Remus Repeal Reserve: Batch IV (2020) Vs. Batch V (2021)

Today we are matching up this year’s Remus Repeal Reserve to last year’s in order to find out if the new batch is worth your money or not!

Remus is MGP’s own brand of bourbon, and is typically a blend of older barrels of both high-rye, and low-rye bourbons.
I really enjoy the 2020 batch IV… Let’s see how Batch V compares!

🥃IV) $79, 100 proof. 12yrs old. (Zoom in on the bottle to see the blend).
-The Nose is sweet and inviting, with lots of floral vanilla, caramel, 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.

🥃V) $89, 100 proof. 13-15yrs old (Zoom in on the bottle to see the blend).
-The Nose starts with loads of caramel and oak, but then some fruit starts to appear, with slight apple, and strawberry.
-The Palate is similarly spicy up front, but there is loads more oak here. It never gets as sweet, but there is vanilla, dried fig, slight ginger, and white pepper.
-The finish is medium long, with tobacco, leather, black pepper, and slightly tannic oak.
⭐️Overall this is also a very nice, complex, enjoyable dram with lots of oak-forward notes.

🏆VERDICT) The winner here will come down to personal preference… they are both very good!
For me, the less oak-dominant flavors of the Batch IV are the winner. But if you prefer older, more oaky bourbon, then the Batch V will be for you!

What are your thoughts on Remus in general guys?