Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve Bourbon Review

Distillers: Ross & Squibb Distillery

Proof: 109.0 (54.5% ABV)

Age: 2016–2019 Straight Bourbon Components 

Mashbill: Four-Mashbill Blend

MSRP: $130

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A serious whiskey inside a story bottle.

Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve Bourbon arrives with a strong story, one that is strong enough to call for attention before the bottle is ever opened.  Ross & Squibb built this release around a tribute to Lou Gehrig, with 9,665 bottles representing his career plate appearances, four bourbon components honoring his legendary No. 4, and 109 proof tied to his first season in a remarkable run of thirteen consecutive 100 or more RBIs.  

That kind of packaging can be meaningful, but it also raises the questions.  Is this a serious bourbon with a meaningful tribute attached to it?  Or is it a collector bottle where the story is stronger than the whiskey?

Looking first at the blend itself suggests Ross & Squibb wanted this to be more than a label-driven release.  Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve is a blend of four straight bourbon components: 70% 2017 bourbon made with a 49% rye mashbill, 14% 2016 bourbon made with a 44% rye mashbill, 8% 2019 bourbon made with a 36% rye mashbill, and 8% 2019 bourbon made with a 99% corn mashbill.  That puts mature, high-rye bourbon at the center of the blend along with a small corn-heavy component that feels designed to help round the edges.

Based on the specs, I expected rye structure, mature oak, and enough proof to give the whiskey presence.  What I did not expect was how sweet, full, and approachable it would feel while still holding onto its high-rye identity.  This is not a rye-heavy bourbon that comes across sharp, dry, or overly spicy.  Instead, it delivers sweetness first, then lets the rye arrive from a more polished wintermint direction.  

That makes the conclusion to the earlier question fairly clear:  Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve is not just a tribute bottle with whiskey inside it.  It is a serious whiskey inside a story bottle.

Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve Bourbon Review: Tasting Notes

Nose – 4.4/5

Caramel.  Corn sweetness.  Light cherry fruit.  Wintermint.  Toasted oak.  Clean leather.
Strengths:  Full.  Immediately attractive.  Caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, and corn sweetness combo giving it a sweet bourbon foundation.  Sweet rye spice and wintermint step forward to show the rye.
Why It’s Not Higher:  Gives up most of its identity fairly early.  It becomes fuller each time you return to the glass, but it does not necessarily reveal a deeper set of notes.
Rating Justification:  Strong, well-defined Nose that supports the whiskey’s intent.  Shows maturity, sweetness, rye character, and oak influence.  Limited evolution.

Palate – 4.7/5

Caramel.  Vanilla.  Honey sweetness.  Cola sweetness.  Sweet wintermint.  Toasted oak.
Strengths:  This is where the bourbon really proves itself.  Opens rich and sweet.  Full  coating texture.  Moves naturally into sweet rye spice and wintermint without feeling sharp, dry, or overly spicy.  The sweetness and rye do not feel separate; they flow together.  The 109 proof gives good support to the flavors.  No ethanol getting in the way.
Why It’s Not Higher:  Holds steady more than it dramatically builds.  Does not take a second turn into new depth or more intensity of notes.
Rating Justification:  Excellent.  Delivers exactly what the blend seems designed to offer:  a mature high-rye bourbon that drinks with sweetness, texture, balance, and confidence.  Approachable enough to enjoy easily.  Structured enough to satisfy a demanding enthusiast.

Finish – 4.8/5

Cool wintermint.  Cola sweetness.  Slight dry oak.  Very slight pepper.  Pleasant rye herbal aftertaste.
Strengths:  Long, pleasant, and evolving.  Carries the rye identity forward from the Palate with cool wintermint, rye spice, cola sweetness, and a slight herbal aftertaste that reminds you this is built around high-rye bourbon.
Why It’s Not Higher:  Very slight dryness and pepper on the back end, though neither becomes a real flaw.
Rating Justification:  Strongest part of the whiskey.  Reinforces the bourbon’s identity.  Extends the sipping experience.  Leaves a very favorable final impression.  Does not simply fade.  Deeply encourages you to come back for another sip.

Value – 4.7/5

At $130, Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve is not priced like an everyday bourbon, but it does justify its premium.  The limited bottle count, the tribute packaging, the mature component blend, and the Ross & Squibb high-rye profile all contribute to the Value.  But the most important point is that the whiskey itself earns the price. This does not feel like a bottle where the story is doing the heavy lifting.

This also may be more accessible than the specs suggest. An entry-level drinker could enjoy it because it leans sweet and polished rather than aggressive.  Still, the price, limited nature, and high-rye structure make it primarily an enthusiast bottle.

Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve Bourbon Review: The Verdict

Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve Bourbon succeeds because it clears the most important hurdle facing any tribute release:  the whiskey is strong enough to matter after the story has done its work.  The Lou Gehrig details give the bottle a memorable frame, but the bourbon inside is not riding on sentiment.

Remus Lou Gehrig Reserve is a serious whiskey inside a story bottle.  It honors the tribute without becoming dependent on it, and it gives enthusiasts a high-rye bourbon that is polished, memorable, and genuinely worth drinking.

Verdict – 4.7/5

We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.

Scoring System:

• Platinum – 4.5 – 5
• Gold – 4 – 4.5
• Silver – 3 – 4
• Bronze – <3