Remus Repeal Reserve (Batch IV) Vs. Belle Meade Reserve

Today we have a battle of the “Reserves”!
These are both in a similar price range, and both MGP blends. The Belle Meade is an unspecified blend, and the Remus is made by MPG themselves with 12 year barrels of two different high-rye recipes noted on the front of the bottle.
Fancy Glencairn thinks that Art Deco Remus bottle is just her style, let’s see if a nice bottle translates to a nice whiskey today!

Remus) $75, 100 proof. 12yrs old. (Zoom in on the bottle to see the blend).
-The Nose is sweet and inviting, with lots of floral vanilla, dark cherry, cinnamon, maple, and oak.
-The Palate is initially spicy with black pepper and cinnamon, but then quickly moves sweeter with vanilla, maple, dark cherry, orange peel, and then a hint of mint.
-The Finish is medium long, with more orange peel, cinnamon, and minty aftertaste.
Overall this is a very nice, fairly complex, fairly sweet, very enjoyable dram with surprisingly little oak given the age.

Belle Meade) $65, 110.4 proof. Blend of 7-10yr MGP barrels.
-The Nose is more earthy and savory with some baking spices, oak, dried hay, hint of caramel, orange, and eucalyptus.
-The Palate is full-flavored with classic bourbon notes. The initial sweet-corn is quickly joined by oak spice, lots of vanilla, some caramel, orange peel, slight anise, and a hint of mint.
-The medium-long Finish has black-pepper spice, oak, brown-sugar, and some baking spices.
Overall this bottle is not the most unique, but is just a very good, cask strength, flavorful pour of classic, balanced bourbon notes.

VERDICT) These are both great buys for the price-range, and I enjoy both. It is clear, however, that MGP has saved some really good barrels for its own brand. Remus Repeal Reserve is definitely the winner here for me. The complex, fruit and rye notes are really enjoyable.
Fancy said she wants to make that Art Deco bottle her new home!

Let me know what you guys think!