*Tasted neat in a Glencairn glass
Smell: loads of caramel; sweet oak; pipe tobacco; a touch of citrus and candy apple. Slight mint aroma, likely from the high amount of rye, and some clove, nutmeg and all spice linger in the background.
Taste: Oak is definitely present, starting off sweet then finishing dry with the same spiciness as on the nose. Cherry and candy apple are there too, along with waves of rich caramel (almost scorched caramel). There is a bit of smoke and barrel char too, and a medium-to-long finish with more caramel, tobacco, and oak. The citrus that usually shows up in younger MGP bourbons is not really noticeable in this, as it is buried under the layers of oak, tobacco, caramel, and baking spices. There is little to no burn as it goes down -- the 100 proof perfectly balances richness of flavor with something that is all too easy to sip.
Overall: This is an excellent blend of bourbons. I have had a couple other Repeal Reserve releases, and this is as good as any and possibly the best (mood-dependent). The 13-16 year age of the constituent barrels is apparent in the amount of oak and tobacco -- this tastes and smells like an old bourbon. But it maintains enough fruit and sweetness (to me) to balance out the tannins and astringency that can often occur with older bourbons. Everyone's palate is different, and some who prefer sweeter, fruitier bourbons might think this one is still too oaky (that's for you to judge), but if you have found you typically like oaky, tobacco-heavy well-aged bourbons, this is one to try. At MSRP (or within $30 or so of it), it's a great buy. I would avoid paying excessive markups (50% or greater over MSRP) -- there are better values than that, and distribution for Remus products is pretty decent. But for close to MSRP it's an excellent buy if this is the profile you enjoy.
