mash bills is a nod to the New York Yankee's legendary first baseman Lou Gehrig's number, 4:
- 14% 2016 Bourbon with a 44% Rye mash bill,
- 70% 2017 Bourbon with a 49% Rye mash bill
- 8% 2019 Bourbon with a 99% Corn mash bill
- 8% 2019 Bourbon with a 36% Rye mash bill.
- AGE: Not stated
- YEAR: 2026
- PROOF: 109 (54.5% ABV)
- AVAILABILITY: Nationwide
- MSRP: $129.99
- BUY ONLINE: Available nationwide
TASTING NOTES
NOSE: Loads of caramel envelop vanilla, cinnamon, charred marshmallow and dried flowers. Subsequent sniffs deliver spice that hints at a more robust presentation than noted in its 109 proof.
PALATE: Ripe golden apples and honey ride a wave of spice across the palate, tingling every surface without burning, yet its 109 proof feels like an understatement. The flavor eventually shifts to butterscotch candy, white chocolate and a pleasant dose of toasted oak, smoke and toasted marcona almonds.
FINISH: Long, warm, tingling and a little drying; truly pleasant.
Reviewer's Verdict
RATING: Bar. Treat yourself to a pour if you find it at a bar. But to be rated Bottle, I'd prefer a price drop to $80.
WORTH THE PRICE: Try before you commit $130 to it. This is a delicious, well blended bourbon. But it isn't a deeply complex, long-aged whiskey coddled in casks over years that produces a low bottle, high cost yield. It could use a discount.
WHO IT'S FOR: Bourbon fans who happen to be baseball fans who also are Yankee fans and fans of the great Lou Gehrig, who died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS and a.k.a. Lou Gehrig's disease). This is a great whiskey, but it's also a nostalgia play with a charitable contribution benefit. (In honor of ALS Awareness Month and Lou Gehrig’s legacy, Remus will donate $9,665 [an amount reflecting Gehrig’s career plate appearances] to Live Like Lou, supporting families affected by ALS and advancing research.)
REVIEWER'S VERDICT: I really like this bourbon. The more I drink spirits in general, the more I respect great blending, and this is a clinic in terrific blending put on by master distiller Ian Stirsman and his team. It doesn't hurt a bit to have such a vast and varied inventory of great MGPI whiskey on hand to achieve this, of course. There's much to enjoy here, and I can't imagine a whiskey drinker not thanking you for steering him or her to it.
FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTION: Charcoal-cooked, skin-on chicken with fire-roasted mushrooms and oven-roasted cauliflower.
Disclaimer
This bottle found its way to us compliments of the brand. What ends up on the page is ours alone — and they knew that going in. Around here, honesty isn't a policy. It's the whole damn point.
About Our Rating System
Bourbon & Banter uses a three-tier rating system created over a decade ago: Bottle, Bar, or Bust.
- 🍾 Bottle — Buy it. This one deserves a place in your cabinet. (Approximate equivalent: 85 and above on a 100-point scale)
- 🥃 Bar — Worth trying, but not necessarily worth owning. Find it at a bar before committing to a bottle. (Approximate equivalent: 70–84)
- 💀 Bust — Skip it. Life is too short and your shelf space too valuable. (Approximate equivalent: below 70)
Numeric scores imply a precision that doesn't exist — and most publications never score below 80, making half the scale meaningless. We'd rather answer the question that actually matters: buy it, try it at a bar before you buy, or skip it. The approximate equivalents above are for reference only.